Gussadi maestro Kanaka Raju passes away at 83

ADILABAD: Padma Shri Kanaka Raju, 83, a beloved Gussadi maestro, passed away due to ill health in his native village of Marlavai, Jainoor Mandal, Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, on Friday.

Widely known as Gussadi Kanaka Raju, his funeral will be held in Marlavai on Saturday.

MLAs, MPs of the former Adilabad district, and in-charge minister Seethakka expressed their condolences to Kanaka Raju’s family upon his demise. They praised him for his significant contributions to Gussadi dance and for preserving the unique adivasi culture.

Kanaka Raju was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2021 for his contributions to traditional Adivasi Gussadi dance and for preserving the unique culture. He received the Padma Shri award from then-President Ram Nath Kovind.

Over the past 43 years, he trained hundreds of adivasi teenagers and youths in Gussadi dance. Until last year, Kanaka Raju mentored interested adivasi students studying in tribal welfare schools operated by the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) in Utnoor.

Kanaka Raju had a long-standing association with Gussadi dance and even led a Gussadi cultural troupe to Delhi, where they performed before then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and President Zail Singh.