Pt.Harmohan Khuntia

An Accomplished Tabla, Odissi Pakhawaj Player and Music Composer

Sri.Harmohan received his Musical training in Tabla from guru Padmabibhusan Pt.Gyan Prakash Ghosh of Calcutta at a very young age .Later he joined the All India Radio,Cuttack as a staff artist  in Tabla in 1970 and still continuing in that job. Mr.Khuntia is a well known Tablist,Music -composer & Music Director of Orissa and composed around 300 compositions in Odissi Music and many Odissi Dance dramas which has been performed and staged by various artists. He has extensively traveled all over the world with the Noted Odissi Dancer Late Padmashree Smt.Sanyukta Panigrahi as a Mardala Accompanist. He has accompanied with almost all the top grade Vocalists and Instrumentalists of India and received wide appreciation for the same. At present  he is been engaged in teaching the art of Tabla,Odissi Pakhawaj Playing and Odissi Songs,Hindustani Classical Vocal Music,Hindi Bhajans, Modern songs  to the Young Aspirants at his own residence at Cuttack.

 Training in Music :

Born in a family of musicians, started playing musical instruments from the age of five. Formed a ‘Kirtan’ group at the age of seven and performed at various places. Undergone formal training in Tabla at the age of eleven, under Late Guru Kshetramohan Kar and Late Radhagobinda Ghosh.

Received further training in Tabla, Harmonium and Hindustani Classical Music(Vocal) under the guidance of eminent maestro late Padmabhusan Pt. Jnan Prakash Ghosh and late Guru Manilal Mukherjee at Calcutta.

 Learnt Odissi Vocal under renowned Guru late Simhari Shyam Sunder Kar. Also learnt traditional Odissi Style of singing prevalent in the Raj Daurbar of Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati of Paralakhemundi, under the guidance of famous Court-Musicians, late Narayan Tripathy, late Tarini Patra and late Ananta Patra.

            Qualifications :

• ‘Sangeet Alankar’ in Hindustani Classical Music(Tabla) from Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal, Pune – (1998).

•  ‘Sangeet Prabhakar’ in Hindustani Classical Music(Vocal) from Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad – 1987.

•  Qualified with ‘A’ grade in Tabla at All India Radio Audition.

•  Approved Music Composer of A.I.R, Cuttack

• Ex-Staff Artist in Classical Music(Tabla) – All India Radio, Cuttack.

Experience :

Joined Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, Bhubaneswar, as a Junior Lecturer in 1967. Over the years, have trained and groomed several students, some of whom are now established artists of A.I.R, Cuttack and Doordarshan, BBSR and many more are working in various musical institutions. 

As ‘A’ Grade Tabla accompanist, have performed with artists of National and international fame, namely Pandit Jasraj, Pandit V.G. Jog, Pandit Jagdish Prasad, Ajoy Chakraborty, Jeetendra Abhiseki, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pandit Budhadev Dasgupta and many more at various programmes and A.I.R conferences all over the country.

Has traveled inside India and abroad as a Pakhawaj (Mardal) accompanist with late Padmashree Sanjukta Panigrahi and Surmani Raghunath Panigrahi, performed in U.S.A, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Japan and several Europian and Gulf Countries. Accompanied on Tabla with Pandit Bhubaneswar Mishra for an audiocassette released by HMV. 

Accompanied on Tabla and Harmonium in National Programme Of Music, produced by A.I.R and Doordarshan.

Music Composition :

Music composer of All India Radio, Cuttack.Composed music for Special Oriya and Hindi Programmes of Music broadcasted on weekly and monthly basis since last 25 years by A.I.R, Cuttak.

Composed  music for a number of Odissi Dance Dramas staged by Odissi Research Center, Bhubaneswar.

Composed and produced several audiocassettes on Odissi Music and Oriya Bhajans for A.I.R artists.

Solo Performance :

Credited with Solo performances in Tabla at various Musical Programmes of All India Radio. Also given stage performances all over the country and abroad.

Research :

Currently working on traditional Odissi style of singing that was followed in the Old Raj-Durbars of Orissa.

Compiling notations of Odissi Music adapting the style of renowned Gurus.

Awards and honours :

Awarded Orissa Sangeet Natak Academy Award for Hindustani Classical Instrumental Music (Tabla) for the year 2001.

Received many more awards from various Government and cultural organizations. 

Examiner, Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal, Pune. 

Member, Selection Board of Directorate of Culture, Govt of Orissa for selection of Tabla and Mardal players. 

Nominated as the subject expert in the Orissa Public Service Commission Appointments Panel for selection of lecturer of Pakhawaj of Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, Bhubaneswar(2000). 

Nominated as an expert in the committee for recommending awardees in the field of Scholarships to young artists in different cultural fields by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Department of Culture, Govt. of India.  

As a Guru he has trained a lot of student who are at present established themselves as a good tabla Player and engaged in different organisations.Some of them are his son Suprakash Khuntia, Sri.Kishore Shaoo, Sri Kalandi Mishra, Sri. Kulamani Sahoo,Sri.Jagarnath Kunwar, Sri Vinod, Sri Sandeep etc to name a few.

Recent works by Him

1.Oriya Adhunik Music Album - Chithi

2.Oriya Bhajan Album - Dina Bandhaba

 Address of Correspondence

Pandit.Harmohan Khuntia

At-Sri Vihar Colony,

Po-Tulasipur, Dist- Cuttack,

State-Orissa,

India

Pin code -753008

Phone No- +91 671 2300139

alternate E-Mail- swarna_khuntia@yahoo.com