Called the Dhrupad tirth (pilgrimage of dhrupad), the 44th Dhrupad Mela, so named as it is not merely a festival of music, but a “mela” involving more than just music concerts, was held in Banaras recently. With four all night sessions, the festival featured around 40 artists in all, including stalwarts, new performers, Carnatic music practitioners, and even a Kathak recital. Some of the well known dhrupad exponents like Pt Phalguni Mitra, Pt Ritwik Sanyal, Pt Kailash Pawar, and Pt Sukhdev Chaturvedi showcased their skills.
Some of the star performers this year also invited censure from the die-hard traditionalists. Alan Tootill, who has attended the festival several times complained, “I feel that artists who have not been trained in the dhrupad style of presentation cannot adopt it later; I feel the presentation will be limited to performing only taals associated with dhrupad, like chautaal or sooltaal, accompanied by a pakhawaj.”
Main organiser, Vishwambhar Nath Mishra, who is the mahant of the Sankat Mochan Temple, gave his perspective.
“Dhrupad is the original format of presenting music. It must have been the form used when dance was presented as well, so where is the harm if a dancer of today tries to recreate the music elements that must have been used then? Similiarly, if a santoor, violin or flute player (instruments that are new to Indian classical music) tries to present the raga in a dhrupad format, eschewing the lighter forms of embellishment, sticking to taals that were used during dhrupad presentations what is wrong with it? This festival is in its 44th year; the core audience remains the same whether from Banaras or outside; it’s the same lovers of dhrupad who keep coming back. Obviously they need to hear something new, or the audience dwindles! What is the point of presenting the same faces year after year with fewer and fewer listeners coming to hear?”
Anant Narayan Singh, the custodian of the royal family of Banaras, said, “Dhrupad, I felt was slowly dying out, and this festival has provided a focal point. Now many places are holding small events devoted solely to dhrupad, after seeing our festival. Music lovers started the festival in the mid 1970s; after two years there was no financial support so my father then offered support, which has continued till now.”
“One way that artists should keep the form alive and fresh is by digging out old traditional compositions and presenting them, so newer audiences can also hear these, and know what these are. It is not enough to keep presenting the same popular compositions,” he added.
On the last day, the Gundecha Brothers, disciples of the Dagarwani tradition, mesmerised the crowd with an unusual presentation of Raga Hamir, usually considered a small Raga and not suited for an elaboration in the dhrupad style. Combining the novel effect of harmony in their singing, the brothers most beautifully brought out the raga without repetition, doing some interesting work in the lower octave. The second piece was a composition to Lord Shiva; appropriate on Shivaratri, in Raga Shankhara, “Shankara panch badan, deva deva ke tum daata” in a 9-beat cycle.
Another star attraction was Jayanthi Kumaresh, the 5th generation veena exponent. Her appropriate composition dedicated to Lord Shiva was in Raga Pantuvarali, (Kamavardhini) in which she essayed a brief aalap, before playing the composition. The next item in raga Karaharpriya featured the “thanam “ or “jor jhala” and then the composition, in a 7-beat cycle; thus showcasing all the aspects of her magnificent instrument’s baaj, in the confined time of 45 minutes. On the mridangam was the very versatile Arjun Kumar; in keeping with the concept of dhrupad presentation Jayanthi avoided having other percussion accompanist as is usual in the Carnatic tradition. As she said, the opportunity to present the saraswati veena on this platform was a huge honour.
