Dhaneswar Swain

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.

He has been honoured for his work with the title Badyashree conferred by the Utkal Sahitya Kala Parishad in 1999.

He has accompanied Odissi music recitals. He has also accompanied Odissi dancers since the 1980s, travelling as the primary percussionist, performing all over India and in the United States, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Finland, China, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Jordan, and Israel, Dubai.

Born in the village of Nahantara in the Puri district of Odisha to father Sambhunatha Swain and mother Kanchana Swain, he received his initial training in the Mardala from his elder brother Bhramabara Swain. He then joined the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya in 1970 and trained under renowned Gurus Singhari Shyamsundar Kar and Banamali Maharana. He also learned from Guru Mahadev Rout. After working with the renowned Odissi danseuse Sonal Mansingh for an year, in 1979, he joined the Mahavidyalaya as a Mardala teacher and worked there for over three decades. After retirement, he is engaged in teaching students at the Ramhari Das Odissi Gurukula, Biragobindapur, Puri district. Through SPIC MACAY, Guru Swain has taken Odissi Mardala to many educational institutions across the country.

Dhaneswar Swain (Odia: ଧନେଶ୍ୱର ସ୍ୱାଇଁ, romanized: Dhaneswara Swāin; born 18 May 1953) is an exponent and Guru of the Odissi Mardala, the traditional percussion instrument of Odissi music. He is known for his rhythmic compositions and fingering techniques, as well as his efforts to promote solo Mardala recitals and group presentations combining traditional percussive instruments of Odisha. He is the founder of Vadya Vani Gurukula, an institution for training and research in Odissi Mardala and other traditional percussion instruments of Odisha.