Koka departed from his Karma bhumi by leaving us as impoverished orphans.

We
are trying to move forward with the help of the many pearls of wisdom which he
ingrained in our thoughts and spirit. He was a great person with full of life. He had a
very active and interesting mind. It was his endearing quality that made him
unique. We had a very special relation because he treated me like his grandchild.
He was a godfather to me. I was a carefree child because I could approach him
anytime I had a problem or question.
He was very enthusiastic for dance. His dedication towards Sattriya art and culture
is worth appreciating. According to me, there is no other scholar in this field that
can be measured to his caliber. I had many misconceptions on Sattriya dance. It was
only koka, who cleared all my misconceptions. One day it so happened, koka asked
me How many types of hastas are there? And my instant response was three
types of hastas- asamyukta hastas, samyukta hastas and Nritta hastas. Koka stared
at him for a minute and asked me Are you sure? I replied confidently that yes, Im
very much sure about it! Koka with a sigh of mixed expressions said No dear, there
are two types of hastas- Nritya hastas and Nritta hastas. Nritya hastas are divided
into two types of hastas i.e Asamyukta hastas and Samyukta hastas. He then
explained me in details about the hand gestures used in Sattriya dance. Likewise,
there are many small to big things related to sattriya dance that I came to know
from him. He was so energetic and determined that he never had time for rest,
whole day he used to be busy with his passion! So during my visits to Jajhi, I hardly
got time to take rest! But this turned out to be blessings for me because through
him I got to learn many things about sattriya dance!
He possessed a vast knowledge on Abhinaya. During the theoretical classes for my
research work at his home, he taught me the small nuances of abhinaya, foot
movements etc. One of the best quality of him is that he never disliked any person.
He always wishes good for others. Only thing he knew was to spread sattriya dance.
He devoted his entire life in teaching and spreading this art form among the
younger generations through various lecture-demonstrations, workshops, seminars
etc.
The day he passed away, my sadness and pain was compounded by the memories
and glimpse of the times we had spend together. He gave me immense motivation
and encouragement in my research work. His frequent insights and patience with
me is very memorable. Above all he made me feel a friend, which I value it from my
heart. Today as I struggle to finish my research work in philosophy based on the
study of Sattriya dance and wanted to clear any doubt, in these moments I miss him
the most. The pain of his absence impales my heart where my tears are endless.
But I know he is in me
Dr. Jagannath Mahanta was not only an exponent of Sattriya dance tradition having
trained in Jarabari Sattra, he was a distinguished academician and obtained his Ph.d
from Dibrugarh University. He had done extensive research on the grammar of this

dance form in his doctoral thesis The Sattriya dances of Assam- A critical and
analytical study. He is also well known for his research work on Sattriya Nrityar
Hastas, Sattriya Nrityar Katha, Sattriya nrityar duti Moula : Pada aru Hasta,
Sattriya Nritya Arhi Path etc. Today, I belief, for a serious student of Sattriya
dance, the study of writings of Dr. Jagannath Mahanta will be of utmost benefit. I
would like to end this communication with offering my Pranam to loving Aita who
has always been so affectionate with me and my mother.