Republic Day..

Ok, to tell you the truth, I was craving to publish this poem on my blog for a long long time. I just didnt get the suitable moment to post it. Well, Today on the occasion of our 60th Republic Day, Im presenting the poem. I dont know who is the poet, but nevertheless, its a very good poem. I sincerely hope that we get some स्फुरण from the poem, and thereby strive for the betterment of our country as a whole. On this day, lets remember the glorious warriors who have strived to bring the country to where it is now. Its now our responsibility to bear the torch, and make the flame that is Bharat glow even more brighter. I hope the poem inspires one and all..

आम्ही पुत्र अमृताचे आम्ही पुत्र ह्या धारेचे
उजळून आज लावू भवितव्य मातृभूचे.

पृथ्वीस जिंकणारे आले अनेक येथे.
नाही निशाण त्यांचे उरले जगात कोठे.
गेली सहस्त्र वर्षे लढलो ना थांबताही
गझनी सिकंदराची उरली न मृत्तिका हि.
आम्ही काळपुत्र आम्हा येईल मरण कैसे!

हे राष्ट्र संकटांशी लढले अनेक वेळा
कोणी ना जिंकले हे, भासे अजेय काळा
आदर्श जीवनाचा हा वृक्ष अमर ह्याला
जरी तोडिले बळाने तरी स्पर्शितो नभाला
त्याचेच पुत्र आम्ही जयवंत हे सदाचे!

जरी काळ कूट प्यालो तरी नाही मृत्यू आम्हा.
अग्नीत पद्मिनी चा जळतो कधी ना आत्मा
दाहीर कन्यकाचे जरी देह आज नुरले.
आत्मे तरी त्यांचे अतिदिव्यारूप झाले.
ते प्राण आमुचे अन आम्ही प्राण या जगाचे!

ही चिन्मयी भारतभू जगतास ज्ञान देता
ही देव जन्मभूमी धर्मास ग्लानी येत
ही मूर्त अन्नपूर्णा जगतास पाळताना
जे काली रूप घेते दुष्टास शासताना
या माऊलीस अर्पू गुरुस्थान या जगाचे!

- Jai Hind, Vande Mataram.

An ode to the rising sun

Last year, i was on a once in a lifetime trip to orissa. Just to refresh my memory of Gods own country( totally justified tag) i was going through the pictures I had taken during my travels. One of these pictures was that of a sunrise observed from the DRDO guesthouse at Chandipur. For me the picture is very significant, as it has 3 suns- the real one, a reflection in water and a reflection in sand. It is a very special picture, as i have clicked it on  a 2 megapixel mobile phone. But, till yesterday, I only admired the picture. Now, I am in awe of it.. the reason, well, you can call it coincident- but the picture and the song "Tejo nidhi Loha gol" started at the same time on my pc.

I love the song Tejo Nidhi Loh gol- its very beautifully set in raag Lalit. but till now, i only used to listen to the song, rather than understanding its meaning. Somehow, looking at that picture with the song on, really made me realise the deeper meaning. Here I present the link to the song by Vasantrao Deshpande, The lyrics to the song, and the picture which really filled my mind.

The Picture:

The link to the Song: tejonidhi loh gol 
Here are the lyrics for the song:

तेजोनिधी लोह गोल, भास्कर हे गगनराज
हे दिनमणि व्योमराज, भास्कर हे गगनराज

दिव्य तुझ्या तेजाने, झगमगले भूवन आज,
हे दिनमणि व्योमराज भास्कर हे गगनराज.

कोटी कोटी किरण तुझे अनलशरा उधळिती
अमृतकण होऊन अणुरेणू उजळिती
तेजातच जनन मरण, तेजातच नवीन साज
हे दिनमणि व्योमराज, भास्कर हे गगनराज

ज्योतिर्मय मूर्ती तुझी, ग्रहमंडळ दिव्य सभा
दाहक परी संजीवक, करुणारून किरणप्रभा
होवो जीवन विकास, वासुधेची राख लाज
हे दिनमणि व्योमराज, भास्कर हे गगनराज

तेजोनिधी लोह गोल, भास्कर हे गगनराज
हे दिनमणि व्योमराज, भास्कर हे गगनराज!

The Sawai Experience- Day 4

After witnessing the spectacle that was the 57th Sawai till the third day, i was extremely anxious for the fourth and the final day to start. Infact I was so anxious that I couldnt sleep the previous night- the result I woke up rather late, and started half an hour late than what I had planned. I reached at about 8.45- 45 minutes after the event had started.

The first performance was by Pt. Raja Kale, who started off with what i recognized from outside the grounds to be Todi. Once again, after an inspection less entry, and an easyily found place, I sat analysing the todi. Initially I was under the impression that it was Gujri Todi. However, it clearly had a P in it, and on closer inspection, I realised it was Miyan-ki-Todi. This was followed by a bandish in Alhaiya Bilawal.He then follwed it up with Raag Bhatiyar Bhairav. I failed to recognize this Raag, although I could make out individual elements from Bhairav as well as Bhatiyar. Rajabhau concluded his performance by singing the Bhajan "Sagun Sampoorna Pandharichya Raya".

The early morning to late morning transition, was filled by Ustad Shahid Parvez, who is a 7th generation Sitar player in his family! According to some Sawai experts, he was performing on the stage after a gap of 15 years. And trust me when I say this, he did not disappoint. He started his performance with Raag Nat Bhairav, which I was, thankfully, able to identify after just 1 minute into the performance!The meend work was exquisite. The jod were sublime, jhala simple and controlled. Infact, the whole performance was so intricately woven that at the end it left the spectators speechless. As Anand Deshmukh rightly said " शाहिद भैईंची सतार बोलली, श्रोते जाले निःशब्द". It was a super sensational performance!
 
 After the enthralling piece of music by Ustad Shahid Parvez, the torch was passed on to Pandita Girija Devi. She came out t be an extremely sweet lady, her voice extremely beatutiful, and the force with which she could sing at an herculean age of 81 quite extraordinary. She started off her performance by singing Raaj Jaunpuri. In between the performance, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi arrived in the mandap in his car. On coming to know about his arrival, Girija Devi did get quite emotional, and even shed a tear or two. After finishing off Jaunpuri, she personally went to Meet Bhimsen Ji. It was a very emotional and a special scene for all the spectators. Who knows when will we ever see these two stalwarts of Indian music together again. Girija Devi then went on to sing a thumri in Bhairavi. She then went on to sing a hori in Raag Khamaj. she also sang what others told me is called a jhula(I have no idea what it is) and concluded a very satisfying and emotional first session with another rendition of Bhairavi.

A very emotional greeting!

Now, in between the 1st and 2nd session of day 5, I ate, and to preserve my place, slept where I had put my satranji! God knows how I fell into a deep sleep, but when I woke up(partly due to my snoring!) it was 3.45! a cup of tea and biscuits later, I was all geared up for the evening performances.

The first Performance was by Ustad Raja Miyan or Ghulam Hussain Khan of the Agra Gharana. I found the style extremely different to what i have been hearing. He started off with Raag Poorva(Never heard of it) and sang the Nom-Tom tana for which Agra Gharana is famous, and They indeed did seem quite sweet. He then went on to perform Raag Barwa( Again  i havent heard it before).

The next slot, was for Harsh Narayan to shine and for Pt. Ramnarayan to yet, outshine his grandson. It was also probably the most uneqpected slot of this years Sawai. It started off with an extremely well played Raag Shree by Harsh Narayan, grandson of the legendary Sarangi player Pt. Ram Narayan.It was a very good rendition. I really like raag shree the last time I head it at sawai, and have now grown quite used to it, and this was one of the best I have heard! This was to be followed by the the two playing together.However, an unexpectedly sweet occurance was there for us to witness before that could happen.

 A very sweet moment for all to savour.

Pt. Ramnarayan did come on stage. But he was not alone! He had Pandit Bhimsen Joshi on stage with him as well! All amidst standing ovation for i dont know how long for both of them. Pt. Ram Narayan said a few lines about Bhimsen Ji. the mic was then passed on to bhimsen ji. from where I was sitting, it looked like a pair of old battle hardened lions, who are on the waning side when it comes to health. However, as soon as Bhimsen ji started to speak it sent a chill down my spine. He may look like an old lion, but a lion is a lion none the less. His roar was enough for me to have a tear in my eye, and it was enough to get the crowd on their feet, in a rapturous applause- the biggest that was heard at Sawai! Easily, it was THE moment of the entire schedule. I couldnt ask have asked for more. On that note, I really hope that Bhimsen ji recovers fast, and is able to sing at next years Sawai.

Now, returning to the Main program, Pt. Ramnarayan and Harsh Narayan together performed a beautiful version of Raag Yaman, one of my favourite Raags ever. It was extremely pleasing to the eye, and it was definitely I could listen to all day long! This was followed by Raagmala by panditji. He started off in Khamaj, and preserving its integrity mixed portions of what I could make out were Des, Bahar, Basant. It was an awesome performance by yet another stalwart.

The stage was then occupied by Pt. Satyasheel Deshpande- who we were told in his introduction has knowledge about all gharanas in India, making him the only person to do so! He started off by singing Raag Jaijaiwanti, which was very good. He then sang a bandish in Darbari Kanada, with help of a lot of joking and stories about Kumar Gandharwa. He also sang a Tarana in Darbari Kanada. On popular demand, he sang his famous Bandish " Saawan mein ban mein", set in Gaud Malhar. This was probably the best I have heard from him(The bandish- Ive heard it quite a lot of time at various places)/ He then wrapped up the proceedings by singing a nirguni bhajan, which was simply divine.

This marked a change in the stae arrangement, for now we were to have a dance by Mallika Sarabhai. She performed Bharatnatyam- 4 pieces in all, along with her son. I am too ignorant about this art, and dont know much. Although I must admit, that she did convey that it is very beautiful, and not agressive, as I had always imagined it to be.

The final performance of this years Sawai, like last years was the responsibility of Dr. Prabha Atre. I am always in awe of her, every time I see her. Her singing seems effortless, and extremely dignified, and thoroughly practiced. She started off by singing Raag Rageshree. The vocal support she received was excellent, and just went on to signify that she along with her students were rehearsing for this event very hard. It was just the ease with which she sang that really captivated me. After finishing Raag Rageshree, she performed a bandish in Jogkauns, which was again bliss to the ears. To cap off a very well organised performance, she sang Raag Bhairavi.

As tradition dictates, the show was concluded by playing a tape of Bharavi sung by Late Sawai Gandharwa. Overall, it was an awesome experience. Ill probably not forget a moment of this 4 day journey. I learnt a great many things- the importance of riyaaz, singing techniques, on voice, and overall, a lot on classical Music. I felt privieged to attend such a grand festival. Certainly, its done its fare share to add to my knowledge and love for classical music. Its one journey that I am willing to undertake time and again, just because it gives me an unmentionable peace of mind and utmost satisfaction.

You can refer to all the Raags performed today at the individual links provided below:

1)Raag Miyan Ki Todi- Pt. Raja Kale.
2)Raag Alhaiya Bilawal- Pt. Raja Kale
3)Raag Bhatiyar Bhairav- Pt. Raja Kale(No link)
4)Raag Nat Bhairav- Ustad Shahid Parvez.
5)Raag Jaunpuri- Pandita Girija Devi
6)Raag Khamaj- Pandita Girija Devi and Pt. Ram Narayan.
7)Raag Poorva- Ustad Ghulam Hussain Khan(No link)
8)Raag Barwa- Ustad Ghulam Hussain Khan
9)Raag Shree- Harsh Narayan
10)Raag Yaman- Pt. Ram Narayan and Harsh Narayan
11)Raag Jaijaiwanti- Pt. Satyasheel Deshpande
12)Raag Darbari Kanada- Pt. Satyasheel Deshpande
13)Raag Gaud Malhar- Pt. Satyasheel Deshpande
14)Raag Rageshri- Dr. Prabha Atre
15)Raag Jogkauns- Dr. Prabha Atre
16) Raag Bhairavi- Pandita Girija Devi and Dr, Prabha Atre.

The Sawai Experience- Day 3

After an awe inspiring 2 days of Sawai Gandharwa, I was in a restless mood for the third day to begin. Infact, I was so restless, that i was hoping that I be present at the Sawai Mandap rather than any other place! However, this was not to happen. I had gone out for lunch, and, unfortunately, lost track of time, and as a result got half an hour late.However, bad starts always finish on the high, and as the evening progressed, the performances just kept on crowning one on top of other! I was under the impression that i would have to stand since I was late. Fortunately, and quite unexpectedly, there were a lot of free spaces right in front of the stage, at the "Balcony" Baithak, which i was able to get.

On getting quite a cozy place to sit, I focused my attentions on the performance by Chandrashekhar Vaze, which, clearly was Raag Marwa. What a start to the session!! Marwa is one raag id listen to anytime! Ofcourse, when it comes to Marwa, we are all reminded of the tear inducing performances of Dr. Vasantrao Deshpande. Todays performance was somewhat similar.It was in the right mood, and was performed in one of the best throws. Chandrashekhar ji enthralled the audience with his Marwa, and rightly earned the accolades. Infact, he was given a Once more! On this note, he performed a thumri in raag Jogiya. Chandrashekhar ji ended his performance with the bhajan "Adhi ka maja lavali savay"

While we were still wondering about our thoughts, created as an effect of the Marwa, Pt. Srikant Deshpande, grandson of Late Sawai Gandharwa arrived on the stage. He was to perform Raag Puriya Dhanashree.It was one of the most relaxed and leisurely puriya dhanashree i have heard!(Considering I have only heard Bhimsen Joshis!) Never the less, it was very catchy. Shrikantji also performed Payaliya jhankaar mohi, which again brought out memories of Bhimsen Joshis marvellous voice! The puriya Dhanashree was followed by Mishra Kirwani and then a Bhajan, "Kanhoba tuzi godhadi changali re" which was very well sung.

This paved way for Pt.Biswajeet Roy Chaudhari. He started off his performance by Raag Chhayanat, which he said is the foundation for many Hindi and film songs. true to his words I could make out a number of songs based on the raag. while his performance was good, i personally thought it was a bit noisy. thats probably because the only other person i have heard play the sarod is the legendary Ustad Amjad Ali Khan himself. so obviously, I was comparing with him. Nevertheless, Biswajitji got a once more, and performed Raag Adana(Again!), which was very well recieved.

The sarod was followed by the vocals of Samhita Nandi. well, being a new artist, many people took this opportunity for a dinner break, and that included me. However, after a quick dinner of 10 minutes, when I realised she was singing raag Bageshree, I hurried to my spot, and listened to in utmost attention. Samhitajis Performance was extremely straightforward and unfussy. I really enjoyed it. More over, she had a very soothing to the eye performance. What was more catchy was her smile whenever there was a good "jagaa" taken. The performance reminded me of a television performace of Kaushiki Chakravarty. People may like it or not, I really enjoyed the performance.

And then, there was THE performance by Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar,Taalyogi Suresh Talwalkar and Dr.Arvind Thatte. Panditjis voice is amazing! I mean, I was fortunate enough to hear him at a private concert, but yesterday was simply out of this world! When he declared that he was to perform Malkauns, the whole place arose it seems. It was an extremely extremely beautiful rendition of Malkauns-Ive never quite heard such a thing! It had both the power and the tenderness thats essential! I am totally speechless. He followed Malkauns by singing Raag Sohani! Another gem of a perfomance! It was a grand grand performance. Probably the standout performance of all os Sawai Gandharwa. Quite extraordinary. Panditji wrapped up the proceedings by singing his famous "Aayo Phalgun Maas" in raag Bhairavi. I am quite speechless the the entire performance. Id rather not write anything on it. I am completely and absolutely overwhelmed!

All in all, it was a briiliant day for me. Marwa, Puriya Dhanashree, Bageshree, Malkauns, Sohoni and Bhairavi- all raags that i really enjoy! Plus the last performance was an icing on the cake!

You can refer to Raags sung today below:

1) Raag Marwa- Chandrashekhar Vaze
2)Raag Jogiya- Chandrashekhar Vaze.
3)Raag Puriya Dhanashree- Pt. Shrikant Deshpande
4)Raag Kirwani- Pt. Shrikant Deshpande
5)Raag Chhayanat- Pt. Biswajit Roy Chaudhari
6)Raag Adana- Pt Biswajit Roy Chaudhari
7)Raag Bageshree- Samhita Nandi
8)Raag Malkauns- Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar
9)Raag Sohoni- Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar
10)Raag Bhairavi- Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar

(P.S.- I didnt post this yeterday, as I had to rush early for sawai. Ill post on yesterdays two sessions in the afternoon.)

The Sawai Experience- Day 2

Yesterday was the 2nd day of the 57th Sawai Gandharwa. The programme was scheduled to start at 4. After the exuberent opening day before, with all the big guns firing, my interest and enthusiasm was sky-high.Fortunately, my classes finish at 12:30 on fridays, which was a real plus, as I could reach well before time and take hold of a comfortable place to sit. I started at 3.30 from college, and reached Ramanbaug at 3.45. I thought I was late and would have to sit in some corner. However, this was not to be. I got a comfortable place to sit, right in the middle, on the "Balcony" stage.

After much hubbub and discussions on how the speaker system would react today, will there be any echos etc, the programme finally flagged off at about 4:15, Rajendra Kandalgaonkar delivering the opening performance. He performed, a technical glitches free, but a repitition from yesterday, by singing Raag Multani, with exactly the same bandish.However, probably because of where I was sitting, I felt, that it was much better than yesterday-basically as there was no echo. The raag was sounding extremely similar to Todi, and this was confirmed by a conversation with some aaji sitting next to me, that the raag was from todi thaat. After Multani, he performed a thumri in Raag Pahadi, and then ended his programme by singing the Abhang "Pandhari Nivas Sakhya Pandurang".

There was a change in plan after Rajendra Kandalgaonkar had finished. According to the schedule, the slot was for Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasiya. However, it was taken by Shrinivas Joshi, who has taken up singing, even though he is a Btech graduate from IIT Powai!. Well, no offence meant, but it started a mass exodus. People are not that enthusiastic about his singing. However, i feel that he was quite good. He sang Raag Puriya Kalyan. It was quite good, but not captivating enough. I mean, we are going to compare him with Pt. Bhimsen Joshi anyway. Even me, being a reluctant walk out in between a performance, went out, with I must say, quite a foresight, to bring in Pulao for later. However, I must say, i did the right thing, as what he did after he finished singing Puriya Kalyan was simply amazing. Shrinivas Joshi, as a tribute to Pt. Bhimsen Joshi has composed 4 bandishs on his father. The first one was about his "Maun", and was composed in Raag Basant Mukhani. The 2nd on the views of others about him. This was one of the best hindi lines I have heard in some time. It was composed in Darbari Kanada. The third and 4th were thumri style compositions describing the hardships he faced, his struggles, and his melodious voice. I am sure, I will buy these if I can find them. They are all very well written. Shrinivas Joshi finished off his performance by singing the abhanga "Maze Maher Pandhari."

After Shrinivas Joshi, the expectant audience was blessed with listening to Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia. Panditji himself said that he has only performed at Sawai at night slots was delighted to have an evening slot, so he could present different Raags. He was accompanied by expert precussionists Pt. Vijay Ghate on the tabla and Bhavani Shankar on the Pakhawaj. He started off by playing Raag Bhup, accompanied by the Pakhavaj. Interestingly, the pakhavaj got me quite captivated. Every time it was struck, its notes resonated in my body, and i could actually feel its vibrations in the bamboo poles! It seems to be an instrument to intimidate others, especially your enemies- it gives you a chill in your spine. After playing Bhup for about half an hour, Hariji started playing Raag Maru Bihag, this time accompanied by Pt. Vijay Ghate. Again, the effect was mesmerising. Hariji then played Raag Durga, which when he declared he was going tp play, received a tremendous applause. This time he was accompanied by both the tabla and the pakhavaj. This was a never before heard experience for me- Flute, Table and Pakhavaj. The trio were drawing waah-waahaj almost every 2 minutes. I have never quite heard anything like it! The ground was jam packed, and probably there was no place to stand as well!! The Pune audience i guess is very much receptive of Classical music, as they made Hariji perform one more piece- this time a thumri in Pahaadi, before letting him go. I was in awe of the performance. He must be well over seventy, and he played that flute for 2 hours flat! Amazing!

When Hariji finished playing, it was probably the epitome of the day. But the lively mood was kept alive and carried through to the end, by Malini Rajurkar. I am a big fan of hers, and often when I am disturbed, I calm myself by listening to her wonderful rendition of Malkauns.  I was hoping that she would sing it, but I guess god doesn’t listen to you all the time, and while Pt. Jasraj had sung what I really wanted to hear, Maliniji did not. Instead, she started off with Raag Kaushi Kanada, which, in the end, did sound somewhat similar to Malkauns. I had no idea that such a Raag even existed till yesterday. However, it was extremely soothing, and seemed like it had parts of Malkauns and Darbari Kanada in it. After a brilliant performance, Malini Rajurkar went on to sing Raag Bhairavi, to draw curtains on what was to be yet another brilliantly spent day for me.

 You can refer to all the Raags performed yesterday by clicking on the links below:

1) Raag Multani- Rajendra Kandalgaonkar

2) Raag Pahadi- Rajendra Kandalgaonkar and Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia(performed seperately)

3)Raag Puriya Kalyan- Shrinivas Joshi

4)Raag Bhup- Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia

5)Raag Maru Bihag- Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia

6)Raag Durga- Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia

7)Raag Kaushi Kanada- Malini Rajurkar

8)Raag Bhairavi- Malini Rajurkar

The Sawai Experience- Day 1

This year, I am attending my second Sawai Gandharwa. However, things didnt start as i had expected them to start. Unfortunately, I had lecture at 3.30- the same time at which sawai started. So, I had to scrap my plans to attend the first performance. It was to be given by Pramod Gaikwad, with the Shehnai. However, for some reason, our 3.30 lecture got called off. Unfortunately, this was conveyed to us at 4. So by the time I finished off with what I was doing and started for Sawai, it was already 4.30. I was under the impression that the first program would have finished. However, by the time I parked my bike, and paid an exuberant fee of 10 rs, and entered the Bharatiya Baithak, through no checking what so ever(considering i had a bag and a helmet) the Shehnai was still going strong. My first objective was to find a suitable place to sit. this is got quite comfortably. I got a place to sit in the centre, and back on the stage! So anyway, the raag, i thought was going on, was Pilu. The shehnai went on for another 25 minutes.

After the Shehnai, Pt. Nagnath Wodiyar was going to perform. He came on stage at about 5:30. However, his initial attempts to sing were marred by technical glitches. The organisers tried to blame the generators, although the problem was clearly with the speaker system, as there was a delay between two. After this "Problem" was fixed, Pt. Wodiyar, who is a student of Dr. Gangubai Hangal performed Raag Multani. I had no previous knowledge of this raag, and the only reason why I could figure it out was because He mentioned so before starting! anyway, The program went well, although i dont remember it much now.

After Pt. Wodiyar, Devaki Pandit was going to perform. Last year, due to ill health, she had to call off her schedule, and had promised that next time, "vyajasakat ganaar", to which she duly obliged. She initially performed Raag Bhimpalas, which was extremely soothing. This was for about 45 minutes. For the next half an hour, she sang Raag Amrit Varshani. I have again, never heard this raag before, although it initially sounded very similar to Bhinna Shadja. However on verifying after coming back, i realised its totally different! anyway, this was also very well recieved by the audience. Devaki Pandit finished her performance by singing a bhajan in Raag Des. At that time, it was about 8. Suddenly, a jam packed Bharatiya baithak dispersed for dinner, although I remained in my place, just for the sake of preserving it!

At about 8.15, Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya started to perform the Santoor. His introduction was shocking, as it said that he plays the Sitar!! the organisers should be given a stick for that! Anyway, he started to play raag Raageshree. To tell the truth, the only time before this that i had heard santoor was by Pt. Shivkumar Sharma at last years Sawai. So I have little knowledge about this instrument. However as the evening unfolded, my enthusiasm for the santoor exponentially grew, thanks to, a marvellous rendition by Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya. His technique was very different, and instead of the two "sticks", he had one of it, and was strumming with his other hand. the effect was inspiring. Also, his rapport with the tabla player, Abhijeet Banerjee was amazing. The two weaved their magic to an ever bludgeoning audience, and kept it captivated throughout. The pair must have received applause at various playing stages at least 20 times during the 90 minutes. After they were done, the audience clearly hadn't had enough, and urged them to play something for another 15 minutes. This time, they played a Bengali song about a girl who is about to leave her house. The melody was simply amazing. Anyway, the pair finished off in style at about 9.55- The legal limit for the program to end!(We still had Pt. Jasraj to perform!)

At about 10, Pt Jasraj arrived on stage to a standing ovation. Every time I hear this legend, he becomes more and more endearing and venerated. He was follwed by a rather large group of 4 students, 1 harmonium tabla and mridingam. He started off, with his traditional "Om shree Anant Hari...", and then sang "Mangalam Bhagawan Vishnu". At this time, when we were still in vilambit, the sound system again started doing something, and we could hear multiple beats and notes due to asynchronisatin of the two systems. Panditji was quick to spot this, and in the most unusual method, stated the problem to the technicians by singing "Mala sagla don vela aaiku yetay" in Darbari Kanada, as a continuation of his "Mangalam Bhagawan Vishnu"! He received a big big ovation for that, and some people were even shouting once more! Anyway, he got into full flow after that, although he still needed to remind the technicians about the sound system time and again. He started off with, what my friend told me was Raag Jog, which i guess was correct. After that, he performed Raag Bahar, which was just amazing. He then went on to sing Raag Adana. he sang "Mata Kalika", which has been my ring tone for quite some time. Secretly, I was hoping and praying that he would sing this, as I have only half of the clip. But anyway, my dream was fulfilled. I guess he must have read my mind!! e sang Adana for about 30 minutes, by which time it was already 11, and the crowd had started dispersing. However, those who left, really missed a gem of a preformance, as later he sang Raag Basant, which was just brilliant! By the time he finished, it was already 11:30, and the police had come to tell to stop the programme. However, the crowd were having none of it, and wanted "Om namo bhagawate Vasudevaya". Panditji even tried to sneak in a few lines by commenting that "Aap lok police ke sath baat karo, 15 minute ke liye, me do line gaa deta hoon!!" which again was received with big laughs and applause from the audience. But then, he had to follow the rule, and has promised that he would sing so the next time he comes.

This ended a very very good day for me at the Sawai. I am already looking forward to todays program. It has performances by Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasiya and Malini Rajurkar, and there is a slot for Shrinivas Joshi as well, which we are hoping will be filled by Pt Bhimsen Joshi himself! More on todays program tomorrow!  

You can refer to all the raag that were performed today below:

1)Raag Multani - Pt. Nagnath Wodiyar

2)Raag Bhimpalas- Devaki Pandit

3)Raag Amrit Varshani- Devaki Pandit

4)Raag Rageshree- Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya

5)Raag Jog- Pt. Jasraj

6)Raag Bahar- Pt. Jasraj

7)Raag Adana- Pt Jasraj

8)Raag Basant- Pt Jasraj.

Mahakavi Bhushan

Ever since my childhood, I was fascinated by and attracted towards the enigmatic character that is Shivaji. Earlier, it used to be about the feats of his bravery- the incidents involving Afzalkhan, Shaistakhan etc. A very big influence on that attuned mind of mine was Babasaheb Purandare. His eloquent story telling simply captivated me. As I started getting older, i.e after 9th, I started understanding the importance of the concept of "Hindavi Swaraj" and that of Rajyabhishek. What its real significance was, considering the political situation in India in the 17th century. This moulding of these views, along with many of my beliefs i have, was all down to the expression rich oratory of Ninadrao Bedekar. In recent times, I think I have understood Shivaji Maharaj better- thanks to Bedekar, and his mention of the works by contempraneous poets- Kavi Bhushan and Kavindra Paramanand.

However, what has really fascinated me is the poetry of Mahakavi Bhushan. The poetry he has written, is probably, a difficult read, as it is written in Brij-bhasha, a dialect of Hindi from the region of Kanpur. However, listening to experts and their comments on the poetry, and grasping the way of saying the poetry really feels creates a goosebump creating scenario. The poems literally lift you from where you are sitting and takes you to the world of Shivaji Maharaj- its so easy to visualise! 

Certainly Kavi Bhushan goes to great length of ornating the already bejewelled Shivaji Maharaj. थोडक्यात भूषणानी शिवाजी राजांना भूषणबद्ध केले. All of his poetry has to be believed, as the history in that is tha of Shivaji Maharaj. His work has is largely focused of veer ras, although there are elements of the bhayaan ras as well as the raudra ras- emotions which are more or less not written on in favour of the shrungaar ras. This is what is really impressive.

Recently a CD of chhand by Kavi Bhushan was released by Ninadrao Bedekar. I still have to get it, but I am sure that it would be the buy of the year for me. 

 Here i am presenting a rather not known Chhanda by Kavi Bhushan and its translation.

प्रेतिनी पिसाचरू निसाचर निसचरिहू मिलि मिलि आपुस में गावत बधाई है|

भैरो भूत प्रेत भूरि भूधर भयंकर से, जुत्थ जुत्थ जोगिनी जमाती जोरि आई है|

किलकी किलकी कै कुतूहल करति काली डिम डिम डमरू दिगंबर बजाई है |

सिवा पुछै सिव सों समाज आजु कहाँ चली काहू पै सिवा नरेस भृकुटी चढ़ाई है |

the translation of this is as follows:

the dead, the spirits, the night dwellers have congregated and are sharing joyous exchanges.

the frightening follwers of shiva- the shiva gans, ghosts etc, along with the 64 yoginis have also gathered.

even the great goddess Kali, is here out of curiosity, and the great lord Shiva is beating his drums.

Seeing all this, Parvati asks Lord Shiva, " your followers seem happy, at which enemy has Shivaji the King, raised his wrath of destruction?"

what Bhushan wants to imply is that once Shivaji Maharaj has set his sights on an enemy, there is sure to be a big war, and hence lot of death. on getting to know about the prospect of a war, the shiv-gan seem to be over joyed as they can merrily feast on the dead after the war. Such a gruesome incident is described so delicately. I guess only Bhushan can do that!