Sarod, violin-sarangi strains highlights of Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar,December 24

The 141st Harivallabh Music Festival started off with the tunes of shehnai.

The second day of the festival today began with Phoenix Gharana artiste Manu Shrivastava’s vocal renditions. He was accompanied by Pt Devendra Verma on the harmonium and artiste Jaidev on the tabla. The rendition was followed by a violin and sarangi jugalbandi by Dr Santosh Nahar and S Satwinder Pal Singh who presented Raga Vachaspati followed by a dhun. Vocalist Shubha Paradkar then took to stage to the accompaniment of Pt Ram Ratoniya on the tabla and Pt Devendra Verma on the harmonium.

Earlier, the world’s oldest music festival Shri Baba Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan started off this evening. The festival began with a documentary based on legendary Shri Baba Harivallabh. A stamp especially released in the memory of Shri Baba Harivallabh on February 24, 1980, was presented to Mahsabha President Purnima Beri by Mohammad Hanif Senior Superintendent of Postal and Telegram, Jalandhar circle, from the collection of Nawal Kishore Khera.

The stamps related to Indian classical music have been exhibited on the premises of the Shri Devi Talab mandir.

Pt Krishna Ram Choudhary and party gave a start to this grand musical festival by playing beautiful compositions on shehnai. After that Prashant Kumar Mallick and Nishant Kumar Mallick, accompanied by Mrinal Mohan Upadhyay on Pakhawaj, presented Dhrupad gayan.

The zenith of the first day recitals was witnessed in Pt Tejendra Narayan Majumdar’s Sarod recital, who was accompanied on the table by Banaras gharana’s Namdhari S Sukhwinder Singh (Pinky). Later, Suresh Gandharv presented a vocal performance. He was accompanied by Pt Davendra Verma on the harmonium and Pt Ramswarup Ratonia on tabla.

Ex Governor of Pondicherry Iqbal Singh, renowned Punjabi singer Manmohan Waris, ACP (North) Jalandhar Deepika Singh, among others, were present on the occasion. Singer Manmohan Waris gave a donation of Rs 51,000 to the Shri Baba Harivallabh Mahasabha.

Mahasabha members president Purnima Beri, vice-president Arun Kapoor, Beas Kalyan Singh, gen sec Deepak Bali, treasurer Rakesh Dada, director SS Ajimal, secretaries Tarun Sharma and Dr Arun Mishra, joint secretaries Dr Jyoti Mittu, Madan Rana, Manu Seen, Sangat Ram, Sanjeev Sood, Gurmeet Singh, Mahesh Dixit and Ashu Singla were present on the occasion.