Binayak Panda

Binayak Panda is an Odissi dancer, teacher, and founder of Debadhara, a New Delhi-based cultural organization established in 2003. Born in Lokanathpur, Chatarpur, Odisha, he began his dance training at the age of nine under his elder brother, Gajendra Panda. He later completed a Visharad degree through Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal and studied Odissi music with Gopal Chandra Panda.

His work is rooted in the Odissi tradition associated with Debaprasad Das. Through his training under Gajendra Panda, a principal custodian of this stream, he carries forward the Debaprasad Das parampara and its synthetic approach, which draws on classical, tribal, and folk movement traditions of Odisha while remaining within an Odissi framework.

His principal institutional contribution is Debadhara, which he founded and manages in New Delhi. The organization teaches Odissi, presents students in performance, and organizes festivals, workshops, lecture-demonstrations, and cultural events intended to promote Indian classical arts and the Debaprasad Das style. Debadhara has also instituted the Guru Debaprasad Nrutya Parampara festival and related award events.

Binayak Panda remains active as a teacher, organizer, and Odissi practitioner through Debadhara. In 2026, Debadhara collaborated with Tridhara on a three-day Delhi festival centered on the Debaprasad school of Odissi, reflecting his continuing work in performance presentation, pedagogy, and lineage preservation.