Rajkumar Singhajit Singh (1 May 1931 – 23 November 2024) was a leading exponent, choreographer and a

guru Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...

Indian classical dance Indian classical dance, or ''Shastriya Nritya'', is an umbrella term for different regionally-specific Indian classical dance traditions, rooted in predominantly Hindu musical theatre performance,, Quote: All of the dances considered to be part ...

form of Manipuri, including the Pung cholom and Raslila. He was awarded the

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IAST: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recogni ...

in 1984 and the

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

in 1986 for his contribution to the

Manipuri dance Manipuri dance, sometimes also referred to as the Manipuri Raas Leela (), is a jagoi and is one of the major Classical Indian dance, Indian classical dance forms, originating from the state of Manipur. It is one of the Meitei intangible cult ...

. In the year 2011,

Sangeet Natak Akademi Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in English language, English) is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India. It is an autonomous body of the Ministry of Culture (India) ...

, India's The National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama, awarded him its highest award, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for his contribution to Indian Dance. In 2014 he was also conferred with the

Tagore Award The Tagore Award is an award given in commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) for cultural harmony. Established in 2011 by Government of India, it is given for outstanding achievement in ...

. Guru Singhajit Singh and his wife Charu Sija Mathur, who is also a

recipient, have established, ''Manipuri Nrityashram'', a

school, in New Delhi. Raj kumar Singhajit Singh

Biography

Rajkumar Singhajit Singh was born in a family of dancers and musicians in

Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...

. Early in life, he was fortunate to receive his dance education from the finest gurus of

, starting with ‘Guru Ojha Iboton Singh’ (1942–46) for Pung (drum), followed by ‘Guru Amubi Singh’ (1948–54) – Jagoi; ‘Guru Thambal Angou Singh’ (1950–52) - Kartal Chalom; ‘Guru Chauba Singh’ (1952–53) - Kartal Chalom; and with ‘Guru Ojha Gaura Singh’ (1952–53) from whom he learned the martial arts with Sword & Spear, and soon established himself as a dancer, choreographer and artist of repute. He joined Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi, in 1954, as Head of the Manipur Dance Section, and later in 1962, founded the ‘Triveni Ballet’ of which he was Director and Principal Dancer. Over the years, he and his dance troupe, have extensively travelled to several countries in Europe, the former USSR, North and South America, Japan, West Asia and Africa. Their recent choreography, '' Ashta Nayika'', has received wide recognition, from both viewers and critics alike. Singh died on 23 November 2024, at the age of 93.

Awards

* Academy Ratna Award, 2011 * Homi Bhabha Fellowship (1976–1978) DR. R.K. Singhajit Singh Profile
Homi Bhabha Fellowship Council, Mumbai, Fellowship:1976-1978.
# 34. 1976-1978. *

(1984) *

(1986) * Delhi Sahitya Kala Parishad Award (1975) * Fellow of Manipur State Kala Academy * Manipur Sahitya Parishad Nritya Award (1975) * Nritya Choodamani from Chennai * Doctor of Letters (hon.) – North Eastern Hills University *

for cultural harmony, 2014 (awarded in 2018)

Bibliography

*''Manipuri'' by R K Singhajit Singh, ''Dances of India'' series, 2004, Wisdom Tree,

The Martial Arts of Asia: Eliminating Violence

References

External links

An interview with R K Singhajit Singh And Charu Sija Mathur

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Rajkumar Singhajit 1931 births 2024 deaths Indian male dancers Indian classical choreographers Teachers of Indian classical dance Manipuri classical Indian dance exponents Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship 20th-century Indian dancers Dancers from Manipur