In a somber incident in St. Louis, Missouri, the Indian classical dance community is mourning the loss of one of its own, Amarnath Ghosh. Ghosh, who was skilled in the dance forms Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi, tragically lost his life to gun violence on a Tuesday evening while out for a walk. His close associate, Indian television actor Devoleena Bhattacharjee, revealed the devastating news on March 1, highlighting the immense grief of his friends who are now left to seek answers and justice for Amarnath.
Ghosh was the sole bearer of his lineage, with his father having passed away in his childhood and his mother three years prior. Hailing from Kolkata, he had made strides as an exceptional dancer and was diligently working towards a Master of Fine Arts at Washington University in St. Louis. His untimely death has left many in disbelief, with the details surrounding the incident and the perpetrator still shrouded in mystery. Bhattacharjee has reached out to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar to provide assistance in the matter.
Friends of Amarnath in the U.S. are struggling to claim his body, with no updates available on the situation. Meanwhile, Ghosh is remembered for his extraordinary talent, acclaimed by his achievements including a National Scholarship for Kuchipudi, and his education at the prestigious Kalakshetra College and the Kuchupudi Art Academy in Chennai. The dance world and his friends are left to honor the memory of Ghosh, a man whose life was a dance of passion and cultural richness, tragically cut short.