''Pandit'' Gopal Chandra Panda (, ; born 1940) is a Guru of Odissi classical music, vocalist, researcher and composer. A disciple of Singhari Shyamsundar Kar, he has authored several books such as ''Odissi Raga Ratnabali'' & ''Odissi Raga Darpana'', and is acclaimed for his efforts to collect & document several traditional Odissi ragas from the hinterlands. Panda served as a lecturer and head of department in the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya for nearly three decades. He has performed in music festivals across the country and is the founder of the ''Gopal Panda Odissi Academy''. In 2011, Panda received the

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IPA: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in Englis ...

for his contributions to Odissi music. Panda started his initial training in Odissi music from his father Nilamani Panda and his elder brother Nandakishore Panda. He continued his training under Guru Damodar Panda and Adiguru Singhari Shyamsundar Kar. He served as a lecturer in 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, ...

from 1972 onwards, and as the head of the Odissi music department from 1984 to 1998. Panda's disciples are among the foremost exponents of Odissi music in the present times, including Guru

Ramhari Das ''Pandit'' Ramhari Das (, ; born 1953) is a leading singer, composer, musicologist and Guru of Odissi music. Known for his renditions, compositions, lecture-demonstrations and writings, Das has served as a professor and led the Odissi vocal depa ...

, Mitali Chinara and Binod Bihari Panda. His daughters Sangita Panda and Sarita Panda are renowned vocalists. He has collected and documented traditional compositions in over a hundred Ragas in his published works. Panda's compositions are widely sung in Odissi music recitals and employed in

Odissi dance Odissi (), also referred to as Orissi in old literature, is a major ancient Indian classical dance that originated in the Hindu temple, temples of Odisha – an eastern coastal state of India.Deba Prasad Das Deba Prasad Das was an Indian classical dancer, considered by critics and connoisseurs as one of the four first generation gurus of the Indian classical dance form of Odissi. His Odissi style is robust and unique. He was a recipient of the 1977 ...

and toured around the globe as the chief singer for recitals of

Indrani Rahman Indrani Rahman (19 September 1930, Chennai – 5 February 1999, New York) was an Indian classical dancer of Bharata Natyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Odissi, which she popularised in the west, and later settled in New York in 1976. In 1952, ...

, one of the first professional Odissi dancers. Panda has also composed all the ''ashtapadi''s of

Jayadeva Jayadeva (; born ), also spelt Jaideva, was a Sanskrit poet during the 12th century. He is most known for his epic poem ''Gita Govinda'' which concentrates on Krishna's love with the '' gopi'', Radha, in a rite of spring. This poem, which presen ...

's ''

Gitagovinda The ''Gita Govinda'' ( sa, गीत गोविन्दम्; ) is a work composed by the 12th-century Hindu poet, Jayadeva. It describes the relationship between Krishna, Radha and ''gopis'' (female cow herders) of Vrindavan. The ''Gita ...

'' following the original Raga-Tala indications of the 12th-century poet, in an attempt to approximate a reconstruction of the same.

Life

Odissi music Guru Gopal Chandra Panda with daughter Sangita Panda

Gopal Chandra Panda was born in the village of Ramakrusnapura in the Bhadrak district of Odisha in 1940. His father Nilamani Panda initiated him into

Odissi music music () is a genre of classical music in India, originated from the eastern state of Odisha. The traditional ritual music for the service of Lord Jagannatha, Odissi music has a history spanning over two thousand years, authentic ''sangita-shas ...

, and his elder brother Nandakishore Panda continued his musical training. He further learned Odissi music under Guru Damodar Panda and ''Gayakaratna'' Guru Singhari Shyamsundar Kar. Panda also learned Hindustani music from Pt. Kundala Adinarayana and Pt. Gobind Chandra Paluskar. He received a Senior Research Fellowship from the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India for his research on Odissi music.

Research & institution

Panda established the ''Gopal Panda Odissi Academy'', through which he imparts training in Odissi classical music to students. The academy has brought out several volumes of his research publications and accompanying audio recorded renditions by vocalists.

Annual festival

Every year, the academy organises an annual festival showcasing solo & group recitals of traditional Odissi ragas, Odissi dance performances and a comparative recital of a selected Raga by eminent musicians of the three streams of Indian classical music : Odissi, Hindustani & Carnatic. ''Guru Singhari Samman'' and ''Bhagabati Smruti Samman'' awards are conferred to musicians and musicologists. Nationally renowned artistes of Odissi music, such as Guru

, Guru Dhaneswar Swain ( Odissi Mardala), Guru Sachidananda Das ( Odissi Mardala) and of Hindustani & Carnatic music, such as Pt

Vidyadhar Vyas Pandit Vidyadhar Vyas (born 8 September 1944) is an Indian Hindustani vocalist, and a contemporary exponent of the Paluskar style of North Indian classical singing. He belongs to the Gwalior gharana and the lineage of Sangeet Maharshi Pandit Vi ...

, Pt K Vageesh,

Sudha Raghunathan Sudha Ragunathan is an Indian Carnatic vocalist, singer and composer. She was conferred the Kalaimamani award by the Government of Tamil Nadu in 1994, Padma Shri (2004) and Padma Bhushan (2015) by the Government of India, and Sangeetha Kalanidh ...

have performed in the festival. Among the dancers who have presented in the festival are Kumkum Mohanty,

Madhavi Mudgal Madhavi Mudgal is an Indian classical dancer known for her Odissi dance style. She has won several awards, including the ''Sanskriti Award'', 1984, President of India's award of Padma Shri, 1990, the ''Orissa State Sangeet Natak Akademi Award' ...

, Sujata Mahapatra, Meera Das,

Ileana Citaristi Ileana Citaristi is an Italian-born Indian Odissi and Chhau dancer, and dance instructor based in Bhubaneswar, India. She was awarded the 43rd National Film Awards for Best Choreography for ''Yugant'' in 1995 and became, in 2006, the first danc ...

, Ranjana Gauhar, Aloka Kanungo, Ramli Ibrahim, Durga Charan Mohanty, Leena Mohanty, Niranjan Rout. Among the ragas elaborated in past editions of the annual festival are ''Abhiri'', ''Bangala, Basanta, Bichitra Desakhya, Chinta Kamodi, Debakiri, Dhanasri, Goudi, Khambabati, Khanda Kamodi, Krusna Kedara, Madhukiri, Malaba, Mangala Kamodi, Mohana Kedara, Punnagabaradi, Ramakiri, Sindhu Kamodi, Tara''. Among the dance items presented in past editions of the festival are : * Duet based on Ragas ''Mangala Gujjari, Lalitaa and Chakrakeli'' by Datuk Ramli Ibrahim and Gitika Shree (Malaysia) * ''Saabari Pallavi'' and ''abhinaya'' based on Raga ''Madhu Saranga'' by Guru Meera Das *''Krusnakedara Pallavi'', based on the Raga ''Krusna Kedara'' and cycling through all the important talas of Odissi music, by Guru

* ''Gundakeri Pallavi'' and ''abhinaya'' based on Raga ''Rasa Manjari'' by Guru

*''Ragavilasini'' based on Ragas ''Khambabati, Goudi, Desakhya'' by Jyoti Srivastava, Sushant Maharana

Recipients of ''Guru Singhari Samman''

* Shyamamani Devi (2014) *Minati Mishra (2017) *Harmohan Khuntia (2018) *

(2019) *Ramesh Chandra Das (2020)

Recipients of ''Bhagabati Smruti Samman''

* Arati Mishra (2014) *Lata Ghosh (2017) *Chapala Mishra (2018) *Binapani Nayak (2019) *Bhanumati Sahu (2020)

Recipients of ''Guru Gopal Panda Yuva Pratibha Samman''

* Srinivas Satpathy (2017) *Lingaraj Pradhan (2018) * Rupak Kumar Parida (2019) *Ajay Kumar Dash (2020)

Awards and honours

(2011) * Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2000) * Srjan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award (2009) *Sangeet Saraswati Samman by Sangita Sudhakara Balakrushna Dash Foundation *Ila Panda Smaraki Sangeet Samman *KAMS Charity Lifetime Achievement Award (2021)