The Guru Purnima is celebrated with devotional fervour in India. With primarily an oral system of transmission, the guru was perhaps the most authentic source and interpreter of knowledge in ancient India. Despite the textual sources and commentaries on treatise, the prime tradition in the transmission of knowledge here, has always been the guru-shishya parampara or the master-disciple tradition.
The guru-shishya parampara has been the preferred and time-tested choice for training students of Hindustani music too, hence the guru continues to play a vital role in the life and grooming of a disciple. It is the guru who can unravel the mysteries of the theory, practice and philosophy of music handing it down to the disciple. In this sense, the guru is considered to be not just the provider of information, but a transmitter of knowledge and wisdom that dates back many generations. Pandit Arvind Parikh, the senior most disciple of Ustad Vilayat Khan, has done just that, by transmitting the knowledge of this great gharana, to the next generation.
The disciples of Pandit Arvind Parikh from India and abroad celebrate the Guru Purnima as an expression of gratitude to their devoted guru with a two-day festival every year in different cities of India. This year the Guru Purnima that falls on July 31, will be celebrated as a two day event on August 1 and 2 (from 9.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. on both days) at Dr. Mrunalini Devi Puar Auditorium of Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda in association with the Faculty of the Community Science & National Service Scheme, MS University, Baroda.
More than 30 disciples of Pandit Arvind Parikh will offer musical tribute to their mentor on this occasion. The inaugural day will also have Pandit Arvind Parikh offering homage to his guru in the form of a PowerPoint presentation analysing the music of his Guru Ustad Vilayat Khan and his illustrious gharana. Last year during the Guru Purnima Festival held at Mumbai, the IGNCA had released a CD containing some rare compositions/gats played by Pandit Arvind Parikh. The DVD had the rare gats, a complete recital and rendering of a raga with full technical details.
Compositions being recorded for the students is a different story. Asked about it, the musician replied“I have prepared an MP3 containing 428 gats (compositions) comprising 366 gats and 62 compositions with detailed explanations. These are meant for use of students only. The recording has been done over a period of almost 20 years i.e. from 1996 to 2014. A catalogue covering full details, has been prepared for the benefit of students.”
It is amazing to see how Pandit Arvind Parikh sits through the long hours on both the days every year, and takes detailed notes of each and every performer individually, so that he would later discuss it with them in detail and provide them guidelines for public performance accordingly.
The festival attracts a large number of music lovers too who can attend it free of cost and even participate in discussions on the following day. It is also an occasion to meet like-minded people and share musical thoughts. The enriching experience makes one feel and pray, “May the Guru Shishya Parampara flourish, igniting the flame of wisdom from Guru to Shishya i.e. from one generation to the next…!
