Deepavali is perhaps the biggest, most widely celebrated festival in all India, but traditionally, its connection with classical music and dance is nebulous. The festival is definitely a visual one, not aural. One would have expected the homecoming of Lord Rama, one of the biggest “avatars” of Vishnu, and the subject of so many compositions in North and South Indian musical “sahitya” to be an occasion for music and dance, but this is not so. Holi, celebrated with much fervour all over North India has such a strong link with music, it has even given rise to a sub-genre in the thumri tradition, called “holis”. Dussehra and the Navaratri are celebrated all over India, North and South with three to nine-day festivals of classical music and dance, the biggest of them all being perhaps the Mysore Dussehra festival. The Dussehra Ram Leela too has ancient origins.
One reason why all over North India Deepavali has never traditionally been associated overtly with musical festivities is because it is a day of Kali Puja, held on “amavasya” (the dark day). Kali Puja is also associated with black magic and tantric puja, and it was not customary to go out that evening. In addition, Lakshmi puja is done on Deepavali evening, again all over India, especially in the East and the North, and again it would not be an occasion to go out to participate in a concert. The mandatory invoking of the Goddess of Wealth, Lakshmi would have been deemed more important. Pt Nayan Ghosh, the eminent musicologist, concurs, “In the eastern regions, music is enjoyed all the year round; Durga Puga is the biggest annual occasion and only recently Deepavali has begun getting importance. The focus on Deepavali is the Mahakali Puja on “amavasya” night, not music.”
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Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar, 20th generation representative of a dhrupad tradition going back to Swami Haridas is unequivocal about Deepavali’s musical worth. “It’s a day for Lakhsmi “stutis, sung at home”. The maestro adds in a lighter vein, “Though, of late, the two sisters Lakshmi and Saraswati are being somewhat sidelined by Ganesh, who bestows boons too.”
In Delhi’s Mughal Darbar, the emphasis of celebrating Deepavali celebrations was undoubtedly through ‘aatishbaazis’ and lights; the celebration was called “Jashn-e-Chiraghan”. But music remained an integral part of any court celebration and Deepavali concerts definitely took place.
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One suspects the importance would have been on celebratory lyrics rather than the choice of ragas. Raga Deepak, one of the six main Ragas in the North Indian tradition, and said to bring forth light and ignite a flame (Deepak) would definitely not have been performed. Though associated with light, it was not right in an auspicious sense; rather the flame was indicative of an uncontrolled power, represented by light. No wonder, since the last 200 years or so its use has gradually diminished, and today even its structure is debated amongst different schools of music.
For Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan, the Khalifa of the Delhi Gharana (his ancestors were court musicians), his 200-year-old residence, “Mausiqui Manzil”, in old Delhi has resounded with the sound of music on several Deepvali nights. He recalled that for many years, every year his family would celebrate Deepavali through an evening concert in memory of his grandfather, the legendary Ustad Mamman Khan (one of the greatest sarangi players of all times). The Ustad was born in 1855 on Deepavali day
The same is not so in Maharashtra. Vidushi Shruti Sadolikar, Vice Chancellor at Bhatkhande University in Lucknow, and a senior singer of the Jaipur Attrauli tradition who is known for her extensive knowledge of Thumri and Haveli Sangeet, says, “For the last 35 years, the first day after Deepavali, “parhwa” or the first day of the financial New Year, a day when traders revere their financial bookkeeping records (baee) is a day linked with music. In Maharashtra, early morning 5 a.m. concerts are now quite common, Deepavali greetings are exchanged, and traditional food is served. In addition, there Haveli Sangeet compositions on Deepavali, where Lord Krishna celebrates Lord Ram’s homecoming. He is especially decked up in festive clothes, decorated with jewels, anointed with special oils, offered delicacies after being worshipped with an “aarti”…all these are described in traditional compositions in temples of the Vaishnav persuasion. These are around 500 years old.” On the other hand, she adds, there are no specific Deepavali compositions in the thumri tradition. “I discount festive songs like “dhan dhan mangal gaayo” which are not really specific to Deepavali.”
In the Carnatic tradition, Deepavali day is inextricably linked with the memory of Muthuswamy Dikshitar, one of the Great Trinity regarded as the fathers of modern Carnatic music. The saint, who was a great Rama “bhakt” passed away on Deepavali. Vidushi Bombay Jayashri confirms this is a commonly held belief and added that the saint asked his disciple to sing a composition dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi, “Meenakshi memudam” in Raga Gamakakriya. He passed away while listening to this composition. Veena exponent Jayanthi Kumaresh reminds that Deepavali is also the day of the killing of Narakasura by Lord Krishna. It was not traditionally a day devoted to music; but if she is asked to sing, she would like to render compositions related to Lord Rama.