BABU LALAN JI WAS A SAINT OF MUSIC: SPEAKERS

BABU LALAN JI WAS A SAINT OF MUSIC: SPEAKERS

15-JUNE-ENG 2

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA------------------------As part of the death anniversary observance fortnight, a discussion was held today to mark the death anniversary of the nationally renowned *Mridang* player, Shatrunjay Prasad Singh, at the Bhikhari Thakur Cultural Stage located within the local bus stand complex. The event was led by poet Nand Kishore Singh "Kamal," while Narendra Singh 'Patrakar', the founding president of the research institute, conducted the proceedings.

Speaking at the discussion titled "Babu Lalan Ji: His Personality and Contributions"—organized under the banner of the Bhikhari Thakur Social Research Institute—speakers such as Dr. Kiran Kumari, Advocate Ashok Kumar Singh, employee union leader (Gop faction) Suman Kumar, teacher Munna Rai, Uttam Singh "Shashi," Dr. Kumar Shilbhadra, Vyas Kamlesh Anand, Deepak Singh, and senior theatre artist Dr. Anil Kumar Singh hailed Babu Lalan Ji as a "saint of music." They noted that despite hailing from a *Zamindar* (landlord) family, he dedicated his life to the art of music. He organized such significant classical music programs at the 'Jamira Kothi' in Ara that the town earned the moniker "Mini Banaras" in the realm of arts. There was hardly any renowned musical lineage (*Gharana*) in the country that did not visit Jamira Kothi; at a mere invitation from Babu Lalan Ji, celebrated singers from across the nation would eagerly come to perform. Stalwarts of classical music considered it a privilege to visit the venue.

The speakers highlighted that, alongside music, the family (Babu Lalan Ji) also contributed significantly to the field of education; the Hit Narayan Kshatriya School and the Shatrunjay Prasad Singh Music College stand as tangible examples of this legacy. He was truly peerless in the art of playing the *Mridang*.

Before the discussion began, guests paid floral tributes to the statues of Babu Lalan Ji, Ustad Bismillah Khan, and Bhikhari Thakur. The event concluded with a two-minute silence observed in tribute to Agniveer Danish Alam, who lost his life in a helicopter crash. Prominent among those present were Md. Sagir Alam, Sanjay Kumar Singh, theatre artist Dharmshila Devi, Jitendra Paswan, Binod Kumar Singh, naturopath Nand Kishore Ram, senior theatre artist Md. Sarfaraz, Ambuj Akash, journalist Ashwini Kumar Pintu, Pappu Singh Piyaniya, Vijay Kumar Singh, and theatre artist Sanjay Kumar Singh.