Dattatreya Rama Rao Parvatikar

Shri Dattatreya Rama Rao Parvatikar, (pronunciation:[d̪ət̪t̪ɑːt̪reːj ə rɑːmə rɑːʋ pərʋət̪ikɑːr]; दत्तात्रेय राम राव् पर्वतिकार्) [1916-1990], was prominent Hindu saint and a sanyasi of India. He was keenly interested in Indian classical music and was a maestro of rudra veena. He invented Dattatreya Veena and was fondly called also as "veena baba". Some of his musical recordings are part of a UNESCO project.

He was born as the second son of professor Rama Rao Parvatikar and Vatsala Bai on 1916 at Guledgudda, near Badami.He was the elder brother of the family. Younger ones being Panduranga Rao Parvatikar, Shaam Rao Parvatikar.

Swamy Dattatreya Parvatikar lived in the premises of Badrinath Temple of The Himalayas and hardly spoke to anybody. He was a nada yogi and was an expert in sitar, vichitra veena, rudra veena and swarmandal.Due to his expertise on veena recital, he was fondly called as veena baaba by his spiritual followers.

Swami Dattatreya Rama Rao Parvatikarji (1916-1990), is seen hereplaying his 'Brahm Vina', as he calls it, at the Badrinath Temple. He said it was the only one left in existence and that he had to help in the making of it himself, getting several strings added to the lower side (like a harp). It had a truly mystical sound. Swamiji would be here during the entire season that the presiding deity resides in Badri Nath Dham.

Vina Maharajji Badrinath Dham

Interesting was his morning practice of first having bath in Tapt Kund, a natural mineral hot spring, and then immediately having an ice cold bath in the grace-filled river of Alakananda. And after this he would do yogasanas in the sunshine beside the river, ending them with Shirshasana, headstand, that alone for at least 15 mins.

Whenever I set with Swamiji inside the temple we would sing and he would tell us amazing stories of the grace of Sri Badri Narayana, and His devotees. Only once did I see him in Sri Vrindavan, when there was the special music festival there in Niddhi Van, The Swami Hari Dasji Samaro. Several times He has been on TV, the 'Door Darshan featured him playing his unique 'Brahm Vina' and singing beautiful bhajans.

Veena Maharaj Dattatreya Parvatikarji playing Rudra Veena

Swami Parvatikar, an exponent of nada yoga, tried to spread spirituality through music. He has given numerous musical performances all over India.

He invented Dattatreya Veena by mixing sitar, vichitra veena and swarmandal to rudra veena. Alain Daniélou has made recordings of his performances between 1950 and 1955. They are now part of a UNESCO project - UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music of the World. As a tribute to Alain Daniélou, UNESCO re-issued the album on 1997 as Anthology of Indian Classical Music – A Tribute to Alain Daniélou.

Swami D. R. Parvatikar Maharaj started The Nada Yoga School in 1950. It is situated in Rishikesh.

In 1975, Veena Maharaj Nadayogi Sri Dattatreya Parvatikar founded the Sree Raghavendra Swamy Mission at Bangalore. In memory of the Nadayogi Sri Parvatikar, a music concert is held every year at Gayana Samaja Bangalore. A program was held even in Davangere organized by Rajendra Parvatikar in 2005 where many Classical musicians took part.