Dancer & Writer Katalin Nemeth Patnaik: From Love For Odissi To Becoming Odisha’s Daughter-In-Law

A Christian by birth but Hindu at heart, it was Hungarian lass Katalin’s love for Odissi dance that made her the daughter-in-law of an Odia family from Bhubaneswar, finally, 13 years ago. Currently based in the UK and engaged in promotion of Odissi  and Hinduism, she flew all the way to Bhubaneswar to attend her mother-in-law’s death anniversary when Shyamhari Chakra spoke to her on her unique bond with Odissi and Odisha.

Excerpts from the interview:

How did Katalin Nemeth become Katalin Patnaik?

It’s my love for Odissi that made me the daughter-in-law of an Odia family. I met my husband Manoj Patnaik from Bhubaneswar through Odissi. He used to work in Hungary, the country that I belong to. He saw my profile picture on social media through a common friend and asked me how come that I was wearing an Odissi costume. Our relationship gradually developed, and we got married in Bhubaneswar in 2010.

How were you introduced to Odissi?

It all started with Lord Shiva, more precisely the Nataraj statue. I was born in Hungary, into a not very religious Christian family. Those days, we had no idea about Hinduism or India beyond the most basic information that somehow made its way to our tiny, post-USSR country.

I first saw the Nataraj statue on TV  when I was a kid. I fell in love with it though I did not know what it was. It was in my teens that I found out who Nataraj is and what the statue symbolises. After learning about Lord Shiva, his stories and his personality, there was no turning back for me. I developed a deep love for him and started worshipping him.

He being the god of dance, it seemed logical to me that I should learn an Indian dance form that I could use in my religious practice, as kind of an offering to Shiva. My wish to do so was finally granted when I joined the university, and I found an Odissi teacher in the city I studied in. What a turn of fate! She was Adrien Meszaros, the founder of Sundari Odissi Dance Group in Hungary.

But why Odissi and not Bharatanatyam or Kathak or any other Indian dance style for that matter ! Nataraj is also prominently portrayed in the other Indian dance styles.

It was pure chance – or was its fate? I have never heard of Odissi before I started University. Everyone knows Bharatanatyam, but Odissi didn’t make it to Europe in 2006. When I moved to Debrecen, I started to look for Indian classical dance classes; I wanted to learn one of the temple-dances that I could dance as an offering to Lord Shiva, and considering Debrecen is a bigger town than Miskolc, and is more of a cultural hotspot, I had better chances finding a teacher there than at home. I found the only Indian dance teacher in Debrecen, Adrien Meszaros, and she happened to teach Odissi. She learned the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra style in India, and brought it back to Hungary. I called her up, she invited me to a tester session, and the rest is history.

And even though I originally wanted to learn Bharatanatyam, I am very happy things turned out this way. Odissi is such a uniquely beautiful tradition, it gives so much more than any other dance form; at least to me. I love the bhangis (postures), the mudras (hand gestures) and the facial expressions… everything is so graceful and expressive, it’s impossible not to admire Odissi.

What is the meaning of Katalin Nemeth?

Nemeth is my family name. It means German. Katalin comes from the Greek word ‘katharos’, which means ‘forever pure’.  I was named after St Catherine of Siena, who was a prolific author and healer in the Middle Ages, and who was named “The Doctor of the Church” by Pope John Paul VI. In Hungary we have a rigid set of traditional names we can choose from when naming a child, and Katalin has always been one of the most popular ones.

Please tell us about your parental family.

I was born in a middle-class family. Both of my parents are working, both are engineers. I wasn’t really brought up to be religious. I was baptised by my grandmother, against my parents’ wishes, but I never had a strong connection with Catholicism, which is the religion my family originally belonged to until a couple of generations earlier, and before the USSR rule. We are three sisters.

Where were you born and brought up?
I was born in Miskolc, Hungary. It is the third biggest town in Hungary, with a roughly 157 000 population – a tiny place by Indian standards. It is set in the Northern part of the country among the beautiful Bükk Mountains, and it is not the most happening of places. When I was a little girl, there were virtually no foreigners, and I had no exposure to different cultures apart from TV programs. It hasn’t changed much, despite being a university city.

Which University did you study in and what did you study at the University level?
I attended the University of Debrecen, and studied German Studies. I absolutely adore this language, along with the country and its people. And I found Odissi through this love for German, which is a great bonus.

What were the challenges of getting married to an Indian family as you belonged to a very different culture and distant land? How did you adapt to the challenges?

The challenges are ongoing, and require continuous attention, effort, and reciprocation from both of us. I regularly receive comments that even actual Indian bahus don’t do as much for their husband’s family as I do. Yes, I cook Indian food and have learnt Hindi and a little of Odia. I am familiar with Indian movies and music. I know more about Hinduism than most of my Hindu friends – or even their parents, or some priests, as it turns out. But the majority of effort goes into reconciling our upbringings and the gender roles within our cultures. I have already been worshipping Lord Shiva for years before I met my husband. I have always been good at learning languages, and I have always been interested in different cultures. These have never meant any obstacles.

Do you understand Odia language?

Tikke tikke asuchi ! I am more comfortable in speaking Hindi, but I do understand Odia on a basic level. My husband talks to the kids in Odia, so whatever they know, I know too.

What is the profession of your husband? Does he love Odissi dance? And what about your children?

Manoj is an IT consultant. He works for TCS. He is the complete opposite of me: he’s not very interested in cultural things. He appreciates Odissi, but I wouldn’t say he is a huge fan of any classical dances. At the same time, he is happy I dance, and I presume he is proud of it.

Our children are called Kartikey and Attharv, named after Lord Shiva’s children; Attharv is another name for Ganesh. They are typical boys, and they haven’t really showed any interest in dancing yet. They are very sporty though, and they speak Odia, too.

Why did you settle down in England?

My husband’s work brought us here, he was on deputation with TCS, and we are now settled here. Education and social care are quite good here, and there is a huge Indian community, so the children are exposed to their father’s traditions as well. We are part of the local mandir’s (Hindu Temple Society, Coventry) committee, where we both volunteer. I have created and maintain the mandir’s social media presence, I hold school visits and explain Hinduism to large groups of children as part of their education, and I teach Odissi to beginners as a seva and offering to the gods. I grow and sell Tulsi plants to support the London Jagannath mandir building initiative.

How has been your journey as an Odissi dancer so far?

My first solo performance was in Bhubaneswar at the first Biswa Odissi Utsav (Odissi International) in 2010 – the year I became a daughter-in-law of the land of Odissi – and it was once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. Since then, dancing, teaching and promoting Odissi has been my passion and mission in life. Though Odissi has been my profession, I don’t try earn money from it by teaching. My classes are for free, as a community service and, as I originally intended, an offering to my beloved Lord Shiva. I have performed in mandirs, cultural events, and even at the Nehru Centre in London. The journey goes on.

Dancer apart, you have been an award-winner writer. Please let’s know more about it.

I have always been fond of stories and creative writing. My love of books has been instilled by my mother, who read us bedtime stories every night when we were kids. As soon as I learned to read, I devoured everything I could get my hands on, including classics that were not my level. As of writing, I completed my first fantasy novel when I was in grammar school. Of course, it is terrible, as you could expect a 15-year old’s writing to be, but it is entertaining; maybe I will rewrite it one day to get it published, but until then, it stays in my drawer.

After being included in several anthologies of short stories and poems, my first traditionally published nonfiction book hit the stores in 2021. I’m proud to report that ‘The Little Book of Tarot’ won the prestigious CARTA Awards, hosted by the International Tarot Foundation, in the Best Tarot Book category. Since then, I wrote five more esoteric books, three of which are available to buy, and three will come out hopefully this year.

In fiction, I am currently looking for a publisher for my adult psychological novel about a girl with a very disturbing past life. It features reincarnation, seeking forgiveness, a bit of action and excitement, and a dash of dark humour. I’m also editing my second novel, that is a posthumous paranormal fiction story that needs some work before I go off and query it. My dream is to become a full-time author, help people heal emotional wounds through my writing, and make a living from my novels.

You have been visiting Bhubaneswar for the past 13 years. Please tell us your impression about the city. What are the things that you love about it and which you don’t like.

I love the people. Everyone has been really welcoming and kind. The people of Bhubaneswar have a kind of innocence that is missing from people of bigger metros. Odia people are honest and helpful, and quite laid back, which I like.

13 years ago, when I first visited Bhubaneswar, everyone was staring at me when we went out, like I was an alien. Nowadays it is less so, thankfully, probably because there are now a lot more of white people visiting Odisha. I also noticed the improvement in cleanliness and the quality of public spaces in Bhubaneswar. I think it is a beautiful city, and it’s getting better and better. I adore the murals that have been painted all over the city.

One thing I don’t like is how foreigners are not allowed into the Jagannath Temple in Puri, or in the Lingaraj mandir in Bhubaneshwar. It was a really painful experience not to be allowed inside, and I wish I could change it. I accept that a culture has the right to make itself exclusive to the local community. But when someone like Padma awardee Ileana Citaristi is at the doorstep; when ISCKON devotees from all over the world are crying their hearts out in front of the mandir because they’re no allowed to meet their Lord; when someone has given their lives to Hinduism and Indian culture, it really is not fair to be banned from such important places of pilgrimage, just because of the colour of our skin.

Photos: Courtesy Katalin Nemeth Patnaik