Komal Kothari Biography 
Komal Kothari was an Indian folklorist and ethnomusicologist from Jodhpur. He is most known for his work on the folklore of Rajasthan and its links to Music of Rajasthan and its instruments. He was fondly called Komal da. He founded Rupayan Sansthan in the 1960, along with Vijaydan Detha, an institute that documents Rajasthani folklore, arts and music. In 1986, he received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship given by Sangeet Natak Akademi for his contributions to Indian art. Padma Shri in 1983 and Padma Bhushan in 2004 are the honours he received from Government of India. He was the first recipient of Rajasthan Ratna award, the highest civilian award of the state. Prince Claus Award in 2000 is an honour received by this great personality from Rajasthan. Komal Kothari was born on March 4, 1929 in Jodhpur and died on April 20, 2004 suffering from cancer.
Kothari's research resulted in his developmental study of numerous Rajasthani folklore. His contributions to oral traditions and puppetry have played a significant role to popularize these traditions. He was a patron of Manganiyar and Langa folk music who recorded these traditional forms of Rajasthan and show it to the whole world. He founded the magazine – Prerana. He was a pioneer in popularizing many of Rajastani folk instruments. Even while struggling with cancer in his last days, he had been working on an ambitious project of building an ethnographic museum near Jodhpur. He revived Sindhi Sarangis and Kamaichas and saved them from losing forever.
Important works of Kothari include - Bards, ballads and boundaries: an ethnographic atlas of music traditions in West Rajasthan (along with Daniel Neuman and Shubha Chaudhuri), Life and works of Padma Bhushan Shri Komal Kothari, Monograph on Langas: a folk musician caste of Rajasthan, Folk musical instruments of Rajasthan: a folio, Gods of the Byways and Rajasthan: The Living Traditions. His organization has found 100 pieces each of Kamachas and Sindhi Sarangis – the traditional, stringed musical instruments of western Rajasthan and saved them from extinction.
Published: N/A
Updated: January 08, 2014
