Odissi music () is a genre of

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

in India, originated from the eastern state of

Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...

. The traditional ritual music for the service of Lord

Jagannath Jagannath ( or, ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ, lit=Lord of the Universe, Jagannātha; formerly en, Juggernaut) is a deity worshipped in regional Hindu traditions in India and Bangladesh as part of a triad along with his brother Balabhadra, and sister ...

a, Odissi music has a history spanning over two thousand years, authentic ''sangita-shastra''s or treatises, unique Ragas & Talas and a distinctive style of rendition. The various aspects of Odissi music include ''odissi prabandha, chaupadi, chhānda, champu, chautisa, janāna, mālasri, bhajana, sarimāna, jhulā, kuduka, koili, poi, boli,'' and more. Presentation dynamics are roughly classified into four: ''raganga'', ''bhabanga, natyanga'' and ''dhrubapadanga''. Some great composer-poets of the Odissi tradition are the 12th-century poet

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 ...

, Balarama Dasa, ''Atibadi'' Jagannatha Dasa, Dinakrusna Dasa, ''Kabi Samrata''

Upendra Bhanja ''Kabi Samrata'' Upendra Bhanja () was a 17th-century Odia poet-composer of classical Odissi music.Mansingha, Mayadhar: ''History of Oriya Literature'': Publisher, Sahitya Akademi, Delhi He is most known for his Odissi songs and kabyas written i ...

Banamali Dasa Banamali Dasa (; 1720–1793) is an Indian medieval Odia ''bhakta''-poet & composer of Odissi music from the state of Odisha. "''Dinabandhu daitari''", "''Kede chanda jane lo sahi''" and "''Manima he etiki maguni mora''" are some of his ...

, ''Kabisurjya'' Baladeba Ratha and ''Kabikalahansa''

Gopalakrusna Pattanayaka Gopalakrusna Pattanayaka (1784–1862) (Alternatively spelled Gopalakrishna, Pattnaik; ) was an Odia poet & composer of Odissi music. His Odissi songs in various traditional ragas and talas are widely sung across the state, as well as other allie ...

. According to Bharata Muni's '' Natya Shastra'', Indian classical music has four significant branches: ''Avanti'', ''Panchali'', ''Odramagadhi'' and ''Dakshinatya''. Of these, ''Odramagadhi'' exists in the form of Odissi music. Odissi music crystallised as an independent style during the time of the early medieval Odia poet

, who composed lyrics meant to be sung, set to ragas and talas unique to the local tradition. However, Odissi songs were written even before the Odia language developed. Odissi music has a rich legacy dating back to the 2nd century BCE, when king

Kharavela Kharavela (also transliterated Khārabēḷa) was a monarch of Kalinga in present-day Odisha, India, who ruled during the second or first century BCE. The primary source for Kharavela is his rock-cut Hathigumpha inscription. The inscription is ...

, the ruler of Odisha (

Kalinga Kalinga may refer to: Geography, linguistics and/or ethnology * Kalinga (historical region), a historical region of India ** Kalinga (Mahabharata), an apocryphal kingdom mentioned in classical Indian literature ** Kalinga script, an ancient writ ...

), patronized this music and dance. The traditional artforms of Odisha such as Mahari,

Gotipua Gotipua is a traditional dance form in the state of Odisha, India, and the precursor of Odissi classical dance. It has been performed in Orissa for centuries by young boys, who dress as women to praise Jagannath and Krishna. The dance is execu ...

Prahallada Nataka ''Prahallada Nataka'' ( or, ପ୍ରହଲ୍ଲାଦ ନାଟକ ''Prahallāda Nāṭaka'', or simply ''Rajā Nāṭa)'' is a traditional play native to the Indian state of Odisha. It narrates the story of Vishnu's man-lion avatar, Nrusingha ...

, Radha Prema Lila, Pala, Dasakathia,

Bharata Lila Bharata Lila is an Indian performing theater form of Ganjam district of Odisha. The plot is based on characters of the Mahabharata, thus the name of the form. Because of the importance of a central character ''Duari,'' Arjuna's sentry, it is also ...

, Khanjani Bhajana, etc. are all based on Odissi music.

Odissi Odissi (), also referred to as Orissi in old literature, is a major ancient Indian classical dance that originated in the temples of Odisha – an eastern coastal state of India.Jagannatha temple of Puri. The deity of Jagannatha is at the heart of Odisha's culture, and Odissi music was originally the music offered as a sevā or service to Jagannatha. Every night during the ''Badasinghara'' or the last ritual of the deity, the ''Gitagovinda'' of Jayadeva is sung, set to traditional Odissi ragas & talas. This tradition has continued unbroken since the time of

, who himself used to sing in the temple. After the time of the poet, the singing of the Gitagovinda according to the authentic Odissi ragas & talas was instated as a mandatory sevā at the temple, to be performed by the Maharis or Devadasis, systematically recorded in inscriptions, the ''Mādalā Pānji'' and other official documents that describe the functioning of the temple. To this date, the Jagannatha temple remains the fountainhead of Odissi music and the most ancient & authentic compositions (including a few archaic Odia ''chhanda''s and ''janana''s by Jayadeva himself) survive in the temple tradition, although the Devadasis are no more found owing to their systematic eradication by the British government. Skj09 kopie

Prehistoric music

Ancient

had a rich culture of music, which is substantiated by many archaeological excavation throughout Odisha. At

Sankarjang Sankarjang (20°52’08“N; 84°59’19“E), Odisha, India is an archaeological site near Angul, a former cemetery and settlement with large, worked stones but no one knows what they were made for, although some people think they might have b ...

in the Angul district, the initial spade work exposed the cultural stratum of the

Chalcolithic The Copper Age, also called the Chalcolithic (; from grc-gre, χαλκός ''khalkós'', "copper" and ''líthos'', "stone") or (A)eneolithic (from Latin '' aeneus'' "of copper"), is an archaeological period characterized by regular ...

period (400 BC onward). From here, polished stone

celts The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancien ...

and hand-made pottery have been excavated. Some of the Celts are narrow but large in size. Thus they are described as Bar-celts. On the basis of bar-celts discovered in Sankarjung it could be argued that they were an earlier musical instrument in India. Scholars have referred to these as the earliest discovered musical instruments of South East Asia.

Kharabela & Ancient Caves

There are vivid sculptures of musical instruments, singing and dancing postures of damsels in the Ranigumpha Caves in

Khandagiri Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves, formerly called Kattaka Caves or Cuttack caves, are partly natural and partly artificial caves of archaeological, historical and religious importance near the city of Bhubaneswar in Odisha, India. The caves are ...

and Udayagiri at

Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar (; ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. The region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Ekamra Kshetra'' (area (''kshetra'') adorned with mango trees (''ekamra'')). Bhubaneswar is ...

. These caves were built during the reign of the Jain ruler Kharabela of

in the 2nd century BC. In inscriptions, Kharabela has been described as an expert in classical music (''gandhaba-beda budho)'' and a great patron of music (''nata-gita-badita sandasanahi)''. Madanlal Vyas describes him as an expert who had organized a music programme where sixty four instruments were played in tandem. Kharabela was an emperor of the Chedi dynasty. Chedi was the son of Kousika, a Raga that is said to have been created by sage

Kasyapa Kashyapa ( sa, कश्यप}, ) is a revered Vedic sage of Hinduism., Quote: "Kasyapa (Rudra),(Vedic Seer)..." He is one of the Saptarishis, the seven ancient sages of the ''Rigveda''. Kashyapa is the most ancient and venerated rishi, al ...

according to ''Naradiya Sikhya.'' The ancient musicologists of Odisha, like Harichandana belonged to the ''Naradiya'' school. The Raga Kousika is an extremely popular raga in the Odissi tradition, even until date. One of the caves of Udayagiri is known as the ''Bajaghara Gumpha'', literally meaning 'hall of musical instruments'. It is designed such that any musical recital inside is amplified by the acoustics of the cave. Udayagiri Caves - Rani Gumpha 01

Sculpture

In the temples of Odisha, oldest among them dating to the 6th century AD, such as Parasuramesvara, Muktesvara, Lingaraja and

Konarka Konarka Technologies, Inc. was a solar energy company based in Lowell, Massachusetts, founded in 2001 as a spin-off from University of Massachusetts Lowell. In late May 2012, the company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection and laid off it ...

, there are hundreds of sculptures depicting musical performances and dancing postures.

''Natya Shastra'' of Bharata Muni

Bharata's '' Natya Shastra'' is the most respected ancient treatise on Indian music & dance. Bharata in his seminal work has mentioned four different 'pravrittis' of ''natya'' (which includes both music & dance). The classification into ''pravritti''s can be roughly said to be a stylistic classification, based on unique features of the regional styles that were distinctive enough in Bharata's time. The four pravrittis mentioned are Avanti, Dakshinatya, Panchali and ''Odramagadhi'' (or ''Udramagadhi''). Odra''' is an ancient name of Odisha. Parts of ancient

, Kangoda, Dakhina Kosala,

Tosali Tosali or Toshali was an ancient city in the present day Odisha state in eastern India. It was the capital of the eastern province of the Kalinga Kingdom. While some scholars tried to identify this ancient city with Dhauli, 7 km away from ...

, Matsya Desa, Udra now constitute the state of Odisha. The classical music that prevailed in these regions was known as ''Udramagadhi''. The post-Jayadeva text ''

Sangita Ratnakara The ''Sangita-Ratnakara'', सङ्गीतरत्नाकर, (IAST: Saṅgīta ratnākara), literally "Ocean of Music and Dance", is one of the most important musicological texts from India. Composed by Śārṅgadeva (शार्ङ� ...

'' also makes a reference to the same. In the present times, it is this very system that goes under the rubric Odissi music.

Tradition

Charyapada and Buddhist Music

For a long period

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

was the major religion of Odisha. The

Vajrayana Vajrayāna ( sa, वज्रयान, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring t ...

and

Sahaja Sahaja ( pra, সহজ sa, सहज ) means spontaneous enlightenment in Indian and Tibetan Buddhist spirituality. Sahaja practices first arose in Bengal during the 8th century among yogis called Sahajiya siddhas. Ananda Coomaraswamy describe ...

yana branches of Buddhism were particularly influential, and scholars opine that Odisha or Oddiyana was the birth place of Vajrayana itself. Between the seventh and eleventh centuries, the '' Charya Gitika'' of Buddhist

Mahasiddha Mahasiddha (Sanskrit: ''mahāsiddha'' "great adept; ) is a term for someone who embodies and cultivates the " siddhi of perfection". A siddha is an individual who, through the practice of sādhanā, attains the realization of siddhis, psychic ...

s or Siddhacharyas were written and composed. Many of the Mahasiddhas were born in Odisha and wrote in a language that is extremely close to present-day Odia. Some of these songs were ritually sung on the ratha of Jagannatha during the Ratha Jatra. The Charyapadas or Charya songs usually consist of five or six ''pada''s. The last ''pada'' bears the name of the poet. The ''raga''s to sing them have been indicated by the authors themselves, but no mention of ''tala'' is found. The ragas used by the Mahasiddhas continued to be popular in Odissi music for centuries afterwards, and remain important to this day. Many of the raga names as written bear significant resemblance with the raga nomenclature of Odisha & the pronunciations of raga names in the Odissi tradition, such as the mention of ''Baradi'' and not ''Varali''. Some of the ragas mentioned in the Charyapadas are :

Jayadeva and Gita Govinda

Odissi poet Gopalakrusna's handwritten Gitagobinda Pothi

The ''

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 ...

'' written by 12th-century poet

is known to be one of the earliest, if not the earliest Indian song where the author has indicated with precision the exact ''raga'' and ''tala'' (mode of singing and the rhythm) of each song. This makes it one of the earliest texts of Indian classical music. Many of the ragas indicated in the Gitagovinda continue to be highly popular in Odissi music even now, and some of the talas mentioned in it are exclusive to the tradition of Odissi music. These indications have been compiled below according to the ''ashtapadi'' number, based on the important ancient copies of the Gita Govinda and its commentaries such as ''Sarvangasundari Tika'' of Narayana Dasa (14th century), Dharanidhara's Tika (16th century), Jagannatha Mishra's Tika (16th century), ''Rasikapriya'' of Rana Kumbha (16th century) and ''Arthagobinda'' of Bajuri Dasa (17th century). # Mālava, Mālavagauḍa or Mālavagauḍā # Maṅgala Gujjarī or Gurjarī # Basanta # Rāmakirī or Rāmakerī # Gujjarī or Gurjarī # Guṇḍakirī or Guṇḍakerī or Mālavagauḍa # Gujjarī or Gurjarī # Karṇṇāṭa # Deśākhya or Deśākṣa # Deśī Barāḍi or Deśa Barāḍi or Pañchama Barāḍi # Gujjarī or Gurjarī # Guṇḍakirī or Guṇḍakerī # Mālava or Mālavagauḍā # Basanta # Gujjarī or Gurjarī # Barāḍi or Deśa Barāḍi or Deśī Barāḍi # Bhairabī # Gujjarī or Gurjarī or Rāmakerī # Deśī or Deśa Barāḍi # Basanta # Barāḍi or Deśa Barāḍi # Barāḍi # Rāmakirī or Rāmakerī or Bibhāsa # Rāmakirī or Rāmakerī Most of the ragas and talas indicated by Jayadeva, with the exception of one or two, continue to be in practice in the tradition of Odissi music. The poet Jayadeva is known to have started the Mahari or Devadasi tradition at the Jagannatha temple of Puri, where every night the ''Gitagovinda'' is ritually sung & enacted in front of Jagannatha, continuing to this day. In the ''Jayabijaya Dwara'' inscription of Prataparudra Deba, the singing of Gitagovinda and adherence to the traditional Odissi ragas indicated by the poet has been referred to as mandatory. The Maharis were also banned from learning any other songs except the Gitagovinda ; this was considered an 'act of defiance towards Jagannatha'. Pt.

Raghunath Panigrahi Suramani' Pandit'' Raghunath Panigrahi (; 10 August 1932 – 25 August 2013) was an Odissi music Guru, vocalist, composer and music director. He is most known for his renditions of Jayadeva's Gita Govinda and his vocal support for his wife, th ...

is known for his contributions in popularising the Gitagovinda through Odissi music &

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.Gopal Chandra Panda ''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 Darpa ...

have also attempted to reconstruct melodies of the ''ashtapadi''s of the Gita Govinda in adherence to the poet's original indications, and based on extant traditional rhythmic & melodic patterns in Odissi music.

Gopala Nayaka

During the reign of

Alauddin Khilji Alaud-Dīn Khaljī, also called Alauddin Khilji or Alauddin Ghilji (), born Ali Gurshasp, was an emperor of the Khalji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate in the Indian subcontinent. Alauddin instituted a number of significant administrative ...

, Gopala Nayaka had an important role of popularising old Indian music. Some scholars from Odisha in the first part of the 20th century have written about local legend that states Gopala Nayaka was from Odisha. After the reign of Mukunda Deba in the 16th century, Odissi music suffered during the Maratha rule in Odisha during the 17th and 18th century AD.

British rule

During the 18th and 19th centuries, Odissi music was chiefly patronised by local kings of princely states of Odisha. This included the Gajapati of

Puri Puri () is a coastal city and a Nagar Palika, municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, south of the state capital of Bhubaneswar. It is als ...

as well as the rulers of the kingdoms of

Paralakhemundi Paralakhemundi shortly known as Parala is district Headquarter of Gajapati district and one of the oldest Municipality established in 1885, in the Indian state of Odisha. Majority of the people in the town speak Odia. The city and the Distri ...

Mayurbhanj Mayurbhanj district is one of the 30 districts in Odisha state in eastern India. It is the largest district of Odisha by area. Its headquarters are at Baripada. Other major towns are Rairangpur, Karanjia and Udala. , it is the third-most-popu ...

, Ghumusara, Athagada, Athagada Patana,

Digapahandi Digapahandi (formerly known as Bada Khemundi) is a town and a Notified Area Council (N.A.C.) in Ganjam district in the state of Odisha, India. There are 171 small villages which comes under Digapahandi tahasil and largely dependent on this town ...

(Badakhemundi),

Khallikote Khallikote is a town and a Notified Area Council in Ganjam district in the Indian state of Odisha. Geography Khallikote is located at . It has an average elevation of . Demographics India census A census is the procedure of systematically ...

, Sanakhemundi,

Chikiti Chikiti is a town and a notified area committee, notified area council located in Ganjam district in the state of Odisha, India. Geography Chikiti is located at . It has an average elevation of . Demographics India census, Chikiti had a popul ...

, Surangi, Jeypore,

Ali ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam ...

, Kanika, Dhenkanal, Banapur, Sonepur, Baramba, Nilgiri,

Nayagarh Nayagarh is both a town and the municipality headquarters of the Nayagarh district in the Indian state of Odisha. Geography Nayagarh is located at with an average elevation of 178 metres (584 feet). It was the Rukhi mountain to the south ...

Tigiria Tigiria is a tehsil (block) of Cuttack district. There are 14 ''(panchayats)'' with a total of 50 villages under the Tigiria administrative division. Tigiria is part of the Athagarh Odisha Vidhan Sabha constituency which includes as well Athagad ...

, Baudh,

Daspalla Dashapalla, also known as Daspalla, is an archaeologically important site situated in Nayagarh district, Odisha, India. History Available records, writings, books reveal that at first there was no such place known as Daspalla. Rather it was a ...

, Bamanda (Bamra), Narasinghapur, Athamallik as well as places with a significant Odia population and cultural history such as Tarala (Tharlakota), Jalantara (Jalantrakota), Manjusa (Mandasa), Tikili (Tekkali) and Sadheikala (Seraikela). Rulers often patronised poet-composers and skilled musicians, vocalists and instrumentalists. Musicians were appointed in royal courts and honoured with land or other rewards. Many kings were themselves skilled musicians and poets, such as Gajapati Kapilendra Deba of Puri or Biswambhara Rajendradeba of Chikiti.

Treatises

Several dozens of treatises on music written in Odisha have been found. It is known that at least from the 14th century onwards, there was a continuous tradition of musicology in the state. Many of the texts have been critically edited and published by the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi and the Department of Culture, Odisha. Of these, the core texts of Odissi music are: *''

Gita Govinda 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 G ...

'' of Jayadeva (12th century) *''

Sangita Sara Sangita (Devanagari: , IAST: ), also spelled Samgita or Sangeeta, refers to "music and associated performance arts" in the Indian traditions. According to Guy Beck, the root "saṃ-" implies "combining, coming together, convergent wholesome blendi ...

'' of Hari Nayaka (14th century) *''

Gita Prakasa The Gitaprakasa ( IAST: 'Gītaprakāśa'; "Illuminator of music") is a 16th-century musical treatise belonging to the tradition of Odissi music, written by the musicologist Krusnadasa Badajena Mahapatra. Mahapatra was a court musician of Gajapati M ...

'' of Krusnadasa Badajena Mahapatra (15th century) *''

Sangita Narayana The Sangita Narayana ( IAST: 'Sangīta Nārāyana') is a 17th-century musical treatise belonging to the tradition of Odissi music, written by musician ''Kabiratna'' Purusottama Misra and attributed to Gajapati ''Sarbagya'' Jagannatha Narayana De ...

'' of Gajapati Narayanadeba, king of Paralakhemundi - written by ''Kaviratna'' Purusottama Misra (17th century) *'' Sangitarnava Chandrika'' of Nilakantha *'' Sangita Muktabali'' of Harichandana, king of Kanika *'' Natya Manorama'' of Raghunatha Ratha (also called ''Sangita Manorama'') *''Sangita Sarani'' of ''Kaviratna'' Narayana Mishra *''Sangita Kamoda'' of ''Kavibhusana'' Gopinatha Patra *''Kalankura Nibandha'' of Kalankura Muni *''Sangita Sadananda'' of Sadananda Kabisurjya Brahma *''Sangitasara Boli'' of Bandhu Binakara *''Gitaprakasa Boli'' of Giri Gadadhara Dasa *''Lakhyana Chandrodaya'' of ''Kabichandra'' Raghunatha Parichha *''Sangita Kamada'' *''Sangita Kaumudi'' of unknown authorship

, the 12th century Sanskrit saint-poet, the great composer and illustrious master of classical music, has immense contribution to Odissi music. During his time Odra-Magadhi style music got shaped and achieved its classical status. He indicated the classical ragas prevailing at that time in which these were to be sung. Prior to that there was the tradition of ''Chhanda''. A number of treatises on music have been found, the earliest of them dating back to 14th century. The musicologists of Odisha refer to a variety of ancient texts on music such as Bharata Muni's Natyashastra, Vishnu Purana, Shiva Samhita, Brahma Samhita, Narada Samhita, Parasurama Samhita,

, Kohaliya, Hari Nayaka's Sangitasara, Matanga Tantra, Mammatacharya's Sangita Ratnamala, Kalankura Nibandha, Panchama Sara Samhita, Raga Viveka, Sangita Chandrika, Sangita Kaumudi, Sangita Siromani, Vanmayaviveka, Shivavivekaprabandha, Sangita Damodara and more. The aforesaid texts are thus known to have been in vogue in Odisha during the post-15th century period.

Characteristics

Odissi Sangita comprises four ''shastric'' classifications i.e. Dhruvapada, Chitrapada, Chitrakala and Panchali, described in the above-mentioned texts. The Dhruvapada is the first line or lines to be sung repeatedly. Chitrapada means the arrangement of words in an alliterative style. The use of art in music is called Chitrakala. Kabisurjya Baladeba Ratha, the renowned Odia poet wrote lyrics, which are the best examples of Chitrakala. All of these were Chhanda (metrical section) contains the essence of Odissi music. The Chhandas were composed by combining Bhava (theme), Kala (time), and Swara (tune). The Chautisa represents the originality of Odissi style. All the thirty four (34) letters of the Odia alphabet from 'Ka' to 'Ksa' are used chronologically at the beginning of each line. A special feature of Odissi music is the padi, which consists of words to be sung in Druta Tala (fast beat). Odissi music can be sung to different talas: Navatala (nine beats), Dashatala (ten beats) or Egaratala (eleven beats). Odissi

raga A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradit ...

s are different from the

s of Hindustani and Karnataki classical music. The primary Odissi ''mela'' ragas are ''Kalyana, Nata, Sri, Gouri, Baradi, Panchama, Dhanasri, Karnata, Bhairabi'' and ''Sokabaradi''. Some of the distinctive and authentic ragas of the Odissi music tradition are : ''Abhiri'', ''Amara, Ananda, Anandabhairabi, Ananda Kamodi, Ananda Kedara, Arabhi, Asabari, Bangala, Baradi, Basanta, Bhairabi, Bichitra Desakhya, Bichitradesi, Bichitra Kamodi, Chakrakeli, Chalaghanta Kedara, Chhayatodi, Chintabhairaba, Chinta Kamodi, Debagandhari, Debakiri, Desa Baradi, Desakhya, Desapala, Dhanasri, Dhannasika, Gauda, Gaudi, Ghantaraba, Gundakeri, Kali, Kalyana, Kalyana Ahari, Kamoda, Kamodi, Kaphi, Karnata, Kausiki, Kedara, Kedaragauda, Kedara Kamodi, Karunasri, Khambabati, Khanda Bangalasri, Khandakamodi, Kolahala, Krusna Kedara, Kumbhakamodi, Kusuma Kedara, Lalita, Lalita Basanta, Lalita Kamodi, Lalita Kedara, Lilataranga, Madhumangala, Madhumanjari, Madhura Gujjari, Madhusri, Madhu Saranga, Madhyamadi, Malasri, Malasrigauda, Mangala, Mangala Dhanasri, Mangala Gujjari, Mangala Kamodi, Mangala Kausiki, Mangala Kedara, Mallara, Manini (Malini), Marua, Megha, Meghaparnni, Misramukhari, Mohana, Mohana Kedara, Mukhabari (Mukhari), Nagaballi, Nagadhwani, Nalinigauda, Nata, Nata Kedara, Natanarayana, Natasaranga, Panchama, Punnaga, Punnaga Baradi, Pahadia Kedara, Panchama Baradi, Paraja, Rajahansi Chokhi, Ranabije, Rasakamodi, Rasamandara, Rasamanjari, Sabari, Saberi, Sankarabharana, Sindhukamodi, Sokabaradi, Sokakamodi, Soma, Sri, Suddhadesi, Surata, Suratha Gujjari, Todi''. Odissi music is sung through Raganga, Bhabanga and Natyanga, Dhrubapadanga followed by Champu, Chhanda, Chautisa,

Pallabi Pallabi ( bn, পল্লবি) is a ''thana'' of Dhaka District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Pallabi Thana total area is , located in between 23°48' and 23°52' north latitudes and in between 90°20' and 90°23' east longitudes. It ...

Bhajan Bhajan refers to any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Indian religions, in any language. The term bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means ''reverence'' and originates from the root word ''bhaj'' ...

a, Janana, and

. Odissi music has codified grammars, which are presented with specified Raagas. It has also a distinctive rendition style. It is lyrical in its movement with wave-like ornamentation (''gati andolita''). The pace of singing in Odissi is not very fast nor too slow (''na druta na bilambita''), and it maintains a proportional tempo (''sama sangita'') that is very soothing. Though there has been cross-cultural influence between Hindustani music and Persian music, Odissi music has remained relatively unaffected.

Mardala

The

Mardala Mardala () is a classical percussive instrument native to the east Indian state of Odisha, traditionally used as the primary accompaniment in Odissi classical music. The instrument is different from other instruments that might have similar names ...

is a percussive instrument native to the state of Odisha. It is traditionally used as the primary percussive instrument with Odissi music. The Mardala is different from other instruments that might have similar names in the Indian subcontinent due to its unique construction, acoustic features and traditional playing technique. Raghunatha Ratha, an ancient musicologist of Odisha extols the Mardala in his treatise, the '' Natya Manorama'' as: The Jagannatha temple of Puri has for centuries had a Mardala servitor. This was known as the 'Madeli Seba' and the percussionist was ritually initiated into the temple by the Gajapati ruler. The Mardala used to be the accompanying instrument to the Mahari dance, the ancestor of present-day

, the Mardala features prominently, usually in a niche of an ''alasakanya'' playing the instrument. There is a pose by the name ''mardalika'' replicating the same stance in Odissi dance. The playing of the Mardala is based on the ''tala-paddhati'' or rhythmic system of Odissi music. A tala is a rhythmic structure in Indian music. The ''tala''s in use in Odissi music are distinctive, and are not found in other systems of Indian music. The regional terminology used in the Mardala's context are ''kalā, ansā, māna, aḍasā, bhaunri, bhaunri aḍasā, tāli, khāli, phānka, bāṇi, ukuṭa, pāṭa, chhanda, bhangi,'' etc. The ''sabda-swara pata'', a traditional component based on the Mardala's beats was integrated into Odissi dance by Guru

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 ...

. Though several hundred talas are defined in treatises, some are more common : ''ekatāli, khemaṭā'' or ''jhulā, rūpaka, tripaṭā, jhampā, āḍatāli, jati, āditala, maṭhā''. Other talas that are also used are ''nihsāri'', ''kuḍuka, duāḍamāna, sarimāna, upāḍḍa, paḍitāla, pahapaṭa, aṭṭatāla, āṭhatāli'' and ''jagannātha.'' The talas have a characteristic swing that is typical of and universally found in Odissi music. The Mardala is intimately associated with the Jagannatha temple and thus has a very esteemed position in the culture of Odisha. Many Gurus have worked for carrying forward the legacy of the instrument. Adiguru Singhari Shyamsundar Kar, Guru Banamali Maharana, Guru

Kelucharan Mahapatra Kelucharan Mohapatra (8 January 1926 – 7 April 2004) was a legendary Indian classical dancer, guru, and exponent of Odissi dance, who is credited with the revival and popularizing of this classical dance form in the 20th century. He is ...

, Guru Padmanabha Panda, Guru Basudeba Khuntia, and Guru Mahadev Rout were among the great Gurus of Mardala in the 20th century. Guru Rabinarayan Panda, Guru Janardana Dash, Guru Dhaneswar Swain, Guru Sachidananda Das, Guru Bijaya Kumar Barik, Guru Jagannath Kuanr are among modern-day exponents of the Mardala. Many veteran Gotipua masters have also excelled in the Mardala : Guru Birabara Sahu, Guru Lingaraj Barik, Guru Maguni Das and others.

As a solo instrument

The role of the Mardala as a solo instrument has been presented for the last few decades with great success, apart from its better-known role as an accompaniment in the ensemble for Odissi music and dance. The solo performances follow a specific rule or ''pranali'' : starting with a ''jamana'', then proceeding onto ''chhanda prakarana'', ''ragada'', etc. Guru Dhaneswar Swain is known for his pioneering efforts to promote solo performances of the Mardala and bring other traditional percussion instruments of Odisha onto the concert stage. Guru Dhaneswar Swain, the first solo

player who had presented an extended solo performance on the

under the guidance of Guru Banamali Maharana, was the very first of its kind. Odissi Veena Guru Ramarao Patra

Ensemble

The traditional ensemble accompanying an Odissi music recital is said to be 'binā benu mardala' : ''Bina'' or ''

Veena The ''veena'', also spelled ''vina'' ( sa, वीणा IAST: vīṇā), comprises various chordophone instruments from the Indian subcontinent. Ancient musical instruments evolved into many variations, such as lutes, zithers and arched harps.< ...

'', ''Benu'' or Flute and the

. These form the three primary classes of instruments described in the shastras : ''tat'' or stringed, ''susira'' or wind and ''anaddha'' or percussive. All three instruments have been depicted in the stone temples & caves of Odisha built over the last two millennia. The three instruments were also officially appointed as ''sebāyatas'' in the Jagannatha Temple of Puri as described in the

Madala Panji The Madala Panji is a chronicle of the Jagannath Temple, Puri, Odisha, India. It describes the historical events of Odisha related to Lord Jagannath and the Jagannath Temple. The ''Madala Panji'' dates from the 12th century. Madala Panji's role in ...

. Apart from these three instruments, some other traditional accompanying instruments are the ''gini'', ''karatāla'', ''khola'' or ''mrudanga'', ''jodināgarā'', ''mahurī'' or ''mukhabīnā'', ''jalataranga'' etc. At least since the 18th century, other instruments such as the

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

(''behelā'') and

Sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in ...

have also been employed. The harmonium has become popular from the early twentieth century. While the flute and Mardala continue to be popular, the Odissi Bina is no longer as widespread as it once used to be. Some of the exponents of the Odissi Bina were ''Sangitacharya'' Adwaita Guru and ''Gayaka Siromani'' Andha Apanna Panigrahi. The Odissi Bina (Veena) was spearheaded by Acharya

Tarini Charan Patra ''Acharya'' Tarini Charan Patra (; 1901 – 4 March 1979) was a renowned Odissi musician, Guru, singer, scholar, poet, composer & ''Binākara'' (exponent of Odissi Bina). One of the most eminent artistes of Odissi classical music in the 20th cen ...

in the twentieth century and is now kept alive by his disciple Guru Ramarao Patra.

Relation with other classical music

Shyamamani Devi (Patnaik) performs Odissi music

At one time the Kalinga Empire extended all the way up to the river Kaveri and incorporated major parts of

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

. Gajapati Purusottama Deva of Odisha conquered Kanchi and married the princess. Some raagas specific to Odisha are "Desakhya", "Dhanasri", "Belabali", "Kamodi", "Baradi" etc. Additionally, some Odissi raagas bear the same names as Hindustani or Carnatic raagas, but have different note combinations. Furthermore, there are many raagas that have the same note combinations in Hindustani, Carnatic and Odissi styles, but are called by different names. Each stream, however, has its own distinct style of rendition and tonal development despite the superficial similarity in scale.

Odissi music in modern times

The great exponents of Odissi music in modern times are ''Adiguru'' Singhari Shyamsundar Kar, ''Astabadhani Acharya''

, ''Banikantha'' Nimai Charan Harichandan, Gokul Srichandan, Nrusinghanath Khuntia, Lokanath Rath, Lokanath Pala,

Mohan Sundar Deb Goswami Mohan Sundar Deb Goswami (, 8 August 1892 – 11 January 1948) was an Odissi musician, poet & composer, a Guru of traditional ''Rahasa'' or ''Rasa'' and film director in Odia-language films. Widely known for his efforts to keep alive the ''Rahas ...

, Markandeya Mahapatra, Kashinath Pujapanda, ''Sangita Sudhakara'' Balakrushna Dash, Radhamani Mahapatra, Bisnupriya Samantasinghar,

Bhubaneswari Mishra Bhubaneswari Mishra (25 January 1950 — 19 February 2016) was an Odissi classical singer and playback singer. She was a disciple of Adiguru Singhari Shyamsundar Kar. She was married to Dr. Jagamohan Misra, who was a popular physician and poet ...

, Shyamamani Devi, Dr.

Gopal Chandra Panda ''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 Darpa ...

, ''Padmakesari'' Dr. Damodar Hota, Padmashree ''Suramani''

, Ramarao Patra (Bina/Veena),

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 ...

who have achieved eminence in classical music.

Classicality

The renowned scholar and cultural commentator Jiwan Pani mentions four parameters that any system of music has to satisfy in order to be called 'classical' or ''shastric'' : # The tradition must be over a century old. # The system must be based on one or more written ''shastra''s or treatises. # There must be a number of ragas at the core of the system. # The ragas at the core of the system and other acquired ragas must be delineated in a distinctive style. Jiwan Pani further goes on to illustrate in his works each of these aspects with respect to Odissi music. The tradition of Odissi music is nearly a millennium old, there are several ancient musical treatises produced in the state of Odisha for several centuries, there are unique ragas and a distinctive manner of rendition. Pani further argues :

From the discussions above, it is evident that Odissi music is a distinctive ''shastric'' (classical) system. Again, it is now accepted that Odissi dance is undoubtedly a ''shastric'' style. Undoubtedly, music is the life breath of dance. Therefore, it will not be logical to say that the body, that is the Odissi dance, is ''shastric'', but its life, that is, the music, is not ''shastric''.

Other scholars such as Pandit Dr. Damodar Hota and Professor

have raised concerns over the apathy of the government & resultant lack of patronage towards preservation and popularisation of classical music traditions other than the two major systems. Dr. Hota also points to the distortion of Odissi Music as some dance musicians since the 1950s catered their music solely to the revived dance form using Hindustani and Carnatic music as reference points instead of cultivating knowledge and mastery of the distinctive classicism and performance aspects of Odissi Music. Odissi music was not as well known as Odissi dance to musicians & dancers outside Odisha, which led to an appropriation of musical integrity and composition of dance music without adhering to the Odissi tradition. Performing Odissi dance to non-Odissi music was heavily criticised by traditional Gurus of both Odissi dance & Odissi music; it was seen as a disruption of the Odia tradition in which Odia language & literature blended harmoniously with Odissi music & Odissi dance. Most recently, in order to popularize the Odissi music the State Government's Culture Department has undertaken a massive programme named 'Odissi Sandhya' to be performed in all major cities of the country. The programme is being executed through Guru Kelu Charan Mohapatra Odissi Research Centre in association with different cultural organizations located in different parts of the country, like Central Sangeet Natak Academy, Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, Kolkata, and Prachin Kalakendra, Chandigarh.

Exponents

File:Odissi Acharya Adwaita Guru.jpg, ''Sangitacharya Mahanta Sri'' Adwaita Guru File:Gokul Srichandan.jpg, Guru Gokula Chandra Srichandana File:Gayaka Siromani Apanna Panigrahi.png, ''Gayaka Siromani'' Apanna Panigrahi File:Kalicharan Patnaik.jpg, ''Natyacharya Kabichandra'' Kali Charan Patnaik File:Banikantha 7.jpg, ''Banikantha'' Nimai Charan Harichandan File:Odissi music Guru Tarini Charan Patra.jpg, ''Astabadhani Acharya''

File:Singhari Shyamasundar Kar.jpg, ''Adiguru Desaraja'' Singhari Shyamsundar Kar File:Nrusinghanath Khuntia.jpg, Guru Nrusingha Natha Khuntia File:Odissi Guru Balakrushna Dash.jpg, ''Sangita Sudhakara'' Balakrushna Dash File:Raghunath Panigrahi.jpg, ''Suramani''

File:Bhikari Bal.jpg, ''Bhajana Samrata'' Bhikari Charan Bal File:Shyamamani Patnaik (cropped).jpg, ''Vidushi'' Shyamamani Devi File:Damodar Hota young.jpg, ''Padmakesari'' Damodar Hota File:Odissi music Guru Gopal Chandra Panda.jpg, Guru

File:Guru Ramhari Das.jpg, Guru

Gurus of Odissi Mardala

File:Singhari Shyamasundar Kar.jpg, ''Adiguru'' Singhari Shyamsundar Kar, who spearheaded a revival of traditional Mardala playing techniques of the Jagannatha temple File:Guru Birabara Sahoo Playing Mardala.jpg, Guru Birabara Sahu, veteran Gotipua exponent File:Guru Basudev Khuntia Playing Mardala.jpg, Guru Basudeba Khuntia File:Guru Rabi Narayan Panda Playing Mardala 3.png, Guru Rabinarayan Panda File:Guru Maguni Das Playing Mardala.jpg, Guru Maguni Das, veteran Gotipua exponent File:A still of Shri Banamali Maharana who will be presented with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Odissi Music - Orissa by the President Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam in New Delhi on October 26, 2004.jpg, Guru Banamali Maharana, who received a 2004 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution to Odissi Music and the Mardala File:Pt. Guru Mahadev Raut With Mardala.jpg, Guru Mahadeba Rout, recipient of Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and 'Pandita' epithet from the Government of Odisha File:Guru Janardan Dash playing Mardala.png, Guru Janardana Dash File:Guru Dhaneswar Swain Playing Mardala (3).jpg, Guru Dhaneswar Swain, recipient of

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 ...

in the year 2013 for his contribution to Odissi Music and Mardala File:Eminent Odissi Mardala Guru Sachidananda Das.jpg, alt=, Guru Sachidananda Das, Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee File:Guru Bijaya Kumar Barik plays the Odissi Mardala.jpg, Guru Bijaya Kumar Barik File:Jagannath Kuanr playing Odissi mardala.jpg, Guru Jagannath Kuanr File:Guru Chintamani Raut Playing Mardala 2.jpg, Guru Chintamani Raut File:Guru Maheswar Mohapatra playing Mardala 1.jpg, Guru Maheswar Mohapatra File:Guru Dr. Gouranga Charan Mahala Playing Mardala.jpg, Guru Gouranga Charan Mahala

References

External links

Graded video lessons on Odissi music by Guru Ramhari DasYouTube channel of Guru Gopal Panda Odissi AcademyOdissi music renditions by eminent vocalistsEarly gramophone records of Odissi music
{{Odia language Odissi Odissi music Odia culture Indian classical music Indian styles of music Jayadeva Classical and art music traditions