Banamali Maharana Explained

Banamali Maharana
Birth Date:16 May 1941
Birth Place:Raghurajpur, Puri, Odisha, India
Death Place:Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
Occupation:Percussionist - Odissi Mardala Guru
Notable Works:Basanta Rasa
Style:Odissi music
Awards:Sangeet Natak Akademi Award

Banamali Maharana (16 May 1941 – 17 November 2018) was an Indian percussionist who played Mardala.

Career

Maharana began playing Khola (Mrudanga) and Dholak with Goswami.

His formal training began after he joined the Annapurna Theatre, where he learned percussion from Singhari Shyamsundar Kar and Kshetramohan Kar.[1] His brother, Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra accompanied him to most of his dance performances.

Maharana started teaching Mardala at Kala Vikas Kendra in Cuttack and then at Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya.[2] He introduced a seven-year course in Mardala music at the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya before retiring as the Head of the Mardala department in 1999.

Maharana was the most sought-after Mardal player for Odissi performances in his time. Besides Kelucharana, Banamali accompanied Sanjukta Panigrahi, Oopali Operajita, Priyambada Mohanty Hejmadi, Sonal Mansingh, Aruna Mohanty, Sujata Mohapatra, Parwati Dutta and others in dance performances, in India and abroad.[3]

Awards

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Noted Guru Banamali Maharana passes away. UNI India. 30 November 2018.
  2. Web site: Eminent percussionist Guru Banamali Maharana passes away . pti news . 30 November 2018.
  3. News: Mardala exponent Banamali Maharana passes away . 17 November 2018. The New Indian Express . 16 January 2020.
  4. News: Eminent percussionist Guru Banamali Maharana passes away . 17 November 2018. Business Standard. Press Trust of India. 16 January 2020.