Dhaneswar Swain

• Name — Dhaneswar Swain • Native Name — ଧନେଶ୍ୱର ସ୍ୱାଇଁ • Honorific Prefix — Badyashree Guru • Instrument — Mardala • Occupation — Odissi Mardala (Odissi music) Guru and exponent, composer, scholar • Genre — Odissi music • Birthplace — Nahantara, Puri, Odisha • Born — 18 May 1953 • Birth Name — Dhaneswar Swain

He was born in the village of Nahantara in the Puri district of Odisha to Sambhunatha Swain and Kanchana Swain. He received his initial training in the Mardala from his elder brother, Bhramabara Swain. He joined the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya in 1970 and trained under Gurus Singhari Shyamsundar Kar, Banamali Maharana and Mahadev Rout.

After working with the Odissi danseuse Sonal Mansingh for a year, in 1979, he joined the Mahavidyalaya as a Mardala teacher and worked there for over three decades. Since his retirement, he has been teaching students at the Ramhari Das Odissi Gurukula, Biragobindapur, Puri district. Through SPIC MACAY, Guru Swain has brought Odissi Mardala to many educational institutions across the country. He has accompanied Odissi music recitals and Odissi dancers since the 1980s, traveling as the primary percussionist and performing all over India and in the United States, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Finland, China, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Jordan, Israel, and Dubai. Swain is known for his pioneering efforts to present the Mardala as a solo instrument in its own right. He has given Mardala recitals at various forums across the country, such as the Rajarani music festival, Konarka Natyamandap, Sankat Mochan Festival, Haridas Sangeet Samaroh, All India Radio Sangeet Sammelan, and Sangeet Sandhya at the India Habitat Centre. He is known for his rhythm compositions for Odissi dance and has created music for a number of choreographic works such as Panchadeva Stuti, Dasamahavidya, Yuge Yuge Jagannatha, Sristi o Pralaya, Sapta Tala, Mana Madhuri, Gita Govinda, Tala Madhurya, Sabda Nrutya, Abartana Bibartana, Badya Madhuri, Jagyansenu, Varsha Abhisara, Krupanidhana, etc. He has composed the rhythm for multiple pallavis such as Kamodi, Kedara Kamodi, Mukhari, Debagandhari, Chandrika Kamodi, Anandabhairabi, Sankarabharana, Madhyamadi, Arabhi, Bakulabharana, Hansakalyani, Hansadhwani, Khambaja, Ragesri, Bajrakanti, etc. Apart from this, a CD of his rhythmic compositions titled Vadya Vani, comprising three traditional instruments of Odisha namely Mardala, Mrudanga and Khanjani, has received appreciation from connoisseurs of tala. He has published research articles and conducted several workshops on the Mardala. He has been honored for his work with the title Badyashree conferred by the Utkal Sahitya Kala Parishad in 1999. For his contributions to Odissi music and Odissi Mardala, he received the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2008 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2013.

• Illustration — Guru Dhaneswar Swain receiving the Sangeet Natak Akademi award (2013) from President Pranab Mukherjee Listed below are some research articles authored by Guru Dhaneswar Swain. He is presently authoring a book on Mardala, soon to be published. • Odissi Mardala • Ekaka Badana Ra Srunkhala • Odissi Sangita Ra Tala • Mardala: Nrutya Sangita Ra Eka Pramukha Anga • Tala Hin Sangita Ra Prana • Odisha Ra Sanskrutika Parampara Re Mardala • Prachina Tala Paddhati • Odissi Nrutya Ra Tala Sambhara • Prayogika Alankara • Development of Mardala in Odisha