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Pandit Damodar Hota (Odia: ଦାମୋଦର ହୋତା, romanized: Dāmodara Hotā; 25 December 1935 – 5 February 2022) was an Indian classical vocalist, musicologist, composer, and guru based in Odisha, India. He was an exponent of Odissi classical music (Udra Paddhatiya Sangita) as well as Hindustani classical music.

Padmakesari Damodar Hota ଦାମୋଦର ହୋତା
Hota in an Odissi music recital
Background information
Born	(1935-12-25)25 December 1935 Puri, Odisha, British Raj
Origin	Puri, Odisha, India
Died	5 February 2022(2022-02-05) (aged 86) Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
Genres	Hindustani classical music, Odissi classical music (Udra Paddhatiya Sangita)
Occupation(s)	Classical vocalist, scholar, composer, educator

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.[1]

Career

Pandit Hota started learning music from his mother Smt. Dandimani Devi and father Sri Gopinath Hota who was skilled in Odissi music and Mardala. He also learned from the elderly musicians of the Jaga-Akhadas of Puri and the Jagannath Temple.[2] He continued higher training in Odissi music under Guru Nrusingha Nath 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 was 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'.[3]

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

Teaching

Oṛiśī Sangīta
Odissi music
Mahāprabhu Jagannātha
Composers
Jayadeva Dinakrusna Bhanja Banamali Abhimanyu Kabisurjya Gopalakrusna
Shāstras
Sangita Sara Gita Prakasa Sangita Narayana Sangita Muktabali
Compositions
Gita Govinda Odissi Prabandha Chhanda Champu Chautisa Janana Bhajana Malasri Pallabi Charjyapada
Instruments
Mardala Benu Bina Khola
v t e

Pandit Hota had been teaching music in the gurukula tradition since 1963. He was the founder and chief guru of Swar Rang, an institution of Hindustani Classical and Udra Paddhatiya Sangita. To aid teaching and preservation, he 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.[4] In 2020, Pandit Hota established the Sri Jagannath Institute of Udra Padhhatiya Sangeet for research and training in Udra Paddhatiya Sangita (Odissi music).[5]

Personal life and death

Hota suffered from cardiac ailments in the last few years of his life. He died in Bhubaneswar on 5 February 2022, at the age of 86.[6][7]

Publications

• Kisora Chandrananda Champu Lahari
• Udra Paddhatiya Mela Raga Tala Lakhyana (in 7 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

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