This is the first work on Odissi Music in English. Odissi dance is receiving growing recognition all over the world as an important classical dance system of India. Odissi music is a cognate of Odissi dance in every sense of the term. To use Odissi music as the accompanying music with an Odissi dance number or even to replace Odissi music with some other local variety in ones repertoire one must be acquainted with the genesis, the cultural ethos and the technical subtleties associated with both Odissi dance and Odissi music. Ignorance of this leads to incongruous, even ridiculous cross between Odissi dance and strange non-Odissi music. Keeping this hazard in mind the book deals with the evolutionary history and the cultural background of Odissi music, its use as a cognate of Odissi dance and as concert music (generally performed solo). Lastly, there is a short comparative study of Odissi, Hindustani and Carnatic music and discussion of the claim of Odissi music for classical status. The appendices contain a who's who of Odissi Gurus, a list of some important research and training institutes, maps and notations of some well-known Odissi songs.