SPIC MACAY Vol. 21, Issue 3, May 2016 For Private ......For Private Circulation Only Official...

For Private Circulation Only

Official Newsletter of the Society for the Promotion of Indian Classic Music And Culture Amongst Youth

Vol. 21, Issue 3, May 2016SPIC MACAY

NEWSLETTER

SANDESH

IIT Guwahati is ready to host the 4th International Convention (InterCon) of SPIC MACAY from 9th to 15th May 2016. This is in continuation of the tradition of SPIC MACAY’s 32 previous conventions (earlier called National Conventions) that have been held every year since 1986. The organizing team has worked hard for the week-long event.

The inaugural function on 9th May will be chaired by the Hon'ble Governor of Assam and Nagaland Sh. P.B. Acharya, who is also the Chairman of Advisory Board of SPIC MACAY-Assam in the presence of Dr. Jitendra Singh, Hon'ble Union Minister for Science & Technology and DONER, and Sh. Sarbananda Sonowal, Hon'ble Union Minister of Sports & Youth Affairs. The inaugural

IIT-GUWAHATI GETS READY TO HOST 4TH INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION

TO INFORM & INSPIRE

function will be followed by the flute recital of Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia and dance by Guru Ghanakanta Bora (Sattriya).

The InterCon is the culmination of the year long programs conducted all over the country. It is an annual congregation of people from across the world who shall spend one week in a unique ashram-like atmosphere. During this period participants will be severing all ties with the outside world and would adhere to the routine prescribed for them. The week-long experience is designed to teach one the difficult practice of connecting with the within.

At SPIC MACAY we believe that watching and listening to great masters in their respective traditions can elevate people

to much higher levels than the mundane existence of beings.

One of the aims of this InterCon would also be to introduce the North-Eastern heritage to students with intensives and concerts showcasing various art forms from this part of India.

The convention will consist of concerts and intensive workshops of classical music, dance, crafts and other art forms by great artists over seven days. A regular day at the convention will begin with waking up at 3.30 am during the very special time called the ‘Brahma Mahurat’, doing Yog or meditation for three hours. This would be followed by Shramdaan, with an idea to give back a cleaner place to the hosts than what we received.

Continued on page 25

SandeshMay 20162

OUr GrACIOUS HOST IIT Guwahati was established in 1994 as the sixth member of IIT fraternity. The campus is located on a sprawling 700 acres area towards the northern bank

of Brahmaputra, 20 kms from the heart of the city. With the majestic Brahmaputra flowing by the side, overlooking hills and many lakes on the campus, IIT Guwahati is perhaps the only IIT that is nestled in pure natural beauty. It will certainly provide an ideal environment for the SPIC MACAY delegates for enjoying the riches of our cultural heritage during the convention.

IIT Guwahati also boasts of a very unique course, introduced only in 2015, as part of its curriculum called the SA Course. It is specifically designed to promote Indian Classical Culture amongst students. The course offers a choice between Sattriya dance, classical instrumental and classical vocals, all taught by "Artists in Residence".

Smt. Anwesa Mahanta, Sh. Devanand Pathak, Smt. Anita Mahanta and Smt. Bhaswati Sarma are some of the resident artistes. The course has received an overwhelming response as over 60 students enrolled in the first batch. A

CONVENTION SPECIAL ISSUE

huge increase is anticipated in the enrolment for the next session, thus making IIT Guwahati play a major role in the promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture amongst the future generation.

IIT Guwahati has had a long association with SPIC MACAY. It hosted the North East Regional Convention and the Virasat series in August 2014. This convention witnessed some inspirational performances from artists like Sh. Buddhadev Das Gupta, Smt. Ileana Citaristi, Sh. Wasim Ahmed Khan, Us. Shahid Parvez and others.

Dear Delegates,

IIT Guwahati is all set to welcome all of you for the 4th International Convention (InterCon) of SPIC MACAY to be hosted from 9th to 15th May 2016.

The inaugural function on 9th May will be chaired by the Hon'ble Governor of Assam and Nagaland Sh. P.B. Acharya who is also the Chairman of Advisory Board of SPIC MACAY-Assam in the presence of Dr. Jitendra Singh, Hon'ble Union Minister for Science & Technology and DONER, and Sh. Sarbananda Sonowal, Hon'ble Union Minister of Sports & Youth Affairs. The inaugural function will be followed by the flute recital of Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia and Sattriya performance by Guru Ghanakanta Bora.

The convention will have performances and intensive by eminent artistes. All the artistes and delegates will be housed in the gratifying campus of IIT Guwahati for the entire duration of the convention.

All through the week, delegates will begin the day with Yoga in the Brahma Muhurat, carry on the day with intensives followed by afternoon concert and evening concerts. Holistic food will be served to keep the delegates energised the entire day.

Looking forward to a pleasant and memorable stay for all delegates and volunteers at IIT.

With Best Wishes ,Prof. K. Mohanty

On behalf of the 4th InterCon Organising Committee

WELCOME TO iiT guWahaTi

-PAGE 3-Our Host City:

Guwahati

-PAGE 4-A Day At

The Convention

-PAGE 5-Convention Schedule

-PAGE 7- Artistes At The

Convention

-PAGE 12-Craft Artists At the

Convention

-PAGE 17-Conceptual Corner

-PAGE 18-I Feel Strongly

-PAGE 19-News From States

-PAGE 22-SPIC MACAY

Abroad

-PAGE 23-In Remembrance

-PAGE 26-Conventions-

The Way Ahead

INSIDE

SandeshMay 2016 3

guwahati: thE aNCiENt CitY

GUWAHATI, the largest city of Assam, located on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra river, is the gateway to North East India. Also known as the ‘City of Temples’,

the city boasts of the famous Kamakhya Temple, which is one of the Shaktipeeths in India; and the ancient Umananda Temple located at the Peacock Island in the middle of river Brahmaputra.

Guwahati was known as Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam. It is said that the ancient cities of Pragjyotishpura and Durjaya (North Guwahati) were the capitals of the state of Kamarupa under the Varman and Pala dynasties. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the seat of the Government of Assam.

Guwahati's myths and history go back several thousand years. Although the exact date of the city's beginning is unknown, references in the epics, Puranas and other traditional histories of India lead many to assume that it is one of the ancient cities of Asia. Epigraphic sources place the capitals of many ancient kingdoms in Guwahati. It was the capital of the kings Narakasura and Bhagadatta according to the Mahabharata.

Located within Guwahati is the ancient Shakti temple of Goddess Kamakhya in Nilachal hill (an important seat of Tantric and Vajrayana Buddhism), the ancient and unique astrological temple Navagraha in Chitrachal Hill, and archaeological remains in Basistha and other archaeological locations of mythological importance.

The Ambari excavations trace the city to the Hindu kingdoms of Shunga-Kushana period between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD. Descriptions by Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) reveal that during the reign of the Varman King Bhaskar Varman (7th century AD), the city stretched for almost 15 kms. It remained as the capital of Assam until the 10th-11th century AD under the rule of the Pala dynasty.

The city was also the seat of the Borphukan, the civil military authority of the Lower Assam region appointed by the Ahom kings. The Borphukan's residence was in the present Fancy Bazaar area and his council-hall, called

Dopdar, was about 300 yards to the west of the Bharalu stream. The Majindar Baruah, the personal secretary of the Borphukan, had his residence in the present-day deputy commissioner's residence.

The Mughals invaded Assam 17 times and were defeated by the Ahoms in Battle of Itakhuli and Battle of Saraighat. During the Battle of Saraighat, fought in 1671, the Mughals were overrun due to the strong leadership of Lachit Borphukan. The great embankment called ‘Mumai-Kota Gorh’, named after an incident in which Lachit had to slay (Kota) his own maternal uncle (Mumai) for being lazy in building the embankment (Gorh) that runs along the outskirts of the city, stands as a proof of the hard work and war-readiness on the part of the Ahoms.

The city experienced a brief period of Burmese rule during the Burmese invasions of Assam from 1817 to 1826. After the First Anglo-Burmese War, the city became a part of the British Indian Empire vide Yandabo Treaty 1826. Later the city was an active site of the Indian independence movement, being the birthplace of many independence activists.

CONVENTION SPECIAL ISSUEOUR HOST

SandeshMay 20164

3:30 am Wake Up

4:00 am – 7:00 am Yog

7:00 am – 7:15 am Shramdaan

7:15 am – 8:45 am Personal time and Holistic Breakfast

8:45 am - 9:00 am Movement time

9:00 am – 12:00 noon (Fixed) Intensives / Workshops

12:00 noon – 1:00 pm Holistic Lunch

1:00 pm - 1:15 pm Movement time

1:15 pm – 4:45 pm (Fixed) Folk / Theatre / Cinema Classic / Talk / Performances

4:45 pm - 5:45 pm Holistic Dinner

5:45 pm – 6:00 pm Movement time

6:00 pm – 9:30 pm (Fixed) Performances

9:30 pm - 9:45 pm Movement time

10:00 pm Lights Off

A TYPICAL DAY AT THE CONVENTION


SandeshMay 2016 5

DATE TIME SESSION ARTIST ART FORMMon09 May

12 noon - 12:45 pm

Welcome Performance Manik Bora Borbayan Bor Geet

1:00 – 1:45 pm Holistic Lunch2:00 - 4:45 pm Orientation for ALL participants by Kiran Seth & Kaustubha Mohanty6:00 – 7:00 pm Lighting of Lamp &

Inaugural Ceremony7:00 – 7:15 pm Stage Setting Time7:30 – 9:30 pm Performance Hariprasad Chaurasia Flute

Ghanakanta Bora SattriyaTue10 May

9:00 – 12 noon Meeting with Intensive Gurus1:15 – 3:30 pm Performance 'Vivekananda' by Shekhar Sen Theatre3:30 – 4:15 pm Performance Tarapada Rajak & Group Purulia Chhau

4:15– 4:45 pm Presentation Aruna Mohanty Odissi6:00 – 9:30 pm Performance Thanil Singh & troupe Raas Sankirtan

Ulhas Kashalkar Hindustani VocalWed11 May

1:15 – 4:45 pm Performance Bihu dance (Assam)Mizo Choir (Mizoram)Hojagiri dance (Tripura)Naga dance (Nagaland)Wangla dance (Meghalaya)Lion dance (Sikkim)

North Eastern Folk

6:00 – 9:30 pm Performance Rajendra Gangani KathakGirija Devi Hindustani Vocal

Thu12 May

1:15 – 3:45 pm Cinema Classic screening ‘Kagemusha' by Akira Kurosawa Cinema Classic3:45 – 4:45 pm Talk Bhalchandra Nemade on Nativism Talk

6:00 – 9:30 pm Performance Vishwa Mohan Bhatt Mohan VeenaTV Sankaranarayanan Carnatic Vocal

Fri13 May

1:15 – 4:45 pm Performance GurbaniWarsi Brothers (Qawwali)Sooryagayathri (Bhajan)Naga/ Mizo (Choir)Monks from Tawang Monastery

Prayer and Music

6:00 – 9:30 pm Performance Malavika Sarukkai BharatanatyamRajan & Sajan Misra Hindustani Vocal

Sat14 May

12:15 – 2:15 pm Intensive Presentations By all participants

8:30 pm onwards

Overnight L Subramaniam Carnatic ViolinAshwini Bhide Deshpande Hindustani VocalMargi Madhu KudiyattamRavikiran Chitra VeenaF. Wasifuddin Dagar Dhrupad

Sun15 May

9:30 am Heritage Tour options: Kamakhya & Umanand Temple / Hajo - a centre for Buddhists, Muslims & Hindus / Sualkucchi - Town known for silk weaving handloom units

SCHEDULE*

4th International Convention at IIT-Guwahati, 9th May – 15th May 2016

*Subject to change


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LIST OF CRAFT & CLASSICAL INTENSIVES

10th May to 14th May / 9am – 12 noon

SL. NO.

NAME ART FORM 4 - 7 AM

Also

1 Akshay Bariki Pattachitra Painting

2 Amaljith Kathakali

3 Ambica Devi Madhubani Painting

4 Anant Malakar Sholapith

5 Aruna Mohanty Odissi

6 Ashwini Bhide Deshpande

Hindustani Vocal

7 Balu Mhase Warli Painting

8 Bhalchandra Nemade

Creative Writing

9 Ranjit Gogoi Bihu Dance

10 Brahmakumaris Meditation √

11 D Padma Cheriyal Mask Making

12 F. Wasifuddin Dagar Dhrupad √

13 Ghanakanta Bora Sattriya √

14 Adhiraj Deb Varma Hojagiri Dance

15 Irshad H Farooqi Calligraphy in Wood Carving

16 Ishwar Naik Chittara Painting

17 Lokendrajit Singh Manipuri

18 Jamini Payeng Handloom Weaving

19 Japani Shyam Gond Tribal Painting

20 Kalyan Joshi Phad Painting

SL. NO.

NAME ART FORM 4 - 7 AM

Also

21 Kalyanmal Sahu Picchwai Temple Art

22 Lion Dance North East Folk

23 Malabika Mitra Kathak

24 Manendra Deka Bamboo Weaving

25 Manik Bora Borbayan

Bor Geet

26 Manimal Chitrakar Patua Painting

27 Manjula Murthy Mohiniattam

28 Margi Madhu Kudiyattam √

29 Mizo Choir North East Folk

30 Mohd Muslim Dyer Bandhej

31 Along Longchar Naga Dance

32 Nandan Kudhyadi Cinema Appreciation

33 Omkar Dadarkar Hindustani Vocal √

34 R K Padmanabha Carnatic Vocal

35 Ragini Chandershekar

Bharatanatyam

36 Ram Soni Sanjhi Paper Cutting

37 Swami Tyagaraj - Bihar School of Yoga

Hath Yog √

38 Tarapada Rajak & Group

Purulia Chhau

39 Wangala Dance North East Folk

40 P.L. Dhar Mindfullness


SandeshMay 2016 7


ARTISTES AT THE CONVENTION*

Hariprasad Chaurasia – FlutePt. Hariprasad Chaurasia is a world renowned classical flautist (bansuri). Chaurasia trained under famous flute player Pt. Bholanath Prasanna of Varanasi for eight years. He joined the All India Radio, Cuttack in 1957 and worked as a composer and performer. Much

later he received guidance from the reclusive Annapurna Devi, daughter of Baba Allaudin Khan. He has collaborated with several western musicians, including John McLaughlin, Jan Garbarek, and Ken Lauber, and has composed music for Indian films too. He is also the founder of Vrindavan Gurukul in Mumbai and Bhubaneshwar. Both of these institutes are dedicated to training students in Hindustani Bansuri in the Guru-shishya parampara. He is recipient of Sangeet Natak Academy – 1984, Padma Bhushan – 1992, Padma Vibhushan – 2000 among many others.

Ghanakanta Bora - Sattriya'Bayanacharya' Ghanakanta Bora is one of the most eminent exponents and gurus of Sattriya dance, a major classical dance tradition of Assam. He received training under several gurus at the famous Kamalabari Sattra of Majuli, Assam. A teacher of eminence, Ghanakanta Bora has been training students in the Sattriya dance and allied disciplines for many years. He

received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2001.

Shekhar Sen – TheatreSh. Shekhar Sen is a singer, music composer, lyricist and actor. He is famous for his mono act musical plays which are researched, written, composed, enacted and directed by him.

He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2015 and also appointed as chairperson for

Sangeet Natak Academi in same year by the Government of India.

Tarapada Rajak Group - Purulia Chhau DanceSh. Tarapada Rajak leads the group of Chhau dancers from West Bengal. The history of the Chhau dance, which has its origins in West Bengal is unknown but some date it to 12th century when tribals in the Purulia region established their own rule in the thick forest areas. Chhau is a mask dance which is a blend of dance and martial arts. Almost every family in Purulia masters the nuances of the Chhau. The tribal belt where the tribals perform Chhau dances is distributed into three adjoining states, Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. After the dissolution of the princely states in 1947, the three forms of Chhau are named after the district or village where they are performed, i.e. the Purulia Chau of Bengal, the Seraikella Chhau of Bihar and the Mayurbhanj Chhau of Orissa.

Aruna Mohanty- OdissiSmt Aruna Mohanty is a renowned Odissi dancer. She was initiated into dance at an early age by Guru Srinath Rout & Guru Govind Charan Pal and nurtured by Guru Gangadhar Pradhan himself. She combines extensive research, lessons from her Guru and innovative thinking to produce scintillating choreography. Her repertoire includes a variety of ballets, Astapadis from Geeta Govinda, ‘Khamaj Pallavi’ and ‘Siddhartha’ based on Hermann Hesse’ novel. She has been a visiting faculty in the University of California-San Diego. She received Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2010. Four out the seven

*These Profiles are in order of the Artiste's performance as given in the Convention schedule

SandeshMay 20168

ARTISTES AT THE CONVENTION

recipients (for Odissi) of the Bismillah Khan Award (by SNA) for young dancers, have been her students.

Sougaijam Thanil Singh - ManipuriSh. Thanil Singh is a renowned Manipuri dancer and Nata Sankirtana performer. He received his early training from his father as well as Guru Tombi Sharma, Guru Bhaigchandra Singh and Guru Koireng Singh. He also studied at Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy, Imphal and went on to join it as a member of faculty and later became its

Pradhan Guru while superannuating as the director of the institution. He has performed on many stages in India and abroad. He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1994 and Padma Shri in 2005.

Ulhas Kashalkar – Hindustani VocalPt. Ulhas Kashalkar, son of Shri N.D. Kashalkar and disciple of Sh Ram Marathe and Pt. Gajananbua Joshi, blends Gwalior, Agra and Jaipur gharana gayaki with authenticity and aesthetic excellence. He has performed at some of the most prestigious venues in the world and is the recipient several awards including the

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2008 and Padma Shri in 2010.

Rajendra Gangani - KathakPt. Rajendra Gangai is a Kathak dancer trained in the Jaipur Gharana and is notable for his innovative style. Disciple of Pt. Kundanlal Gangani, Rajendra ji started training in the art of Kathak at the early age of four. He graduated from the Kathak Kendra, Delhi in 1984 and ever since has made significant contributions to this field. He

stands out for his style; making use of his excellent blend of manly grace and delicacy, he depicts the devotional aspects that characterises Jaipur gharana. For his outstanding contribution to Kathak, he received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2003.

Girija Devi – Hindustani VocalVidushi Girija Devi sings in the Banaras gharana and performs the Purabi Ang Thumri style typical of the tradition, whose status she helped elevate. Her repertoire includes the semi-classical genres Kajri, Chaiti, and Holi and she sings Khyal, Indian folk music and Tappa. She is considered as the "Queen Of Thumri". She was conferred the Padma Shri in 1972, the Padma Bhushan in 1989, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1977 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2016.

Vishwa Mohan Bhatt – Mohan VeenaCreator of the Mohan Veena, Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt has mesmerized the world with his pristine and delicate yet fiery music. Owing to his maiden mega efforts, the guitar was rechristened as Mohan Veena and is now established at the top most level in the mainstream of Indian Classical Music scenario. He received the Grammy Award in 1993, the Sangeet Natak Academi Award in 1998 and the Padma Shri in 2002.

T. V. Sankaranarayanan – Carnatic VocalT.V. Sankaranarayanan is an eminent Carnatic vocalist, known for his vibrant music. His emotion-laden style of singing has won him a large following among music lovers. He has performed widely in India as well as abroad and has several albums to his credit. He is the recipient of the Sangeet Natak Academi Award (1990), the Padma Bhushan (2003) and the and the Sangeet Kalanidhi Award (2003).

Warsi Brothers - QawwaliNazeer Ahmed Khan Warsi and Naseer Ahmed Khan Warsi were born in Rampur. They are the music bearers of the gayeki

SandeshMay 2016 9

of Dilli gharana and are noted for their melody and improvisation. They are recognised especially for their traditional Sufiana Qawwali, Ghazal, Thumri, Bhajan and Classical Bandish. The brothers jointly received the Sangeet Natak

Akademi Award for their contribution to Qawwali.

Malavika Sarukkai – BharatanatyamSmt Malavika Sarukkai is a classical dancer and choreographer specializing in Bharatanatyam. Intense, extraordinary and luminous are the qualities that distinguish Malavika Sarukkai‘s dancing. With her artistic mastery and technique, she commands a presence on the world stage. She is acclaimed globally for her creative dance choreographies. A 2002 winner of the Sangeet Natak

Akademi Award, she was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2003.

Rajan and Sajan Mishra – Hindustani Vocal

Pt. Rajan and Pt. Sajan Mishra are brothers and renowned singers of the khayal style of Indian classical music. Part of a 300-year-old lineage of khayal singing of the Banaras gharana, the Mishra brothers have been performing to audiences all over the world for many years. They were awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2007 and

the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1998.

L. Subramaniam - Carnatic ViolinDr L Subramaniam is an acclaimed violinist, composer and conductor, trained in the classical Carnatic tradition and also Western classical music. He is renowned for his virtuoso playing techniques and compositions in orchestral fusion. Subramaniam developed a passion for music as well as science from a young age, studying Medicine and acquiring

his M.B.B.S. at Madras Medical College but decided to pursue music full-time. Since 1973 Subramaniam has amassed over 200 recordings to his credit, releasing several historic solo albums, recording collaborations with world musicians like Yehudi Menuhin, Stéphane Grappelli, Ruggiero Ricci and Jean-Pierre Rampal, Ruggiero Ricci, Herbie Hancock, Joe Sample, George Harrison and several others.

Ashwini Bhide Deshpande – Hindustani VocalSmt Ashwini B. Deshpande, an outstanding vocalist of the famed “Jaipur-Atrauli” Khayal Gayaki tradition, represents the new generation of veterans. She pursued her career in music after completing her doctorate in Biochemistry from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. She is the recipient of the Government of Maharashtra “Sanskritik Puraskar” for 2011 and the Sahyadri Doordarshan “Sangeet Ratna” Puraskar for 2010.

Margi Madhu – KuddiyatamSh. Margi Madhu's portrayal of characters on the stage of venerated Kudiyattam is beyond belief. A recipient of many prestigious awards such as the ‘Sanskriti National Award’ for young artists and the Kerala Kalamandalam Award, Margi Madhu is known for the intense rendering of characters that he plays. The artiste is currently working as Assistant professor in the Department of Theatre, Sreesankaracharya University of Sanskrit in Kerala.

N. Ravikiran Sh Ravikiran is a Carnatic musician, considered one of the most celebrated prodigies and musicians whose been performing since the age of two. A slide instrumentalist and vocalist from age 5, a composer, guru, author & orator, he is also the creator of the concept Melharmony in world music. Son and disciple of


10

revolutionary "prodigy-maker" Chitravina Narasimhan, he is the grandson of famous musician Gotuvadyam Narayan Iyengar. He is also hailed as the ‘Mozart’ of Indian music. Ravikiran made his first appearance in 1969. He has over 700 classical compositions to his credit which include varnam, krti, javali, tillana and padam. He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2007 and has numerous other recognitions to his credit from around the world.

F. Wasifuddin Dagar – DhrupadUs. Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar is a classical singer of the Dhrupad genre and the son of renowned dhrupad singer Ustad Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar. Since the death of his father and later his uncle, Wasifuddin has been singing solo. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2010.

Sooryagayathri - Bhajanis a ten-year-old girl born to a Mridangam player father from a remote village – Vadakara in north Kerala. She is truly a gift of God and an amazing bundle of talent. She has been singing Carnatic music ever since she was five-years-old. Soon she started singing devotional songs and thereafter she has been giving public performances. On

one such concert she even sang some bhajans that had been earlier sung by the great Smt. M.S. Subbalakshmi and received rave reviews. The little girl is continuing with her music education with all commitment and devotion.

ARTISTES FOR INTENSIVES

Bhalchandra Nemade - Writer is a Marathi writer, famous for his books "Hindu" & "Kosala". Nemade was born in the Khandesh region of Maharashtra. He received his bachelor's degree from Fergusson College in Pune and Master's in

May 2015Sandesh

Linguistics from Deccan College, Pune and Masters in English Literature from Mumbai University. Nemade taught English, Marathi and comparative literature at various universities, including the School of Oriental and African Studies at London. In the 1960s Nemade also edited Marathi magazine Vacha. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award (1990) for his critical work Teeka Svayanwar, Padma Shri in 2011 and Jnanpith Award in 2014.

R.K. PadmanabhaRK Padmanabha is a well known Carnatic musician. He started learning music only at age 25. His music is characterized by discipline, tradition. His strong hold on both Lakshya and Lakshana (practical and theoretical) aspects of music, makes his lecture demonstrations a treat to both the classes and masses. He established Sharada Kala Kendra in 1990 and has been tutoring many young musicians ever since. He has 150 compositions, several varnams, krithis and thillanas, which are easily appealing to even a lay man. He has created ragas like Hayasya, Manasollasini, Prabhamani, Ramasudha. Has published many books and cassettes with notations. Received 64 awards including Karnataka Rajyotsava. Developed two residential layouts where roads and plots are named after ragas! Worked for 30 years with SBI. Has great enthusiasm for sports and won Volleyball, Kho Kho, Kabaddi tournaments during his college days. Also a theatre actor and has portrayed the role of the music trinity, Purandara Dasa, Muthuswamy Dikshitar, Tyagaraja & Shyama Shastri

Ragini ChandershekarSmt Ragini is the finest Bharatanatyam dancers of her generation. Trained by her mother Jamuna Krishnan and later by legends like Kalaimamani, K.N. Dakshinamoorthy Pillai, Kalanidhi Narayanan and Usha Srinivasan, she is an accomplished classical singer too. She is also trained in Nattuvangam and has conducted several performances of other dancers. Equipped with her superlative training, her art reflects her own unique sensibilities. Her ‘nritta’ (pure dance) sparkles with the kinetics of movement and space, her ‘abhinaya’ flows into the subtle spaces within. She has performed at several


SandeshMay 2016 11

prestigious festivals both at home and abroad. In recognition of her brilliant talent as a young performing artiste, she has been conferred with the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar by the Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Manjula MurthySmt Manjula Murthy is a Mohiniattam dancer whose passion for this dance form led her to seek guidance of the late Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma, the renowned pioneer who revived this art. She later studied at Nrityagram, the Gurukul of late Protima Gauri Bedi, which culminated in nine year tutelage by the acclaimed Mohiniattam Guru Bharathi Shivaji. She has

taken part in most productions by her Guru. She is the recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi’s Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskaar for2009 and received Nritya Jayantika title from Mayadhar Raut Institute of Odissi.

Kalamandalam AmaljithSh Amaljith is a senior artist cum teacher. Born in a family of traditional Kathakali dancers, his grandfathers Champakulam Pachu Pillai & Dr. Guru Gopinath were well known Kathakali dancers. At the age of 12 he started learning under his grandfather. After his initial training he joined Kerala Kalamandalam, Trichur. In 2000 he joined the International Centre for Kathakali, New Delhi as a

teacher-cum-artiste. He has also worked and learned under the Sadanam. Balakrishnan. He has been teaching students and has performed extensively in India and abroad. In 2009 his performance of a fusion dance , incorporating five classical dance forms of India for the Incredible India campaign in New York won rave reviews. He has been awarded the Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar 2010 and Natana Praveena award from Guru Gopinath Trust, Kottayam among many others.

Wanghkhem Lokendrajit SinghLokendrajit Singh has been a flag bearer of Nata-Sankirtana, one

of the pillars of Manipuri dance. A dedicated guru, he is an exemplary choreographer too.

Omkar DadarkarSh Omkar Dadarkar comes from a family of Natyasangeet exponents. He has been trained by legends like Ram Deshpande; Hirabai Barodekar and Yashwantbua Joshi in Guru-Shishya style and has also learnt from Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar at ITC-SRA; Girija Devi in thumri and Srinivas Kale for abhangs and natyasangeet. He is presently an instructor at ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata. He has performed all over India and abroad. He is also recipient of Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (2009) from Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Malabika MitraSmt Malabika Mitra started dancing at the age of 3 and was groomed by Guru Ramgopal Mishra of the Jaipur gharana and Guru Om Prakash Maharaj of Lucknow. She also trained with Sh Vijay Shankar and attended workshops under Pt. Birju Maharaj and Sitara Devi. A graduate in medicine, she applied this knowledge to develop a better understanding of the body and its movements in dance. She has choreographed several dance productions based on literary works in Bengali and Sanskrit. She has performed at national and international dance festivals like Khajuraho, Konark, Edinborough, Bath and others. She received Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2011 and Eminent Dancer recognition 2004 from the Govt. of West Bengal among other such awards.

Apart from the above mentioned artistes, there will be others too who shall be taking the week long intensive / workshops at the 4th international convention:

Swami Tyagaraj from Bihar School of Yoga (Hath Yoga), Brahmakumaris (Meditation), Nandan Kudhyadi (Cinema Appreciation), Ranjit Gogoi (Bihu), PL Dhar (Mindfulness) apart from a few folk dances of North East.


SandeshMay 201612

CRAFT INTENSIVES AT THE CONVENTION

PHAD PAINTINGBorn in the land of folklore Rajasthan, the Phad paintings are huge paintings done on cloth, and depict stories of the local deities and gods. Scale of the figures in the painting depicts the social status of the character in the story. What is also interesting is that the figures face each other, not the audience..

About the Artist : KALYAN JOSHISh. Kalyan Joshi comes from Bhilwara, Rajasthan. He is the son of world renowned Phad artist Sh. Lal ji Joshi. Phad means folds or refers to rolling and unrolling of scrolls made of starch-primed cloth. It’s a tradition that goes back almost 700 yrs. Joshi has been honoured with National Merit Award in 2006. National Award, State Award (Rajasthan), UNESCO Award, Gourishankar Mehta Award among others.

MADHUBANI PAINTINGMadhubani painting or Mithila painting is a style of Indian painting practiced in the Mithila region of Bihar and the adjoining parts of Terai in Nepal. The painting is done with fingers, twigs, brushes, nib-pens and matchsticks, using natural dyes and pigments, and is characterized by eye-catching geometrical patterns. There are paintings for each occasion and festival such as birth, marriage, Holi, Surya Shasti, kali puja, Upanayanam, Durga Puja etc.

About the Artist : SMT. AMBIKA DEVI Hails from Rasidpur village in Madhubani district, Bihar. Devi learned the craft of Madhubani painting from her mother, Smt. Leela Devi, at the age of 12. She has been engaged in this traditional folk painting

(Scroll-painting) for the last 40 year and has received many national and State awards. She has also been invited to a number of European and Asian countries. She also participated in Marie Claire - Dastkar fashion show, which brought together 15 designers with craftspersons from all over India to create trendy garments using traditional crafts in their own influential style.

PICHWAI TEMPLE ARTPichwai paintings are cloth paintings that depict the scenes from the life of lord Krishna and are used as the backdrop for his idol in the Nathdwara temple, near Udaipur. Nathdwara is famous for the pichwai paintings. The main theme of these pichwai paintings is lord Shrinathji and his exploits. Pichwai paintings are made in dark rich hues on rough hand spun cloth. These paintings have deep religious roots and are executed with the utmost devotion of the painters.

About the Artist : KALYANMAL SAHUSh. Kalyanmal Sahu comes from Ajmer, Rajasthan. He has been working on Pichhwai temple art for the last 40 years. Pichwai style is from the Nathdwara School in Rajasthan, and is identified by characteristic features like large eyes, broad nose and a heavy body, similar to the features on the idol of Shrinathji, an incarnation of Lord Krishna. Sahu was awarded national award in 2011.

PATUA FOLK PAINTINGIn Bengali, "Pat" means "scroll" and "Patua" or "Chitrakar" means "Painter". The origin of the painted scrolls is very ancient. We could find some in the Pharaohs' graves in Egypt. In India the first description of these painted scrolls can be found in a sacred text dated 200 B.C.

About the Artist : MANIMALA CHITRAKARManimala Chitrakar learnt to paint in the 1970s from her grandparents with whom she traveled across villages singing stories and painting scrolls. Her paintings depict mythological stories of deities as well social themes


SandeshMay 2016 13

such women's education and empowerment. She has received several awards at state and national levels, including an award from the Indira Gandhi Folk Art Museum in Bhopal. She has travelled with her paintings to exhibitions and shows in the UK, Thailand, New Zealand and the US.

The unique feature of these hangings was that instead of being hung behind an icon, four to five hangings were used to form a shrine for the goddess.

GOND TRIBAL PAINTINGThe word “Gond” comes from the Dravidian expression kond, meaning “the green mountain.” The work of Gond artists is rooted in their folk tales and culture, and thus story-telling is a strong element of every painting.

About the Artist : MS. JAPANI SHYAMMs. Japani Shyam is the daughter of legendry Jangarh Singh Shyam. Jangarh Singh had named her Japani after his visit to Japan which was his favourite country. She is the youngest recipient of Kamla Devi Award in 1999 (at age 11) and has held exhibitions at popular art gallaries around the world. Japani’s main motif is animals and birds, their struggle for food, their sense of camaraderie and different moods. Another motif is the world of rituals & beliefs among the Gonds.

WARLI PAINTINGWarli is the vivid expression of daily life and social events of the Warli tribe of Maharashtra, used by them to embellish the walls of village houses. This was the only means of transmitting folklore to a populace not acquainted with the written word. This art form is simple in comparison to the vibrant paintings of Madhubani. Mostly women are engaged in the creation of these paintings. Painted white on mud walls, they are pretty close to pre-historic cave paintings in execution and usually depict scenes of human figures engaged in activities like hunting, dancing, sowing and harvesting.

About the Artist : BALU MAHSESh. Balu Mahse is the son of legendary Warli painter Jivya Soma Mhase. His pictorial style is rooted in the tradition of Warli, with rhythmic, simplified forms representing the complexities of the world around him. In 2007, the artist exhibited his paintings along with his father at Gallery Chemould. Balu continues the tradition of Warli painting along with his brother Sadashiv Mashe.

CHERIAL SAWDUST MASKSCheriyal Scroll Painting is a stylized version of Nakashi art, rich in the local motifs peculiar to the Telangana region. The scrolls are painted in a narrative format, much like a film roll or a comic strip, depicting stories from Greek mythology, and intimately tied to the shorter stories from the Puranas and Epics. Earlier, these paintings were prevalent across Andhra, and also in various other parts of the country, albeit flavoured with their distinct styles and other local peculiarities dictated by the local customs and traditions.

About the Artist: D. PADMAD Padma is an accomplished artist of the Cherial art form in which she likes to create scroll painting, sawdust dolls and masks. She has organized various workshops across the country and was a State Award winner for the year 2009.

CHITTARA TRIBAL PAINTINGIndian tribal art has a great potential because of its traditional aesthetic sensibility and authenticity. Chittara is a form of intricate painting done on walls using natural colours; indigenous to the Malnad region of Karnataka and practiced mainly by tribal women of the Deevaru community. The art form is known for distinctive designs, which are treated with intriguing motifs, reflecting the creative energy found in rural areas that acts as an undercurrent to the craftsmanship of the tribal people.

About the Artist: ISHWAR NAIKSh. Ishwar Naik hails from Uttarkannada district of Karnataka. He graduated from renowned theatre school Ninasam Heggudu in Shivamogga, Karnataka. He is the


SandeshMay 201614

biggest torch-bearer of Chittara painting style which is usually practised by women. He also runs a full time school named Chittara Chawadi to teach this art and is given credit for single-handedly reviving the art form. He has been honoured by President of India, has received Kannada Rajyotsawa Award in 2007 and the National Award for his painting Aradhana Chitra.

PATTACHITRA FOLK PAINTINGPattachitra is a term for traditional, cloth-based scroll painting based in Odisha. In Sanskrit "Patta" means cloth and "Chitra" means picture. Most of these paintings depict stories of Hindu deities and specially inspired by Jagannath and Vaishnava sect. All colours used in the Paintings are natural and paintings are made fully old traditional way by Chitrakaras that is Oriya Painter. Pattachitra style of painting is one of the oldest and most popular art forms of Odisha

About the Artist: AKSHAY BARIKISh. Akshay Bariki has been contributing to this art form for the last 18 years. He received the national award in 2011 and WCC UNESCO award in 2014. He works on Pattachitra painting, Tussar painting, saree and dress painting, palm leaf etching and wood painting.

SHOLAPITH

Sholapith or Shola Pith (also referred to as Indian cork) is a dried milky-white spongy plant matter which can be pressed and shaped into delicate and beautiful objects of art. Shola grows wild in marshy waterlogged areas. Traditionally sholapith products were used in decorating Hindu idols and in creating the headgears of brides and grooms for a traditional Bengali wedding. Almost similar to thermocol, which is artificially produced, sholapith is much superior to thermocol in terms of malleability, texture, lustre and sponginess. In Bengal this craft is mainly practised in the districts of Bardhaman, Murshidabad, Birbhum, Nadia, Hooghly and Malda

About the Artist: SHILPGURU ANANTA MALAKARShilpguru Sh. Ananta Malakar is a master craftsman from West Bengal who turns out impressive decorations from

the sholapith plant. He belongs to the traditional Malakar community whose knowledge of the craft is hereditary. He was awarded ‘ShilpGuru’ title in 2004. He has several state, national and international awards and recognitions to his credit. In 1970 a documentary "Ananta's dream" was commissioned by Govt. of India on him.

SANJHI PAPER CUTTINGSanjhi, the art of hand cutting designs on paper, is typical art of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, the legendary home of the god Krishna. Traditionally, motifs from the Krishna stories are created in stencil and used to decorate spaces during festive seasons, or are used for filling in with colors in water and on the floors of temples. The cutting process requires enormous skill, concentration and patience, and the fine detail is achieved with specially designed scissors. Of late, striding latticework patterns of Mughal origin as well as more contemporary themes have been introduced to widen the repertoire

About the Artist: RAM SONISh. Ram Soni is custodian of an ancient art form that his family has been practising for at least 350 years. He has shown his work at the Nehru Centre in London. He won the National Award in 2002. It is his dream to start a Sanjhi museum.

CALLIGRAPHY IN WOODAbout the Artist: IRSHAD HUSSAIN FAROOQISh. Irshad Hussain Farooqi is a self taught practitioner of one of the rare crafts in India, Farooqi is the only calligrapher in India who does Calligraphy on wood. He also learnt urdu calligraphy from master calligrapher Ustad Anees Siddiqui. He has been honoured with the prestigious Kalanidhi Award by Haryana govt. in 2009 and the Moulana Qazi Sajjad Hussain Award at Ghalib Academy. He has also received the National Award.


May 2016 15

BAMBOO WEAVING

Assam is rich in sylvan resources and most of its forests are richly stocked with bamboos and canes of various species. Bamboo is a raw material of great versatility and forms an integral part of the lifestyle and economy of Assam. The making of bamboo and cane products is perhaps the most universal of all the crafts practiced by a large number of artisans scattered throughout the State. It is practiced as a household industry and no mechanical device is used. Cane and bamboo products are used for a wide range of purposes and extensively used in every household.

About the Artist: MANENDRA DEKASh. Manendra Deka comes from Barpeta, Assam. He has been working with bamboo and cane craft for the last 30 years, continuing the family legacy. Has been awarded National Merit Certificate in 1991 and National award in 1998.

HANDLOOM

Handloom weaving forms a cultural constituent of the woman of Assam. In earlier days most of the cloth required for the family was produced in the family itself. Home made cloths are Mekhla and Patani (lower garment of the women), chaddar (upper garment of the women), gamocha (towel), dhuti, bed sheet, eri (endi), etc.

About the Artist: JAMINI PAYENGSmt. Jamini Payeng is a master weaver from Majuli, Assam. She has been working on traditional handlooms and weaving intricate patterns on it. She is a five time national award winner. She has also received award from Craft Council of India in 2015 and Craft Council of Mangalore. She has been associated with SPIC MACAY since 2009.

Sandesh


SandeshMay 201616

gURUkUL SCHOLARSHIP SCHEmE

Establishing a BondBy Ranjani Govind

In 30 years, SPIC MACAY’s Gurukul Anubhav Scholarship scheme has benefitted nearly 2,500 students from rural schools across the country

Can young students imagine going to a gurukul to learn music in this day and age? SPIC MACAY (Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth) in 1986 stepped in to provide opportunities for students residing in far flung areas of each state in the country with the Gurukul Anubhav Scholarship Scheme. In 30 years, have seen 2,500 students attend the gurukuls.

“This year nearly 200 students from various schools will be attending. They will be selected on merit and will get an opportunity to attend lessons conducted by illustrious musicians,” says Supriti, Karnataka State Co-ordinator, SPIC MACAY. “A student is given an opportunity to stay with a guru for a month during the summer vacations and observe the ethos that exists in the system of education and living.

They bring in gurus from classical music/dance, arts, yoga, and social service disciplines. This year SPIC MACAY will have its gurukul conducted at Welham Boys’ School, Dehradun where six gurus will teach 90 students. Apart from this, students will also be sent to Vrindavan Gurukul in Mumbai, ITC SRA at Kolkata and Gangubai Hangal Gurukul at Hubli.

Acclaimed gurus, who are part of this experience are also looking forward to the exercise. “The Gurukul is not aimed at creating artists. It is to use art as a catalyst and medium to facilitate holistic excellence in the lives of children,” says N. Rajam, acclaimed Hindustani violinist. More and more children need to be part of this Gurukul scheme so that our values are not lost, feel other senior gurus. “It’s gratifying to be part of something as this. I wish more students are given the exposure to learn away from their surroundings. It helps open up one’s personality and builds a Guru-Shishya relationship,” says the renowned Pandit. Hariprasad Chaurasia who has been part of SPIC MACAY’s initiatives.

How different is the flute maestro Chaurasia as a guru? “At our Gurukul there is no formality and set time-table. No one

is forced to do anything. The environment is so conducive that it inspires one to watch, practice, listen, write from 6 in the morning to 9 at night,” says Chaurasia.

“I was thrilled to be selected for the Gurukul as it is once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that helped me stay and learn from the maestros in music who have only been our ‘models,’ says a Gurukul scholarship recipient Tejaswini Vernekar, who started learning Hindustani as a five-year-old.

For Tejaswini, daughter of a KSRTC driver from Kumta in Karnataka, it was a dream come true. “Learning and staying in the Gurukul with icons as Pt. Ulhas N. Kashalkar, Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan was so rewarding. It helped me get admission at ITC-SRA in Kolkata and helped me in furthering my musical pursuits,” says Tejaswini whose parents came all the way from Karnataka to settle down in Kolkata and see the daughter pursue music studies.

Tejaswini went on to become the junior scholar at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy. “My Guru, Sri Kumar Mardur ji helped me mend my ways paying attention to even minute details. I was taught the right pronunciation of each swara, techniques of breathing, breath control and a lot of such seemingly basic, yet profound aspects,” says Tejaswini

Email: [email protected]

Courtesy: The Hindu

SandeshMay 2016 17


ImbalanceDr. Kiran Seth

CO

NCEPTUA

L CO

RN

ER

A report in the newspaper once stated that a sum of Rs 19 crore had been raised for Narain Karthikeyan, the Formula One car

driver, in endorsement for him. On the other hand Kuttiyattam, declared as one of the masterpieces of the oral traditions of humanity, not by the Indian Government but by UNESCO, stands on very shaky grounds due to a lack of support. A large amount of media space is given to a Sania Mirza when she goes past the first round of a tennis tournament but late Ustad Bismillah Khan got just a small mention when he performed.

This imbalance has resulted in a gross devaluation of what this country has to offer to the world. We are all aware of the fact that the globe has shrunk. This has resulted in a big melting pot of all cultures in which every country is contributing its own bit. An eminent philosopher has stated that Indians are going to this pot empty-handed, not because they have nothing to offer, but because they do not know what they have. This is the direct result of the imbalance referred to.

When computers first came into existence, they were bulky and limited. Diodes and triodes gave way to transistors, which in turn developed into integrated circuits, bringing down the size and pushing up the computing power of these useful machines. It would be very unfortunate if the entire process of research and development that has brought us to this stage was suddenly lost.

Similarly our ancestors have conducted extensive research in the inner domain, using the body as a laboratory for several centuries. The results that they obtained in this intangible domain were and still are useful to mankind. It would be sad if even some of these were lost due to our negligence. While moving forward to catch up in different areas with the rest of the world, let us not forget what invaluable treasures our ancestors have bequeathed us, from which not only us but the entire world can benefit.

This article appeared in a previous issue of Sandesh

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

There is a story of Bamboo

and Fern. When both are planted side by side, the fern sprouts quickly and the small plant with shiny green leaves actually leaves a spell on the beholder. Nothing happens to the bamboo seeds for three or four years and slowly a tiny bulb emerges which then grows quite tall over the years, as almost a 100 feet majestic bamboo tree.

The reason why the seed took so much time to grow is that unseen by us, it first establishes very, very strong roots under the soil. It first grows INSIDE before growing outside.

Our relations can grow like a bamboo tree only after establishing stronger roots. The fern can fade away leaving the tall bamboo tree to prosper. In life each relationship will surely have feelings and differences. Both coexist. We need to realise our mistakes that allow these differences to grow more than the feelings to grow.

A very valuable morale of the story is that whenever there is a combination of feelings and differences in a relationship, we must recognize the feelings and allow oneself to melt in the feelings rather than get frozen with differences.

It has been a situation of heavy rains challenging our lives. I was asking for lighter rains. I should have instead asked for a better umbrella and that would have been a better attitude.

By CS Pancham

SandeshMay 201618

I Feel Strongly...

In the short time that I have been associated with SPIC MACAY, my exposure to art, music and Indian culture has increased manifold. My initial idea about SPIC MACAY being

just a society to promote art and dance changed with my first real experience of being a volunteer during the IIT Bombay convention in 2015, and I soon realised it was so much more.

The convention had an ashram-like environment where students from all parts of the country and abroad came together to learn from the most eminent gurus and each other. The rigorous schedule starting with yoga at 4am followed by intensive workshops by the gurus in various disciplines enabled us to become very productive and disciplined. It was overwhelming to be taught with such personal attention by such learned gurus.

As my choice for intensive I had selected Phad Painting. Having not used a paint brush for many years, and having seen the intricacies involved in this I thought it was going to be a difficult thing to learn. But Guru Prakash Joshi was amazingly patient and taught me from the basics.

I was able to create a piece I am proud of and more importantly, I realised that I could be creative as well. Despite getting no more than five hours of sleep a day, it was the one week of my life when I felt most energetic and productive. We have great potential, both to do and to learn, irrespective of the age we realise this at.

In the one year that I have been associated with SPIC MACAY I've learned a lot. But it was the basic principle of volunteerism or 'Nishkaam Seva' which I found to be the most striking. I realised how powerful the idea of volunteerism is, and how every successful movement was led by volunteers. This principle if applied in other areas of the society can lead to a revolution of sorts.

I come from an engineering background and the idea of someone being interested in both technology and arts seemed strange at that time. But surprisingly, I discovered both the aspects in myself and realised that they have a lot in common. They are both creators. As with composers, architects, and writers, what engineers and painters are trying to do is create something with a purpose. In the course of creation they often discover something new in the art or execution, and hence contribute to the knowledge of the field. Also, I feel that art is necessary to strike a balance between the creative and the cognitive parts of one's brain, and one adds to the function of the other.

I'll always be grateful to SPIC MACAY for making me start this journey of exploring the world outside and within and for showing the way to go forward. I still have a long way to go and I hope I continue to help the movement grow, as I do.

Art is necessary to strike a balance between the creative and the cognitive parts of brain, says ARCHIT VERMA, final year student of Delhi Technological University.

In SPIC MACAY I discovered that both technology and art

are about ‘creating.’ As with composers,

architects or writers, what engineers

and painters are trying to do is create

something with a purpose. In the

course of creation they often discover something new and hence contribute to

the knowledge of the field.


“Technology, like art, is a soaring exercise of the human imagination..."

Daniel Bell, American sociologist at Harvard

SandeshMay 2016 19

<< News From sTATes >>

DELHI

Under its annual series the Delhi/NCR chapter celebrated World Dance Day (29th April) for the entire month of April. This was a tribute to the great dancers and dance forms of India.

During this period (11th April to 3rd May) there were regular performances by more than 10 renowned dancers at various educational institutions across the city. Some of the artistes who performed were: Guru Singhajit Singh and Charu Sija [Manipuri], Smt Shovana Narayan [Kathak]. Smt Geeta Chandran [Bharatnatyam], Pt. Rajendra Gangani [Kathak], Smt. Madhavi Mudgal [Odissi], Su. Ileana Citaristi [Odissi], Smt. Rama Vidyanathan [Bharatnatyam], Smt. Uma Sharma [Kathak], Smt. Ranjana Gauhar [Odissi] and others.

There were also workshops by Smt. Meenu Thakur [Kuchipudi] and Smt. Malti Shyam [Kathak] in schools.

Some of the educational institutions that celebrated World Dace Day were: Modern School Barakhamba Road, Humayum Road and Kundli branches; Presidium Group of schools in Ashok Vihar, Indirapuram, Gurgaon & Dwarka; DPS-Indirapuram, Queen Mary’s, G.D. Goenka group. Khaitan Public School-Noida, KIET Ghaziabad, Uttam School for Girls Ghaziabad and DPS-Vasundhara among others.

World Dance Day is celebrated very graciously by the institutions that hold these programmes for enriching and inspiring the younger generation to keep such traditions alive.

RAJASTHANMUSIC IN THE PARKThe annual and most popular classical music event for Jaipur residents – Music in the Park (MIP)– was organized under the banner of SPIC MACAY yet again at the Central Park on 13th February 2016. Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan performed at the event and was accompanied by Pt. Shubh Maharaj and Sh. Anubrat Chatterjee on Tabla. Dr. Devendra Pathak, Vice Chancellor of K.N. Modi University-Newai, felicitated Ustad ji.

The second edition of MIP 2016 was held on 9th April 2016 where legendary Dr L Subramaniam gave a splendid violin performance. He was accompanied by his son Sh. Ambi Subramaniam.

The violin recital was followed by taal chakra, a duet between Ghattam and Mridangam by Sh. Burra Sriram (Mridangam) and Sh. Vaikom Gopalakrishnan (Ghatam).

All the Music in the Park initiatives are supported by Rajasthan Tourism.

HIMACHAL PRADESHA two-day BASANT FESTIVAL was held for the Shimla community and students to welcome spring and celebrate regeneration of life from February 26 to 27, 2016. Seasons are something we take for granted these days. They are under extreme stress and increased volatility in the Himalayas and are also getting increasingly unpredictable.

Through this series SPIC MACAY tried to do its bit to raise environmental awareness and bring this to the audience's attention to reflect and start a conversation.

The two day event saw performances by Dr Kamala Shankar (Hindustani Guitar) and Vidwan R Kumaresh (Carnatic Violin) at the historic Gaiety Theater on The Mall. The unique aspect of this series was that both the artiste first performed for school and college students during the day time and gave public concerts in the evenings.

On day 1, February 26, Dr Kamala Shankar gave a Lec-Dem at the Gaiety Theatre where university, college and school students were invited to interact with the artist. About 160 students attended this Lec Dem. On the second day, Vidwan Kumaresh demonstrated his Carnatic violin to almost 140 students from Kendriya Vidyalaya and Himachal University. Kumaresh explained to students about the emergence and evolution of music and also imparted knowledge about the seven notes

On both days the evening public concerts were packed to capacity with more than 200 people in attendance.

MAHARASHTRAThe Pune chapter organized a North East Festival that had performances by Manipuri Dancer Smt. Dhanarani Devi and Purulia Chhau by Sh. Chinibas Mahato. There were a total of 11 programs at 6 institutions in 3 different cities covering more than 6500 students.

This was the first time that such elaborate arrangements were made for a North East dance fest. Almost 22 artists toured for 7 days in February 2016. Their lodging, food and transportation responsibilities were given to various schools and colleges and they ably managed to deal with the big challenge.

STATE NEwS

SandeshMay 201620

Thanks to Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT-Pune) and Riverdale High School for making it work. We are grateful to MIT for sharing the major chunk of expenses. We also had program at Zilla Parishad School in Lasur village, which was also sponsored by local benefactor. This village program was itself an experience to all as it was conducted in a temple premises and we had Mahishasur Badh by Purulia Chhau group in the temple. It was applauded by students and villagers alike. This tour also included First SPIC MACAY program in Nashik at the DPS.

At the end, it was the smile and excitement on young students’ faces at the end of the program that was worth all the efforts. We are sure these 6500 students will now cherish these programs for life and become aware of our rich cultural heritage.

A Virasat series was also held at Government College of Engineering, Pune (COEP) from 7th to 9th March 2016. Following artistes participated in the series: Us. Irshad Khan (Sitar), Pt. Jayteerth Mevundi (Hindustani Vocal), Manjusha Patil Kulkarni (Hindustani Vocal), Nancy Kulkarni (Dhrupad on Cello) and Smt. Rajashree Shirke (Kathak).

The chapter also observed International Women's day on 8th March with performances by Smt Manjusha Kulkarni and Nancy Kulkarni. Smt Rajashree Shirke performed for the first time for SPIC MACAY.

TELANGANAHyderabad Chapter hosted Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh (Saraswathi Veena) from 9th to 11th March, 2016. Dr. Jayanthi performed at various educational institutions during this period.

KARNATAKASmt Prerana Shrimali had a wonderful circuit of Mysuru, Mandya and Bengaluru where she gave 9 performances. Her lasya bhava swept away everyone in the audiences.

Dr Kiran Seth at NITKDr. Kiran Seth visited NITK-Surathkal on 8th February for a talk that was organized by the Department of Applied Mechanics. Prior to the talk Dr Seth interacted with various groups of people about the movement in three separate events.

Dr Seth and Mr Arun Sahay attended the SPIC MACAY Regional Meet on 7th Feb held at NITK. Dr S G Mayya graced the occasion with his presence. Dr Rajamohan, Principal, Govinda Dasa College, Surathkal, an important partner of the movement, was also present. Su. Supriti, Vidya and Basava also came from the Bengaluru chapter. The problems faced by the NITK chapter and the different ways to overcome it were discussed in the meeting. The meeting was followed by Lunch.

Later that evening there was an interaction with students of NITK. Dr Seth and Arun ji interacted with students and

inspired them with their tales. They made them realize the Spirit of Nishkaam Seva.

Next day, i.e. on 8th Feb, prior to the talk, Dr Seth also had a brief meeting with some of the faculty of NITK. This was followed by the talk on ‘Innovative Optimization’.

TAMIL NADUCoimbatore chapter had its inaugural concert by Sh. Shashank Subramanyam (Carnatic Flute) on 28th and 29th March 2016 at PSG Institute of Management and other schools.

A formal Coimbatore Chapter was inaugurated in December 2015 during the National School Intensive held at DPS Coimbatore in the presence of Dr Kiran Seth and senior volunteers, music lovers, representatives of various institutions of Coimbatore city. Sriram Krishnan has been selected as the convener of the Coimbatore chapter. He and his team of dedicated volunteers has been working hard to organise more activities in the region.

KERALASummer vacation workshops in Govt and Govt-aided schools have been started by the Kerala chapter in various parts of the state. The first one was organized at Govt. Higher Secondary School, Perassannur, Malappuram Distt. with two art forms - Koodiyattam/Nangiar Kooth (Dr. Aparna Nangiar) and Mural Painting (K.R. Babu) from 2nd to- 7th April 2016.

This was the first time that a workshop on Koodiyattam/Nangiarkooth was held by a SPIC MACAY chapter in Kerala, otherwise this particular dance drama is performed only during conventions.

We were thrilled with the positive feedback with almost 42 students participating. In five days time they even managed to learn a few Sanskrit Slokas in order to give a good presentation, complete with ‘Abhinaya’.

Similarly for the painting workshop too around 45 students enrolled themselves. It was heartening to see the enthusiasm considering this was a rural school with majority of the students coming from very poor living standards. All students, teachers and parents were happy with the programme.

UTTARAKHANDA week-long 'Virasat' was held from 28th March to 2nd April 2016 in various cities of the state. The artistes were Smt. Geeta Chandran (Bharatnatyam), Pt. Ronu Majumdar (Flute) and Us. Kamal Sabri (Sarangi). We covered Sirinagar, Garhwal, Rishikesh, Mussoorie, Selakui and Dehradun for a total of 17 programs.

The travel, hospitality and most of the honorarium was taken care of by the chapter itself. In the month of March schools are almost impossible to get due to examinations, therefore, programs were held mostly in Universities and Academies.

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DEHRADUN ON A ROLLSPIC MACAY Dehradun chapter has been earnestly striving to bring glimpses of the rich art forms of the country to the students and youth in Uttarakhand. Since April 2015, we have been able to do around 370 programs along with Roorkee and Kumaon Chapters.

From April to December 2015, Uttarakhand was able to get artists like Bombay Jayashree, Jayanthi Kumaresh, Ranjana Gauhar, Saroja Vaidyanathan, Partho Sarathy, Shubhendra Rao, Parvathy Baul, Ritvik Sanyal, Sombala Kumar, Rajendra Prasanna amongst others, who performed extensively in Uttarakhand.

Beside Lec-Dems, Uttarakhand was able to do 95 Workshop Demonstrations in various art forms like Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Sattriya, Dhrupad, Theater, Garhwali Folk and various Craft Workshops reaching out to thousands of students and covering almost every district in Uttarakhand. These were done with the help of SSA, RMSA, Uttarakhand Government and IMS Unison University.

After hosting the 1st Winter National Convention at IIT Roorkee, SPIC MACAY Uttarakhand started with graceful Mohiniattam by Smt. Neena Prasad at 8 venues in Dehradun and Mussoorie in the month of January 2016.

February started with lec-dems of Kathak by Monisa Nayak where she reached out to students in 6 schools and provided an enriching experience to the youth about her art form.

Six programs of Shehnai by Ashwani-Sanjeev Shankar were held at Dehradun. It was after a long time students got to know about this beautiful instrument -Shehnai.

Before the end of month of February, Dehradun witnessed yet another melodious circuit of Shankar Guitar recital by Kamala Shankar where she enthralled the students to the sounds of Shankar Guitar. Six programs took place at various schools in Dehradun and Mussoorie.

March used to be a low session for SPIC MACAY activities due to annual and board exams going on but this time we managed to do 21 programs which includes a week long “VIRASAT” series in Garhwal region.

Kumaon region witnessed the graceful movements with expressions in lecture demonstration of Kathak by Rani Khanam in Nainital and Haldwani. Total 6 programs were conducted where students were thrilled by the “Chakkars (rounds)” performed by Rani Khanam.

Towards the end of March, Garhwal region hosted a week long “VIRASAT” in which Padmashri Geeta Chandran ji (Bharatnatyam ), Pt.Ronu Majumdar ji ( Flute ) and Ustad Kamal Sabri ( Sarangi ) performed at Pauri Garhwal, Srinagar, Rishikesh, Mussoorie , Selaqui and Dehradun in the circuit of 15 programs.

Six programs of Bharatnatyam by Padma Shri awardee Geeta Chandran were conducted. She connected with the

students of schools in Dehradun. Her repertoire included compositions in Hindi and Tamil, yet adhering to the purity of her art form.

Pt. Ronu Majumdar (Flute) took out time from his busy schedule and performed in Srinagar Garhwal. Total 4 programs were done for the students in mountainous region of Uttarakhand.

Ustad Kamal Sabri (Sarangi) performed extensively in Mussoorie and Dehradun where he gave 5 lecture demonstrations for students which also include IAS Trainees at Lal Bahadur National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie.

In year 2015-16, SPIC MACAY Uttarakhand has been able to organize a total of 370 activities for the students and youth only with the help of enthusiasm and zeal of its volunteers who identify themselves with the goal of SPIC MACAY. We will keep striving harder for greater awareness and spreading our rich cultural tapestry to every nook and corner of the state.

MADHYA PRADESHIn the month of February 2016, Sh Ritesh-Rajnish Mishra (Vocal) accompanied by Sh Hitendra Dixit (Tabla) and Sh Sumit Mishra (Harmonium) performed at Champion International School, Khategaon, Tehsil Satwas, (Dewas District), Bhandari Public School (Khandwa), Gyanodaya School (Mhow), and Truba College of Engineering and Management (Indore).

Efforts were undertaken to invite and encourage students to apply for the Gurukul Anubhav Scholarship Scheme 2016 and also for the 4th International Convention at Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati between 09 May 2016 to 15 May 2016.

EXPERIMENT WITH PLAY SCHOOLS

For the past 4 years, Dr Kiran Seth has been experimenting with Play School children in the age group of 2 to3 years. Whenever he gets time off from his morning classes at IIT-Delhi, he does a little naad yoga with young children for about an hour. It has been a wonderful learning experience. These children respond very positively to the exercises and are seen to be improving in their overall cognitive skills. Such exercises can be very effective in a child's growth. If our next-generation has to succeed in becoming better humans, in the long run, this could be worth exploring.

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SPIC MACAY Abroad

ABU DHABISitar Lec-Dem at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan ‘Ram Manch' at Bhavan’s school reverberated with rhythm and music when the Abu Dhabi Chapter of SPIC MACAY organized a Lec-Dem by Sh. Sameep Kulkarni (Sitar) accompanied by Sh. Arvind Paranjape on the Tabla on February 23, 2016. It was a treat to the ears for hundreds of students who had gathered to listen to Sh. Kulkarni play the electric sitar who kept everyone spell bound by effortlessly stretching from one note to another.

The Lec Dem also included an interactive session with students and parents who were eager for a chat with the renowned musician. On a lighter note Sameep ji also shared his wide experience in music and how he enjoys managing both his passion – music and his IT profession. He also took time to clarify certain doubts put forward by students. The event was a memorable experience that will be cherished by all music lovers and students for a long time.

HONG KONGPt. Partho Sarothy performs at HK University

Sarod maestro Pt. Partho Sarothy, accompanied by Sh. Nishikant Barodekar (Tabla) gave two performances between March 14-15, 2016 in Hong Kong. On the 14th there was an evening concert, open to public, at the CYM Cultural Centre of HKU. It was a wonderful evening that started with Raag Madhuvanti and ended with Raag Bhairavi enthralling the audience no ends. It was most heartening to see a packed theatre even on a Monday evening.

A Lec Dem was held on 15th March for young school students of Clear Water Bay School. Young pupils, as young as 5-yrs sat in rapt attention as they listen to the maestros and learnt about Indian classical music – many experiencing it for the first time in their life.

All expenses relating to the travel, lodging & other expenses for this tour were ably raised by the volunteers of HK

chapter. We congratulate Viveik Saigal, chief coordinator of HK chapter and Yosha Gupta for continuing to keep the flag of the movement flying high in foreign lands.

USAStanford shows the wayThe Stanford University chapter has been quite active these past few months. It began with a Carnatic violin concert of brothers Sh. Ganesh & Sh. Kumaresh Rajagopalan on October 4, 2015. They performed at the famous Roble Theater to a jam-packed hall. The concert received rave reviews.

This was followed by a highly successful solo table concert by Pt. Subhankar Banerjee on November 8, 2015 at the Campbell Recital Hall. He is considered by many to be the most virtuosic tabla player of his generation. He was accompanied by his son Sh. Aarchik Banerjee on tabla and Sh. Manoj Tamhankar on the harmonium. His performance was generously supported by the Music Dept of the university. This too received an overwhelming response.

The final programme under the SPIC MACAY banner was by Sh. Sikkil Gurucharan (Carnatic Vocal) who performed on April 1, 2016 at the Cubberley Auditorium inside Stanford Education Building. He was accompanied by Sri. V Sanjeev on the violin and Sh. Patri Satish Kumar on the mridangam. Sh Gurucharan blew away the listeners with his bhava and complexity.

But the other major highlight cum achievement of the Stanford chapter has been conducting Indian classical music classes called the Music 1 SL. This spring, SPIC MACAY's Guhan Venkataraman and Devangi Vivrekar taught introduction classes for Indian classical music to students. They taught the basics of Indian music appreciation and supplemented it with live demos. There were also guest lecturers from a plethora of talent around the Bay area. The class has so far seen a record number of attendees at 40 auditors and 15 students and has received positive feedback.

Finally, the volunteer group at Stanford is expanding. There is more funding now with much more in the pipeline. New officer elections are also happening. We wish the team all the best in their endeavor to keep the Indian classical music flourishing in their university.

Kansas University The KU Chapter organized a concert by three great musicians: Smt Mita Nag (Sitar), Pt Subhen Chatterjee (table) and Pt Joydeeo Ghosh (Sarod) in a sort of jugalbandi on 27th April 2016 at the Alderson Auditorium, Kansas. The event was co-sponsored by KU South Asian Studies, Student Senate and Center for Global & International Studies.


SandeshMay 2016 23

in REMEMBRANCE

USTAD ABDUL RASHID KHAN Veteran Hindustani classical vocalist Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan passed away in Kolkata on February 18, 2016 due to old age problems. He was 107.

Born in 1908, in a family of musicians of the Gwalior gharana, Rashid Khan received his initial training from his father Us. Chhote Yusuf Khan and uncle Bade Yusuf Khan as also from other elders in the family like Chand Khan, Barkhurdar Khan and Mahtab Khan.

His family of musicians traced their lineage back to Us. Behram Khan who was a singer of traditional Gwalior gayaki in the royal courts. Young Abdul Rashid further developed this style suiting his own artistic sensitivity. His traditional compositions have been recorded by reputed broadcasters and institutes like BBC, Iraq Radio, UP Sangeet Natak Akademi-Lucknow and ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata. Equally adept at Khayal, thumri, dhrupad and dhamar, Khan sahab created several compositions and was a prolific writer and poet under the pseudonym Rasan Piya.

He was a regular performer in AIR and Doordarshan and reputed national music conferences like Sadarang Conference, Godrej Conference, Lucknow Mahotsav, Dover Lance Conference, ITC Sangeet Sammelan, Prayag Sangeet Samiti Sangeet Sammelan all over India and has been felicitated by critics, fellow artists and reputed and recognized institutions like UP Sangeet Natak Academy, (1981), Banaras Hindu University (1993), Eastern Zone cultural center and Press club Kolkata. He was also a regular at various SPIC MACAY events for the last 7 years.

He also received numerous awards like ITC award (1994), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2009), Kashi Swar Ganga Award (2003), Padma Bhushan (2013) - the oldest person ever to be conferred a Padma award and the Lifetime achievement award by Government of NCT of Delhi (2013).

OUR SENIOR VOLUNTEER Col. GOPAL VERMA (Retd.) REMEMBERS USTAD JI:

I am extremely saddened to learn about the demise of the maestro. I remember meeting him when he had come for a convention at Don Bosco School at Agartala in 2007. He was a little upset with the arrangements but was as humble as a great man could be. He told me "Gavaiya theek se khayega ya soyega nahi to gaayega kya?" A bandish that he later taught children there was, "Sauten Meri bairaniya" still hums in my ears. RIP Baba...

GURU KALANIDHI NARAYANANSmt. Kalanidhi Narayanan was a renowned Bharatanatyam Guru & Abhinaya exponent. She passed away on 21st Feb 2016 in Chennai.

Born in 1928 in a Brahmin household of Sumitra and Ganapati, her mother was keen on getting her dance education, and this was supported by her father. Thus starting at the age of seven she trained intensively under various gurus like Kamakshi Ammal for Padams and Javalis and Manakkal Sivarajan for vocal lessons. Noted guru Kannappa Pillai from Kanchipuram was her main teacher. He was also the teacher to Balasaraswati, while Chinnayya Naidu and Mylapore Gauri Ammal taught her Abhinaya.

Kalanidhi was the early non-devadasi girl to learn this dance form and performed on stage in the 1930s and 1940s. She made her stage-debut at the age of 12 at the Senate House in Chennai for the Madras Music Academy. While still in her teens, she gave two notable recitals, one with Dhanamanikkam and another with Nattuvanar K. Ganesan, son of the Kandappa Pillai.

She had a brief dance career in the 1940s, before she stepped out at the age of sixteen when her mother died and she was married into a conservative family. She returned to dance only in 1973 when noted art-patron, Y. G. Doraiswamy, who had seen her performances as a teen, asked to instruct dancer Alarmel Valli in abhinaya, to which she agreed, encouraged by her sons who had by now grown up. This started the second phase of her career after a gap of 30 years at the age of 46.


SandeshMay 201624

She also started to reeducate herself in dance. Luckily her books from her younger days had survived. She started attending dance performances and Arangetram in the city and enrolled in a course on dance theory on Bharatanatyam by Dr. Padma Subramanium. Gradually more students started coming to her and in the coming decades she became "the most sought after teacher for abhinaya".

In December 2003, various dance teachers and her disciples celebrated her 75th birthday at the Luz Community Hall in Chennai. It was marked by a two-day seminar on Abhinaya, where prominent gurus of Bharatanatyam participated.

Disciples

Amongst her noted disciples are, Geeta Chandran (Delhi), A. Lakshmanaswamy, Uma Vasudevan (Montreal), Ramya Harishankar (California), Hema Rajagopalan (Chicago), Subashree Narayanan (Jacksonville, FL/Bangalore, India), Minal Prabhu (India), Priya Govind (India), Sharmila Biswas, Madhusri Sethuraman (Plano, TX) and Meenakshi Chitharanjan.

She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1985, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1990 and Kalidas Samman 1998.

NIDA FAZLI Muqtida Hasan Nida Fazli, known as Nida Fazli, was a Hindi and Urdu poet, lyricist and film dialogue writer. He passed away on 8th February 2016.

Nida was born in Delhi, in a Kashmiri family but grew up in Gwalior where he studied English literature. His father was also an Urdu poet. During the partition in 1947, his parents migrated to Pakistan but Fazli decided to stay back in India.

While still young, Fazli was passing by a Hindu temple where a bhajan singer was singing a composition of Soordas about Radha sharing her sorrow with her maids at being separated from her beloved Krishna. The poetic beauty of the Pad, relating to the close rapport and bonding between human beings, inspired Nida to begin writing poems.

During that period, he felt that there were limitations in Urdu poetry. He absorbed the essence of Mir and Ghalib to express what he intended. He was fascinated by the lyrical mood of Meera and Kabir and widened his knowledge of poetry by studying T. S. Eliot, Gogol and Anton Chekhov.

He moved to Mumbai in search of a job in 1964. In the early days of his career, he wrote in magazines like Dharmayug and Blitz. His poetic style attracted the notice of filmmakers and writers of Hindi and Urdu literature. He was often invited to Mushairas and became known among readers and ghazal singers for his elegant presentation and exclusive use of colloquial language for while avoiding ornate Persian imagery and compound words to simplify his poetry.

He wrote the famous couplet: 'Duniya jise kehte hain jaadu kaa khilona hai, Mil jaaye to mitti hai kho jaaye to sona hai'.

Some of his famous film songs include Aa bhi jaa (Sur), Tu is tarah se meri zindagi mein (Aap To Aise Na The) and Hosh waalon ko khabar Kya (Sarfarosh). He wrote essays critical of contemporary poets of 1960s in his book Mulaqatein which outraged poets including Sahir Ludhianvi, Ali Sardar Jafri and Kaifi Azmi. As a result he was even boycotted in some poetic sessions. His career shot up when filmmaker Kamal Amrohi approached him for final two songs of his movie Razia Sultan. Soon he was attracting many Hindi filmmakers.

Shortly before his death he wrote columns for BBC Hindi website on various contemporary issues and literature. Mirza Ghalib's works were often mentioned by him.

Nida Fazli disagreed with the partition of India and has spoken out against the communal riots, politicians and fundamentalism. He was honoured with the National Harmony Award for writing on communal harmony. He wrote 24 books in Urdu, Hindi and Gujarati — some of which are assigned as school textbooks in Maharashtra. He received the Mir Taqi Mir award for his autobiographical novel Deewaron Ke Beech from the Government of Madhya Pradesh.

USTAD ALI AHMED HUSSAIN KHANShehnai maestro Us. Ali Ahmed Hussain Khan was the most popular musician in the realm of Shehnai after Ustad Bismillah Khan. He passed away in Kolkata on March 19, 2016 at the age of 77.

Ali Ahmad Hussain was son of Ustad Ali Jaan Khan of Allahabad and was widely acknowledged as the premier Shehnai specialist of Eastern India. He was born in Kolkata on 21st March 1939. His grandfather Ustad Wazir Ali Khan of Benaras was an eminent musician who was the first Indian to demonstrate Indian classical music on

IN REmEmBRANCE

SandeshMay 2016 25

the Shehnai in London in 1910 and was even honoured by Pt. Motilal Nehru at a grand public function.

He received his training from his maternal uncle Ustad Nazir Hussain Khan & his paternal uncle Ustad Imdad Hussain Khan of Benaras. He also took training from Pt. Tansen Pandey in vocal under the Senia Gharana tradition. Soft, subtle & sweet tones presented in a melodious manner were some of the hallmarks of his playing the Shehnai. Purity of the raga also depicted his solid traditional background.

His first performance was at the All Bengal Music Conference in 1956. He regularly featured on All India Radio and Doordarshan. He also holds the distinction of composing the signature tune for Doordarshan along with Pt. Ravi Shankar. He played many jugalbandis, both commercially and in live performances with artists like Us. Vilayat Hussain Khan & Pt. Manilal Nag on sitar, Pt. V.G. Jog on violin and Us.


Munewar Ali Khan (Hindustani vocal). His recordings are numerous and under a variety of labels.

He also taught at the Sangeet Research Academy, Calcutta from 1974 till almost his last days.

Ali Ahmed Hussain traveled extensively in India and abroad over a span of twenty years. On several occasions he was invited by governments and music festivals. He performed a duet with pianist Peter Michael Hamel at the Indo-German Festival and participated in the Music Festival Raag-Mala in the U.S. and Canada in 1994.

He was awarded and feted by people across the world. Amongst others he received the All Bengal Music Conference Award, Award from Indian Classical Music Circle of Austin- USA, Bishwa Banga Sammelan Award & Awarded by Indian Community at Bangdung, Indonesia.

Participants will then head into a three hour intense workshop to learn classical and folk forms of music and dance, traditional crafts, literature, arts etc from celebrated Gurus, who have mastered her skill in that particular art form. There will be talks by eminent personalities, movie screenings and concerts in the afternoon. In the evening there will be concerts by some of the most distinguished artists like Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Dr. L. Subramniam, Smt. Girija Devi, Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar, Smt. Malavika Sarukkai, Pt. Rajan and Sajan Misra, Us. Wasifuddin Dagar, Vidwan TV Sankaranarayanan and many others. All this will be supplemented by holistic food that provides necessary support to body, mind and soul in this wonderful journey.

On the penultimate day, participants will demonstrate what they have learnt from their Gurus on the stage. There will also be an overnight concert which is the culmination of the event.

The last day has been kept for trips to heritage sites like Kamakhya temple, Sualkucchi town and Hoja pilgrimage centre, where participants will have to select any one trip.

SPIC MACAY would like to thank Prof. Kaustubha Mohanty, Chairman, Cultural Board IIT, Guwahati, Prof. Chandan Mahanta and the IIT Guwahati Volunteers: Bhavin Mandalaywala, Anupam Anand, Himansu Goyal, M. Zeelani, Kuldeep, Pragyam Maheswari, Ishan Sharma, Paawan Talwar, Sreemoy and Krishnanjan among others for their efforts.

PLEASING GREENS OF IIT-GUWAHATI AWAIT ALL THE ACTION

Continued from page 1

SandeshMay 201626

Over the last year, SPIC MACAY has had more Conventions than ever before which led to people posing the question why so many Conventions;

when earlier there was only one National Convention. Over the last three years we have had the annual International Convention apart from State Conventions which are of three days’ duration. The straightforward answer would be to be there to witness the power of the Convention to bring about positive changes during that one week period, not only in the Children/Delegates but also in the organising team and people who become part of it. The lasting impression that it leaves on those who partake of it goes a long way in inculcating values and understanding that SPIC MACAY espouses.

There are many reasons for ‘Why’ we should have more Conventions both at National as well as State level apart from the Annual International one.

The length of a week-long convention enables one to have an empirical experience of lasting nature. It exposes the delegate to a wide array of rich and diverse culture brought forth beautifully to enhance understanding and awareness of traditions which have stood the test of the time.

The schedule which is tightly assembled allows one to attain a discipline and also realise the importance of time. The morning Yoga session from 0400 a.m. to 0700 a.m. apart from the Hatha Yoga also has Naad Yog, Dhyan Yog and Kudiyattam enabling one to prepare the body and mind for the day ahead. This is followed by Shramdaan (Voluntarily offering to work physically) for half-an-hour. Post the personal time and breakfast, one moves to the place of one's workshop/intensives both in performing arts as well as crafts where the finest exponents of art and craft guide and teach the students. Each delegate is allowed one workshop/intensive which the person then partakes of for the whole duration of the Convention. This Session lasts from 0900 a.m to 12 noon followed by a holistic lunch.

The afternoon sessions explore folk forms, theatre, talks on art, literature and other forms by leading exponents of the respective fields. There are also cinema classics in the presence of the film’s director. This is followed by an early holistic dinner. All these sessions are for the registered delegates (students and others) during the Convention. The evening session is of performances by luminaries in their art forms and an experience which elevates one to a whole new level. This Session is open to others as well in keeping with the SPICMACAY philosophy.

By 10 p.m. the day ends for the experience to continue in the same vein for the next six days. The last day of the Convention gives the delegates an opportunity to be on stage to share of what they have learned during the Convention in the afternoon followed by resting so that they can be fresh

for the beautiful ‘overnight’ experience wherein performances begin at 0800 p.m. and go on till 0400 a.m.

The overnight experience is a magical one where one is transported in time and words can't do justice to the feeling it generates. The Convention ends with heritage walks wherein one gets to experience the tangible form of the rich diversity of India.

The Conventions thus with its residential nature of an Ashram-like

atmosphere, purposeful planning of the day, holistic food and empirical experiences creates impressions which are not easily possible in today's time of instant gratification.

The week-long Convention apart from exposing the participants to an array of art forms and crafts also enables them to look within and reflect on life and the possibilities to lead a meaningful life and contribute to the well being of others in the society and keeping with one of the key aspects of SPICMACAY of 'Nishkam Seva' (Selfless Service) along with its core purpose of : Have every child experience the inspiration and mysticism embodied in Indian and World Heritage.

CONVENTIONS: THE WAY AHEADBy Robinson


SandeshMay 2016 27

BLAST FROM THE PAST : A gLIMPSE OF PREVIOUS CONVENTIONS


SandeshMay 20162828

Team SandeshEditor : Anshuman JainAssociate Editor: Robinson Design : Ashok Joshi +91 9999395562 Printing : Imagica Graphics, Okhla, New DelhiSend your views, contributions and queries to :Editor, Sandesh c/o SPIC MACAY, 41/42, Lucknow Road, Delhi - 110054 OR call 011-23323826, 9810000874Email : [email protected]

Website : www.spicmacay.com

Takshila Educational Society recognizes the invaluable efforts of SPIC MACAY in keeping alive India’s rich cultural heritage. To support the movement Takshila has taken the onus of publishing Sandesh.

Broadcast Yourselfwww.youtube.com/spicmacay www.facebook.com/spicmacay

Going by the ever expanding rate of our activities, it is important that we are able to suitably and regularly reach out to the masses to make them aware of our mission.

In this endeavour, we have recently tied up with leading Hindi daily of the country, Dainik Bhaskar for giving wide coverage to our events across Hindi speaking states. While the finer details of the tie-up are still being worked out, we feel since Bhaskar is a well known brand / publication with a wide reach, this tie up will help us reach out to millions of people and the resultant publicity will help us achieve our goal (Vision 2020) faster. This initiative was lead by Mrs Suman Doonga, Head of SPIC MACAY's Media and Communications wing.

SPIC MACAY TIES UP WITH DAINIK BHASKAR

We WAnT vOlUnTeerS!!Dear Volunteers, SPIC MACAY has set up a Facebook Group where we assign a One Tiny Drop Task to all those people who want to volunteer for the movement. All such people may post how they they would like to contribute. Facebook offers many such groups for startups where people connect for sharing ideas and finding co-workers, so we at SPIC MACAY are now trying it for SPIC MACAY Volunteer Opportunities too. Spread the word and join in!

The Facebook group page will also be used for anyone who wants to post their chapter-level volunteer opportunities. SPIC MACAY chapters are present in all major cities of India and Capital cities abroad.

VISIT US AT https://www.facebook.com/groups/

spicmacay.volunteers

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