Baripada 28/11 (Fast News Odisha) Dhol instrument guru Bighnaraj Dhada and Meeuri guru Biranchi Mahanth have been honored with the Odisha Music Drama Academy Award. The state government has given the award to both of them for the current year 2025. Similarly, Kabichandra Kalicharan Patnaik Youth Award given by the academy to young and emerging artistes has also been given to 3 prominent puppeteers of Mayurbhanj. For the year 2024, it was given to Shiv Charan Mahanth, while for the year 2025, Sachina Dhada and Sushant Behera received the said award. However, it is known that five people have been awarded by the Academy for the first time in the world of Mayurbhan Chou Dance. Shubhashri Mukherjee, the executive director of the project camp started in 2016 by the district administration for the conservation and restoration of Chou dance and expert committee member of Odisha Music Drama Academy congratulated the awardee. He said that this is a special achievement in the history of Mayurbhanj. Similarly, after the end of Durbar Raj in Mayurbhanj, indifference was seen in all areas towards Chou dance. Bibhudatta Das, the director of Project Camp, expressed the hope that awarding the state academy to five artistes at one time will be an inspiration for the future generations.