Damodar Hota

Padmakesari Damodar Hota ଦାମୋଦର ହୋତା
Hota in an Odissi music recital
Background information
Born	December, 1935 (age 88–89) Puri, Odisha, India
Origin	Puri, Odisha, India
Genres	Hindustani classical music, Odissi classical music (Udra Paddhatiya Sangita)
Occupation(s)	Classical vocalist, scholar, composer, educator

Damodar Hota (Odia: ଦାମୋଦର ହୋତା; born 1935) is an Indian classical vocalist, musicologist, composer, and guru based in Odisha, India. He is an exponent of Hindustani classical music as well as Odissi classical music (Udra Paddhatiya Sangita).

His primary research on Odissi classical music in the 1960s was groundbreaking in uncovering the historical roots, distinct ragas, talas, and lakshyanas of the music. He has fought to preserve the authenticity and distinctiveness of the form through his vocal performance, teaching, scholarship, and advocacy.

Career

A Top Grade artist of Doordarshan and All India Radio, he exemplifies the ashtanga-pradhan gayaki style of the Gwalior Gharana.

He is a chief disciple of Padmashree Pt. Balwant Rai Bhatt (Bhav Rang) and Pandit Pt. Omkarnath Thakur (Pranav Rang). His compositions bear the pen name 'Swar Rang'.

Pandit Hota started learning music from his mother Smt. Dandimani Devi and father Sri Gopinath Hota who was skilled in Odissi music and Mardala as practised in the Jaga-Akhadas of Puri and the Jagannath Temple. He continued training in Odissi music under Guru Nrusinghanatha Khuntia.

He attended the College of Music and Fine Arts at Banaras Hindu University. For his Doctor of Music (Sangeet Pravin) degree, he was awarded the Pandit Mirashi Buwa Puraskar. Pandit Hota holds Madhyama Purna in Tabla and Visharad in Pakhawaj.

He served as principal and senior faculty of Hindustani vocal music at Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya.

Teaching

Pandit Hota has been teaching music in the gurukula tradition since 1963. He is the founder and chief guru of Swar Rang, an institution of Hindustani Classical and Udra Paddhatiya Sangita. To aid teaching and preservation, he has authored numerous books notating and discussing the practice, compositions, theory, and historical aspects of both forms of music. Many of the books are used as syllabus work across Odisha. From 2007 to 2016, Pandit Hota organized the annual Tridhara National Music Conference to spread knowledge of Udra Paddhatiya Sangita alongside the two other forms of Indian Classical Music. In 2020, Pandit Hota established the Sri Jagannath Institute of Udra Padhhatiya Sangeet for research and training in Udra Paddhatiya Sangita (Odissi music).

Publications

• Kisora Chandrananda Champu Lahari
• Udra Paddhatiya Mela Raga Tala Lakhyana (in 5 parts)
• Hindustani Sangeeta Lahari (in 5 parts)
• Lakhyana O Swara Malika Lahari (part 1)
• Srimandira Sangeeta Mala (in 2 parts)
• Sangeet Shashtra (part 1)
• Bharatiya Sangeeta Ra Itihasa (in 2 parts)
• Udra Paddhatiya Mela Raga Tala O Prabandha Lakhyana (part 1)

References

• https://web.archive.org/web/20200812134917/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/Dissenting-note/article15938003.ece
• https://web.archive.org/web/20160323021755/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110531/jsp/orissa/story_14046221.jsp
• [1]
• http://newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/article280241.ece
• http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-otherstates/article868229.ece