Reela Hota

🪔 About

Reela Hota is an eminent Indian classical Odissi dancer, educator, producer, and author, recognized for her unique integration of Indian spiritual philosophy into her performances. Born in Balasore, Odisha, she is the daughter of Yoga Guru Bijoylaxmi Hota and former bureaucrat Purna Chandra Hota, which exposed her to dance, yoga, and ashram life from childhood. Reela Hota received extensive training from three doyens of Odissi dance: Guru Gangadhar Pradhan, Srimati Madhavi Mudgal, and the legendary Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, which instilled in her perfect rhythm, sophistication, grace, and presentation skills. A trendsetter, Reela Hota pioneered in making Indian spiritual philosophies such as Yoga, Kundalini, and Sanskrit the central themes of her performances, adding a new spiritual dimension to Odissi dance. Her association with spiritual master Paramahamsa Swami Satyananda Saraswati further inspired this approach. She founded the Rays of Wisdom Society, an organization dedicated to showcasing how music, dance, and traditional therapeutic practices can address contemporary lifestyle challenges. Through this society, she organizes the International Ancient Arts Festival and Symposium. Reela Hota made her debut Odissi recital in 1994 under the aegis of Sahitya Kala Parishad. Her creative compositions, such as "Atma -Mukti" (1998), "Vishwaasya Beejam" (2003), and "Ek Lakshya Chaturpatha" (2005), explore yogic paths to self-realization. She has diversified her productions by fusing Odissi with other Indian classical dance forms like Manipuri, Kathak, Bharatanatyam, and Chhau, and even collaborated with Ballet dancers from the Bucharest National Opera House in 2013 for a fusion on the healing aspects of Sanskrit. An 'A-Grade' artist of Doordarshan and Sangeet Natak Academy, Reela Hota is based in New Delhi, India. She also teaches dance to underprivileged children in Rikhia, Jharkhand, as a form of selfless service since 2008. Recently, she authored the book 'Odissi Dance: Therapeutics, Aesthetics and Metaphysics,' which explores the healing, spiritual, and metaphysical power of Odissi dance. Awards & Honours: Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' (2019), 8th International Human Rights Award (2018), Atal Bihari Vajpayee National Award (2018), Art & Culture appreciation Award (2018), Uthsav Nritya Ratna (2012), Sanatan Sangeet Puraskar (2007), Gun Gangadhar Pradhan Award Senior Fellowship.