Kanaka Raju
A Gond master of the Gussadi dance from Marlavai who trained hundreds of young Adivasis for four decades, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021.
Kanaka Raju was a Gond Adivasi from the historic village of Marlavai in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, known across Telangana as the master of the Gussadi dance. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2021 in the field of art, from Telangana [1].
Peacock feathers
Kanaka Raju was born on 1 January 1941 and learned Gussadi as a boy from his father, Kanaka Ramu [2]. Dancers wear a tall headdress made of about 1,500 peacock feathers, called mal boora, with animal skin around the waist [2].
Keeping the dance alive
For more than 40 years he trained hundreds of Adivasi teenagers and young people in the dance [2]. Through his efforts the fading form regained popularity among Adivasis and began drawing other visitors and foreign tourists to the district [2].
He led troupes to Delhi to dance in Telangana’s tableau at the Republic Day parade, and with the support of the IAS officer Madavi Tukaram trained young Adivasis to perform there [2]. The culture ministry recognised his Republic Day performances in 1982 and 2004 [2]. He also worked with the anthropologist Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf and his wife Elizabeth during their research on Adivasi life in the old Adilabad district [2].
He received the Telangana government’s Ugadi Puraskaram in 2015 [2].
Kanaka Raju died at Marlavai in October 2024, aged 83 [3].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2021: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 24 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2021: citation for Kanaka Raju — Padma Awards, Government of India. Accessed 24 October 2026.
- [3] Renowned Gussadi dance master Kanaka Raju passes away — The Tribune. Accessed 24 October 2026.
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