Sitar players light up Tagore Theatre

SD Sharma
Chandigarh, April 22

The three-day classical musical extravaganza, ‘Maan gaye Ustad’, organised by the Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi, opened to a melodious note with playing of sitar by Pandit Dr Harvinder Sharma and 11 of his accomplished disciples at Tagore Theatre here today.

Pandit Sharma, a senior disciple of celestial Ustad Vilayat Khan of Imdadkhani Gharana, has a lineage of more than seven generations who has made tremendous structural and style innovations in the history of sitar-playing.

The concert commenced with four versatile young girl disciples — Ratna, Sandeep Kaur, Rattan Kaur and Ranjit Kaur. They bared the melody of raga ‘Yaman’ through ‘alaap’, ‘jod’ and composition.

Melodic hues heightened as senior disciples of Pandit Sharma, including Dr Amuj Mala (Ludhiana), Dr Vanita (Punjabi University) and Dr Preeti from GCG (Chandigarh), presented raga ‘Madhuwanti’. It was treat to watch them in perfect sync as they played ‘alaap’, ‘jod’, ‘jhalla’, and ‘gat’ simultaneously. Tabla maestro Jaidev doled out raga ‘Puriya dhaneshri’. Pandit Sharma took the centre stage and concluded the concert.

Chief guest Pandit Bhim Sen Sharma, a musicologist and academician, honoured the artists.