Tripura’s Hojagiri dance icon Satyaram Reang passes away at 85

He was instrumental in sustaining and promoting the traditional Hojagiri dance, a complex dance form including moves, acrobatics and a lot of gymbal balancing in the age of the onslaught of modern performing arts.

Hailing from Shantirbazaar, Reang was born at Dashamipara, a distant tribal hamlet of South Tripura, in 1943 and has been involved with the subtle nuances of his community’s dance form since childhood.

রাজ্যের ঐতিহ্যপূর্ণ হজাগিরি নৃত্যের প্রবাদ প্রতিম শিল্পী পদ্মশ্রী সত্যরাম রিয়াং এর প্রয়াণে আমি ভীষণভাবে মর্মাহত। আমি ঈশ্বরের কাছে বিদেহী আত্মার সদগতি কামনা করছি এবং ওনার পরিবার-পরিজন ও অগণিত গুণমুগ্ধদের বিয়োগ-ব্যথা সহ্য করার শক্তি প্রদানের প্রার্থণা করি।

বিশ্ববাসীর সামনে…

— Prof.(Dr.) Manik Saha (@DrManikSaha2) October 2, 2023

He started Hojagiri Academy, the only one of its kind in Tripura, on a piece of land he donated along with contributions from his family members and relatives. Reang was also instrumental in founding Lokaranjan Shakha for the propagation of indigenous art and dance forms from Tripura.

The octogenarian, who was instrumental in promoting Hojagiri dance in the international cultural arena, had represented India in a cultural event in the erstwhile Soviet Russia during 1987-88.

He was also conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi award apart from a host of other accolades.

Despite the untimely death of his son Helenjoy Reang, also a talented and dynamic cultural artiste, in 2020, Satyaram Reang continued contributing to the promotion of the art and culture of the state. His daughters are also acclaimed Hojagiri dance artists.

Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his condolences. “I’m deeply saddened by the passing away of Padma Shri Satyaram Reang, the proverbial icon of the state’s Hojagiri dance. I pray to God to grant peace to the departed soul and to give strength to his family and countless benefactors to bear the bereavement. His unique role in presenting the state’s Janjati folk dance Hojagiri to the world will forever be remembered. Om Shanti #padmaShri #SatyaRamReang,” CM Saha wrote.

Union Minister of State for Social Empowerment and Justice Pratima Bhoumik took to social media and wrote, “I’m deeply saddened by the demise of the iconic artist of our traditional Hojagiri dance Padma Shri Satyaram Reang. I’m praying to the Almighty for peace of his departed soul and to give strength of bearing this loss to his family and fans. People of the state will forever remember his role in developing Hojagiri dance and presenting it in front of the world. Om Shanti”.

Terming him one of the pioneers of Hajagiri dance, former Chief Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb recounted Reang’s contributions and said his work will always remained etched in the memory of people.