Pandit Damodar Hota (Swar Rang),an A Class Artist of Doordarshan and All India Radio, is a Hindustani Classical musician based in Orissa, India. Being a torch-bearer of Gwalior Gharana and one of the foremost disciples of Padmashree Nada Maharishi Pt. Balwant Rai Bhatt(Bhav Rang) and Sangeet Martand Pt. Omkarnath Thankur (Pranav Rang), he inherits excellence in khyal gayaki as well as in the performance of tarana, thumri, tappa and bhajan. He is also a composer and scholar of note. In his musical career, he is driven by a determination to impart his knowledge of Hindustani classical music, and traditional Odissi music('Uddra Paddhatiya Sangeet')--which remains largely unnoticed and neglected-- in his home state. |
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Pandit Hota secured his I.Mus, B.Mus,and M.Mus degrees from the College of Music and Fine Arts at Banaras Hindu University, as a student scholar of Orissa Sangeet Natak Academy. He was fortunate to be under the tutelage of Pt. Omkarnath Thakur(Pranav Rang), and his disciple, Pt. Balwant Rai Bhatt(Bhav Rang) of Gwalior Gharana. In 1959, during his college years, he secured the 1st position at the All India Competition, Special Group, Allahabad. In 1960, fulfilling the wishes of his first gurus(to give proper training in Hindustani Classical Music to the children in Orissa and to work for the development of Traditional Odissi Music of Puri) he renounced a job offer in BHU and returned to Orissa. He worked as Senior Lecturer of Hindustani Vocal Music in Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya and later became the Principal of this institution. Apart from his background in Hindustani vocal, Pandit Hota holds Madhyama Purna in Tabla and Visharad in Pakhawaj. In 1973, he obtained his Doctor Of Music(Sangeet Pravin) degree from A.B.G.M Mandal, Bombay with 1st division, at the All India level for which he was awarded the prestigious Pt. Mirashi Buwa Puraskar. Between 1979-82, obtaining a fellowship from the Department of Culture, India, he furthered his study of Odissi Music.In 1984, he was bestowed the title of 'Padmakeshari' by Chinta O Chetna, Bhubaneswar. He was a member of Orissa Sangeet Natak Academy from 1989-92. He was honoured with the Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award for 2004.
Since 1963, as a sincere Guru he has been giving training in Hindustani Music and Traditional Odissi Music in the gurukul tradition. As a scholar of music, he has authored over ten books on Hindustani and Odissi Sangeet. Swar Rang, the music society he founded, organises frequent classical music programs. Since 2007, Pandit Hota has organised the annual Tridhara National Music Conference aimed at showcasing the distinct classicism of Odissi Music (Uddra Paddhatiya Sangeet) alongside the Hindustani and Carnatic forms.
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