Banamali Dasa

Banamali Dasa (ବନମାଳୀ ଦାସ, ; 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 notable writings that are used in Odissi. His songs are popularly sung in festivals, public gatherings, and in Odissi dance. Banamali's compositions (especially chaupadis and jananas) are set to traditional Odissi ragas and talas and are extremely popular in the Odissi music repertoire. He is considered to be the foremost poet of the medieval Odia bhakti-literature. He started by writing rustic devotional Poetry, he later began to compose "bhakti"-poetry which gained larger acceptance and popularity among the other contemporary poets of his time. Typically, his poems are eyewitness accounts, and their simple, fervent language is much appreciated.

Early life
As Dasa's birth and death are unrecorded, various researchers speculate various years. In a research publication, researcher Janaki Ballabh Mohanty has cited his birth year around 1720-30 and his death year as being unknown. Other publications have his birth year as 1720 and his death year as 1793.

He was born in a Karana family, a fact that is proved by one of his earlier poems where he explicitly mentions his surname Pattanayaka, used by the karanas (scribes) of ancient Odisha. The surname is still in use.

He spent most of his life in Puri.

Music
Banamali's creations are frequently sung in classical Odissi music concerts & enacted in the abhinaya part of Odissi dance. He is known to have composed over 400 songs; Odissi, Chhanda, Bhajana, Janana, Chautisa and more. He is not known to have written any single kavya, rather a large number of individual songs. The Ragas used by Banamali in his works are unique ragas of the Odissi music tradition. Some of these ragas include:

Asabari, Bangala, Bangalasri, Baradi, Basanta, Basanta Kedara, Bhairaba, Bhairabi, Bhatiari, Bhupala, Bibhasha, Chakra Kedara, Chinta Kedara, Dakhina Kamodi, Desa Baradi, Desakhya, Dhanasri, Dhipa, Gadamalia, Gujjari, Jayanta, Jayanti, Jhinjoti, Kalyana, Kamodi, Kaphi, Karnata, Kasmira, Kedara, Kedaragouda, Khambaja, Khanda Bangalasri, Kolahala, Kousika, Krusna Kedara, Kumbha Kamodi, Kumbha Kedara, Kusuma Kedara, Lalita Kamodi, Lalita Kedara, Madana Kedara, Madhusri, Malaba, Mangala, Mangala Baradi, Mangala Kedara, Marua, Matiari, Mohana, Mohana Kedara, Mukhabari, Nalinigouda, Natakurangi, Paraja, Pattamanjari, Punnaga, Purabi, Ranabije, Rasakadamba, Rasakedara, Saberi, Sankarabharana, Saranga, Sauri, Sindhu Kamodi, Soka Kamodi, Sri, Suratha, Todi, Todiparaja.

Poetry

 * "Dinabandhu daitari"
 * "Manima he eitiki maguni mora"
 * "Kede chanda jane lo sahi"
 * "Dukhanasana he sukha na paili dine"
 * "Jaya Jagannatha he Jasoda kumara"
 * "Ke Murali Bajauchhi Brundabane Go"