Ramhari Das

{{short description|Odissi Singer and Guru}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}} {{Use Indian English|date=May 2023}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Ramhari Das | genre = Odissi music | native_name = ରାମହରି ଦାସ | honorific_prefix = Professor | module2=Awards: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2008 | associated_acts = | label = | years_active = | instruments = | occupations = Odissi music Guru, singer, professor, scholar, musicologist, composer | death_place = | image = Guru Ramhari Das at Rajarani Music Festival 2021.jpg | death_date = | birth_place = Kanpur, Balasore, Odisha | birth_date = {{Birth date |df=yes|1953|2|1}} | website = | birth_name = Ramhari Das | caption = Guru Ramhari Das performing at Rajarani Music Festival 2021 | alt = | landscape =  | image_size = 300 | native_name_lang = or }} ''Pandit'' '''Ramhari Das''' ({{Langx|or|ରାମହରି ଦାସ|translit=Rāmahari Dāsa}}, {{IPA|or|raːmɔhɔri d̪aːsɔ|lang|LL-Q33810 (ori)-Prateek Pattanaik-ରାମହରି ଦାସ.wav}}; born 1953) is a leading singer, composer, musicologist and Guru of Odissi music.<ref name=":7">{{Cite book |title=Shrestha Bharat Sanskriti Samagam : A festival of Music, Dance, Drama, Folk, Tribal Arts, Puppetry & Allied Traditions |publisher=Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi; Odia Language, Literature & Culture Department, Government of Odisha; Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi, Odisha |year=2018 |location=Bhubaneswar, Odisha |pages=10}}</ref> Known for his renditions, compositions, lecture-demonstrations and writings,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Vidyarthi|first=Nita|date=2013-10-17|title=Raising his voice|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/raising-his-voice/article5244087.ece|access-date=2020-11-28|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Das has served as a professor and led the Odissi vocal department in prominent musical institutions of Odisha, including the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya and the Utkal University of Culture.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Ramhari Das|url=https://sangeetnatak.gov.in/sna/citation_popup.php?id=1810&at=2|access-date=28 November 2020|website=Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> He is the founder of ''Ramhari Das Odissi Gurukula'' at Biragobindapur, Puri.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=About Guru Ramhari Das|url=http://www.odissigurukul.org/about-gurugi.html|access-date=28 November 2020|website=Ramhari Das Odissi Gurukula}}</ref> For his contributions to Odissi music, Das received the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2008.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite news|date=2009-01-12|title=Award for 3 Orissa artistes|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-otherstates/Award-for-3-Orissa-artistes/article16350048.ece|access-date=2020-11-28|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

== Life == Born in 1953 in Balasore, Das started his initial training in Odissi music from his uncle Radhakrushna Das and Guru Prafulla Kumar Sur.<ref name=":0" /> He continued under Gurus including Markandeya Mahapatra, Balakrushna Das, Bhikari Charan Bal and Gopal Chandra Panda as a student in the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":2" /> He later served as a lecturer in the same institution and then as the head of the Odissi music department from 1985 to 2010.<ref name=":1" /> 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.<ref name=":7" />

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).<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last=Das|first=Ramhari|title=Odissi Sangeetara Parampara O Prayoga|publisher=Kaishikee Prakashani|year=2004|location=Bhubaneswar, Odisha|language=or|script-title=or:ଓଡ଼ିଶୀ ସଙ୍ଗୀତର ପରମ୍ପରା ଓ ପ୍ରୟୋଗ}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite book|last=Das|first=Ramhari|title=Sangeet Sangya|year=2015|edition=4th|location=Badahata, Biragobindapur, Sakhigopal, Puri|language=or|script-title=or:ସଙ୍ଗୀତ ସଂଜ୍ଞା|orig-year=1st ed. 1989}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite book|last=Das|first=Ramhari|title=Alankara Ratnabali|publisher=Kaishikee Prakashani|year=1984|location=Bhubaneswar, Odisha|language=or|script-title=or:ଅଳଙ୍କାର ରତ୍ନାବଳୀ}}</ref> Das has several research papers & articles to his credit and has presented in various seminars & conferences across the nation.<ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=10 July 2018|title=Shreshtha Bharat Sanskriti Samagam|url=https://indiaculture.nic.in/sites/default/files/events/SHRESHTHABHARATSANSKRITISAMAGAMbySangeetNatakAkademi_10.07.2018.pdf|access-date=28 November 2020|website=Sangeet Natak Akademi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Chakra|first=Shyamhari |title='Classical tag to Odishi music long overdue'|url=https://www.dailypioneer.com/2018/state-editions/classical-tag-to-odishi-music-long-overdue.html|access-date=2023-05-06|work=The Pioneer|date=11 July 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Art forms merge on single platform|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/odisha/art-forms-merge-on-single-platform/cid/1419155|access-date=2020-11-28|website=www.telegraphindia.com}}</ref> He has also received a Senior Research Fellowship from the Government of India for his research on Odissi music.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2012–13|title=List of selected candidates for award of Senior & Junior Fellowships for 2012-13|url=https://indiaculture.gov.in/sites/default/files/events/web.pdf|access-date=28 November 2020|website=India Culture, Government of India}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web|author=Minati Singha|date=2 Aug 2013|title=Odissi music must get classical tag: Ramahari Das {{!}} Bhubaneswar News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Odissi-music-must-get-classical-tag-Ramahari-Das/articleshow/21539294.cms|access-date=2020-11-28|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> He is one of the chief architects of ''Sangita Sudhakara Balakrushna Dash foundation'' that organises an annual three-day festival of Odissi music.<ref>{{Cite web|title=An evening in memory of Odissi music legend|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2010/jun/18/an-evening-in-memory-of-odissi-music-legend-124632.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201207094855/https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2010/jun/18/an-evening-in-memory-of-odissi-music-legend-124632.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 December 2020|access-date=2020-11-28|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref>

Guru Ramhari Das' ''[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjBoYM7VRm8u7rGihWV1L6Moy2TiGg8HA 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.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Das|first=Ramhari|title=Pathshala - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjBoYM7VRm8u7rGihWV1L6Moy2TiGg8HA|access-date=2020-11-28|website=www.youtube.com}}</ref>

== Institution == [[File:Prof. Ramhari Das giving Lecture on Odissi Music.jpg|thumb|316x316px|Das presenting a paper in a conference organised by Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi]]

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.<ref name=":0" />

He has established the ''Ramhari Das Odissi Gurukula'' in the village of Biragobindapura in the Puri district.<ref name=":2" /> The Gurukula is a training-cum-research institute that imparts education in Odissi music & dance and organises workshops & seminars.<ref name=":0" /> Students are trained in Odissi classical vocal, Odissi Mardala and Odissi Bina (Veena) by Guru Ramhari Das, Guru Dhaneswar Swain & Guru Ramarao Patra respectively. It is the only institution in the state that imparts training in Odissi Bina (Veena).<ref>{{Cite web|title=72-year-old Veena player of Odisha reviving the glory of the instrument|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/good-news/2019/aug/31/72-year-old-veena-player-of-odisha-reviving-the-glory-of-the-instrument-2027118.html|access-date=2020-11-28|website=The New Indian Express|date=31 August 2019 }}</ref> An annual festival called ''Gurukula Utsav'' is conducted to showcase diverse facets of Odissi music through curated performances.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-01-31|title=Gurukul Utsav – a befitting birthday bash for Guru Ramahari Das|url=https://thesamikhsya.com/entertainment/gurukul-utsav-a-befitting-birthday-bash-for-guru-ramahari-das|access-date=2020-11-28|website=The Samikhsya|language=en-US}}</ref> thumb|Ramhari Das giving a lecture-demonstration on Odissi music

== Awards and honours == Das has received various titles and awards including the central and Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi awards.<ref name=":7" /> * Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2008)<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6" /> *Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2008)<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2011|title=Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademy Award Winners (1970-2012)|url=http://magazines.odisha.gov.in/orissaannualreference/ORA-2011/pdf/104-108.pdf|journal=Odisha Reference Annual - 2011|publisher=Government of Odisha|pages=104–108|archive-date=8 December 2020|access-date=28 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208221126/http://magazines.odisha.gov.in/orissaannualreference/ORA-2011/pdf/104-108.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> *Orissa Dance Academy, Bhubaneswar<ref name=":1" /> *Utkal Sahitya Kala Parishad, Cuttack<ref name=":1" /> *Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Samman, awarded by the President of India<ref name=":0" /> *Guru Singhari Samman from Guru Gopal Panda Odissi Academy, Bhubaneswar<ref>{{Cite web|last=Das|first=Ramhari|date=2019|title=Guru Gopal Panda Odissi Academy|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgXgDwQb7rQ|website=YouTube}}</ref> *Jadumani Das Saraswata Pratibha Samman (2017) *Guru Sahadev Padhi Memorial Award (2019)

== Published works ==

* ''Odissi Sangitara Parampara O Prayoga (2004)''<ref name=":3" /> * ''Sangita Sangya (1989‌)''<ref name=":4" /> * ''Alankara Ratnabali (1984)''<ref name=":5" />

== See also == {{Odissi Classical Music sidebar}} * Odissi music * Mardala * Gita Govinda * ''Gitaprakasa''

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == {{Commons category|Ramhari Das}}

* [http://www.odissigurukul.org/ Website of Ramhari Das Odissi Gurukula] * [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfuijMzIASFdv3b2zBM7ylg YouTube channel of Ramhari Das Odissi Gurukula] *[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjBoYM7VRm8u7rGihWV1L6Moy2TiGg8HA ''Odissi Sangita Pathasala'', graded lessons on Odissi music by Guru Ramhari Das] * [https://www.facebook.com/odissigurukula/ Facebook page of Ramhari Das Odissi Gurukula] *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsvuH0_OQuY Introduction to Odissi music by Guru Ramhari Das] *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnuKht8uJvM Interview of Guru Ramhari Das]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Das, Ramhari}} Category:Living people Category:Odissi music Category:People from Balasore district Category:1953 births Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Category:Recipients of the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi award Category:Disciples of Balakrushna Dash