Mallika Kandali

Mallika Kandali is a Sattriya dancer, author, and academician from Assam, India. Kandali is the first woman doctoral researcher in the Sattriya dance tradition.
==Early life and education==
Kandali's first performance of Sattriya was held at the age of 8 in the Diphu club, Karbi Anglong. Her second performance was in Moina Parijat (All Assam children's meet) at Nagaon, Assam in 1974. After that she performed elsewhere in Assam, and in other Indian states.
Kandali obtained her Ph.D. Degree from Gauhati University on "The Sattriya and the Odissi Dances: A Comparative Study" in 2005.
==Career==
Kandali studied under the tutelage of Guru Harendra nath Sarma of Diphu Kala Kendra, Karbi Anglong. Later she continued her higher training in Sattriya from a number of noted exponents such as Neelapadma Paul, Guru Tileswar Tamuli, Guru Ghanakanta Bora Barbayan and Guru Naren Ch. Baruah. Besides, Dr. Kandali has been visiting various Sattras-the Vaishnava monasteries of Assam, especially the Sri Sri Uttar Kamalabari Sattra of Majuli to study the both theoretical and practical aspects of Sattriya during the last 28 years. Also, she learnt Odissi under the guidance of Guru Garima Hazarika since 1996 for the research purpose.
Kandali prepared the nomenclature of many foot positions and few hand gestures of Sattriya. She also added eight gestures of each nayika of Ashta-nayikas (Natya Sastra) in Sattriya. She added six gestures of each season of six seasons in Sattriya. Also she has been doing scripts and verses in Brajawali for dance compositions.Kandali is also an empanelled artist of ICCR, Festival of India, Dept. of Culture, Govt. of India and graded artist of Doordarshan. Currently, Kandali is an Associate Professor and Head of the Dept.of Political Science in RG Baruah College, Guwahati, Assam. Kandali is also a Visiting Professor of Centre for studies in Performing Arts, Dibrugarh University and Srimanta Sankaradeva University, Assam. She is the convener of syllabus committee of Sattriya dance at Gauhati University, prepared the syllabus on Sattriya dance for Cotton 
University and Rangiya college (Vocational course of Sattriya Dance). 
She was also a member of the Expert Committee of CCRT, New Delhi, ex- member of NEZCC (North-East Zone Cultural Centre), Dimapur, ex-member of EZCC (East Zone Cultural Centre), Kolkata and a member of the expert committee of CFPG (Cultural Function & Production Grant), Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India. She is one of 
the members of advisory board of Nartanam, a national magazine fully devoted to Indian Classical Dances. 
Kandali, is the founder Director (Honorary) 
Parampara Pravah, a reputed cultural organisation dedi­cated to the expansion and preservation of Sattriya culture of Assam.
==Books==
She has published four books, two in Assamese and two in English, on Sattriya dance and culture. She also jointly authored three text books for Class VIII - X on Indian Classical Dance. She has also published several articles and papers in both Assamese and English.
* Mati-Akhara: The Grammar of Sattriya Dance
* Nrityakala Prasanga Aru Satriya Nritya (Assamese) (2007)
*Sattriya Sanskritir Surabhi (Assamese) (2008)
*Sattriya: The Living Dance Tradition of Assam (2014)
==Awards==
She was awarded Srimanta Sankardeva Research Award in 2006 by Sri Sri Auniati Sattra a major Vaishnavite monastery of Assam for her contribution to the study of Sattriya Dance. She had also been awarded World Dance Day Puraskar in 2011 by Nataraj Music and Dance Academy, Visakhapattanam, Devdasi National Award in 2014 by Devdasi Nrutya Mandir and Tourism Dept. Bhubaneswar, Odisha, Chinta O Chetana National Award in 2015 by Chinta 0 Chetana in association with Ministry of Information and Broad casting, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, Natyasri Award in 2015 by Nataraj Music and Dance Academy, Vishakhapatnam - 
a member of lnternational Dance Council, UNESCO, Nritya Siromoni Award in 2016 by Monikanchan Dance Academi, Golaghat and Netaji Garima Award in 2018 by All Assam Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Birth Anniversary Celebration Committee, Bina Saikia memorial Award in 2022 by Saroja Natyalaya, Nagaon, Assam. She was honoured and felicitated by GPL Social Circle, Guwahati, for her outstanding contribution to Sattriya Dance in 2013. 
* Srimanta Sankardeva Research Award, 2006
* Devdasi National Award, 2014
* Chinta O Chetana National Award, 2015
Category:People from Assam
Category:Indian people
Category:Gauhati University alumni
Category:Indian female classical dancers
Category:Author
Category:Academicians