''Pandit'' Ramhari Das (, ; born 1953) is a leading singer, composer, musicologist and Guru of

Odissi music Odissi music (, ) is a genre of Indian classical music, classical music originating from the eastern state of Odisha. Rooted in the ancient ritual music tradition dedicated to the deity Jagannatha, Odissi music has a rich history spanning over ...

. Known for his renditions, compositions, lecture-demonstrations and writings, Das has served as a professor and led the Odissi vocal department in prominent musical institutions of Odisha, including the

Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya is a performing arts-cum-educational institution in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. History and Accreditation Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya was established by former Chief minister of Odisha Biju Patnaik on 14 April 1964 ...

and the

Utkal University of Culture Utkal University of Culture is a public university in Bhubaneswar, Odisha dedicated for research, teaching and education in the field of culture. History Utkal University of Culture was established by an ordinance on 9 June 1999, which was la ...

. He is the founder of '' Ramhari Das Odissi Gurukula'' at Biragobindapur,

Puri Puri, also known as Jagannath Puri, () is a coastal city and a Nagar Palika, municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, south of the state ca ...

. For his contributions to

, Das received the

Sangeet Natak Akademi award Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IAST: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recogni ...

in 2008.

Life

Born in 1953 in Balasore, Das started his initial training in Odissi music from his uncle Radhakrushna Das and Guru Prafulla Kumar Sur. He continued under Gurus including Markandeya Mahapatra, Balakrushna Das, Bhikari Charan Bal and Gopal Chandra Panda as a student in the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya. He later served as a lecturer in the same institution and then as the head of the Odissi music department from 1985 to 2010. He is a leading singer and composer of Odissi music. Besides solo recitals and vocal accompaniment in dance, he has won acclaim for composing a large number of songs for Odissi dance and dance-dramas. Outside of these, he has sung for Odia films and television serials. Among his published writings are the books ''Odissi Sangitara Parampara O Prayoga, Sangita Sangya,'' ''Alankara Ratnabali'' and ''Kala Sikhya'' (published by the Board of Secondary Education, Odisha). Das has several research papers & articles to his credit and has presented in various seminars & conferences across the nation. He has also received a Senior Research Fellowship from the Government of India for his research on Odissi music. He has been connected in various capacities with cultural institutions in Odisha, including the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi, the Utkal University of Culture, where he served as the head of the Odissi vocal department and the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Research Centre, where he served as the chief executive. He is one of the chief architects of ''Sangita Sudhakara Balakrushna Dash foundation'' that organises an annual three-day festival of Odissi music. Guru Ramhari Das'
Odissi Sangita Pathasala
' is a series of graded lessons on Odissi music available for free on YouTube, in which Das himself teaches the history of Odissi music, core musical concepts, ''shastra''s (treatises) with an individual treatment of ''raga''s and songs.

Institution

Das is acclaimed for his efforts to develop musical awareness and education in Odisha. He has conducted Odissi music recitals in several educational institutions through

SPIC MACAY The Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth, abbreviated as SPIC MACAY, is a voluntary youth movement which promotes intangible aspects of Indian cultural heritage by promoting Indian classical music, clas ...

. He has established the '' Ramhari Das Odissi Gurukula'' in the village of Biragobindapura in the Puri district. The Gurukula is a training-cum-research institute that imparts education in Odissi music & dance and organises workshops & seminars. Students are trained in Odissi classical vocal,

Odissi Mardala Mardala (, ) is a classical percussive instrument native to the east Indian state of Odisha, traditionally used as the primary accompaniment in Odissi classical music. The instrument is slightly different from other instruments (like Madal, Mrid ...

and Odissi Bina (Veena) by Guru Ramhari Das, Guru

Dhaneswar Swain Dhaneswar Swain (; born on 18 May 1953) is an exponent and Guru of the Odissi Mardala, the traditional percussion instrument of Odissi music. He founded Vadya Vani Gurukula, an institution for training and research in Odissi Mardala and other trad ...

& Guru Ramarao Patra respectively. It is the only institution in the state that imparts training in Odissi Bina (Veena). An annual festival called ''Gurukula Utsav'' is conducted to showcase diverse facets of Odissi music through curated performances.

Awards and honours

Das has received various titles and awards including the central and Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi awards. *

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IAST: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recogni ...

(2008) * Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2008) *Orissa Dance Academy, Bhubaneswar *Utkal Sahitya Kala Parishad, Cuttack *

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Samman Indian people or Indians are the citizens and nationals of the Republic of India or people who trace their ancestry to India. While the demonym "Indian" applies to people originating from the present-day India, it was also used as the identi ...

, awarded by the President of India *Guru Singhari Samman from Guru Gopal Panda Odissi Academy, Bhubaneswar *Jadumani Das Saraswata Pratibha Samman (2017) *Guru Sahadev Padhi Memorial Award (2019)

Published works

* ''Odissi Sangitara Parampara O Prayoga (2004)'' * ''Sangita Sangya (1989‌)'' * ''Alankara Ratnabali (1984)''

References

External links