Music enthusiasts will have a treat this weekend. Beginning Friday there will be a three-day music festival in memory of the sitar stalwart Sitar Ratna Rahimat Khan who founded the Bharatiya Sangeet Vidyalay in Dharwad.
Considered as the founder of Dharwad Gharana of Sitar, Ustad Rahimat Khan, a native of Gujarat, visited Dharwad in 1911 while returning from the court of Mysuru king Nalvadi Krishnaraj Wadiyar. It is said that Ustad Rahimat Khan was so attracted by the ambience of Dharwad that he decided to make it his home and set up ‘Bharatiya Sangeet Vidyalay’ in 1912.
Apart from passing on his knowledge of music to his disciples and next generation of the family, Ustad Rahimat Khan started conducting all-night music festivals in his Vidyalay and the tradition, even after his death in 1954, has continued till today. The event which was held on a small scale, got bigger in 1980 after Sitar Ratna Ustad Rahimat Khan Sangeet Pracharaka Samiti came into existence. Since then it has been an event that has been attracted music enthusiasts from across the country.
This year’s ‘Sangeetotsava’ is being held from December 2 to 4 at ‘Srijana’ Annajirao Sirur Rangamandir on the historical Karnatak College campus in Dharwad and is dedicated to Vidushi Veena Sahasrabudhe and Ustad Mehboob Khan. The music festival will mark the 62nd death anniversary of Ustad Rahimat Khan.
The dance and music festival will have Kuchipudi performance by danseuse Prateeksha Kashi on the inaugural day, December 2. On Saturday, vocalist Sanjeev Chimmalagi from Mumbai and violinist Santosh Nahar from New Delhi will perform.
On the concluding day there would be concerts in the morning and evening. Vocalist Devaki Pandit from Mumbai will perform at 10 a.m. and in the evening is a sitar jugalbandi between Rafique and Shafique Khan of Dharwad followed by vocal concert by Sounak Abhisheki of Pune.
