Komal Kothari
| Komal Kothari | |
|---|---|
| Born |
4 March 1929 Jodhpur, Rajasthan |
| Died | 20 April 2004 |
| Nationality | Indian |
Komal Kothari (4 March 1929 – 20 April 2004), commonly known as Komalda, was an Indian folklorist and ethnomusicologist from Jodhpur, Rajasthan. A pioneer in the study of Indian folklore, he is most known for his work on the folklore of Rajasthan and its links to music of Rajasthan and its instruments. He founded the Rupayan Sansthan in the 1960, with Vijaydan Detha, an institute that documents Rajasthani folklore, arts and music.
Kothari's research resulted in his development of the study of a number of areas of folklore. In particular, he made contributions to the study of musical instruments, oral traditions and puppetry.
He was also a patron of Langa and Manganiyar folk music, the latter of which translates to 'beggars' and is currently used as a debasing term for Merasi. He was the first to record them and helped spread them out of their traditional regions. To this end, he also founded the magazine 'Prerna'.
Kothari founded the Rupayan Sansthan with Vijaydan Detha at Borunda village in Rajasthan, an institute that documents Rajasthani folk-lore, arts and music, and spent most of his career at the Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Academy. He died from cancer in April 2004.
He received the Padma Shri in 1983, followed by the Padma Bhushan in 2004, given the Government of India. In 1986, he received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, the highest honour in performing arts, by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama, for lifetime achievement., and Prince Claus Award in 2000.Recently Govt of Rajasthan has bestowed upon him the first ever Rajasthan Ratna award, the highest civilian award in the desert state.
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