CENTURY OLD TRADITION OF MUSIC FESTIBAL

CENTURY OLD TRADITION OF MUSIC FESTIBAL

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RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA---------------------------Music and the *Samaveda* are manifestations of Lord Krishna. Krishna himself declared, "Among the Vedas, I am the *Samaveda*; among the gods, I am Vasava (Indra)." Perhaps this is why the fragrance of musical events permeates the atmosphere during religious festivals. One such ancient tradition brings glory to Ara while instilling cultural values ​​in the youth. The Sri Krishna Janmotsav Music Festival in Ara—a celebration where the Lord is adorned through vocal music, instrumental performances, and dance—has been flourishing for 113 years. The foundation of this festival was laid in 1914, on the occasion of Krishna Janmashtami, by the late Bakshi Brijvilas Bihari and the late Bakshi Kaushalesh Bihari. This tradition, centered at the *Thakurwadi*, has become a sanctuary for the preservation of classical arts. Currently, the festival features a continuous flow of classical music over six nights.

The late Bakshi Kuldeep Narayan Sinha, a great music connoisseur, will always be remembered for upholding the dignity of this festival—which began with *Dhrupad* and *Dhamar* styles—and for earning it nationwide recognition. Audiences and artists alike often recall him during the event. After Kuldeep-ji's passing, his son, the late Bakshi Awadhesh Kumar Srivastava, and daughter-in-law, the classical vocalist Vidushi Bimla Devi, carried forward this tradition. Now, this responsibility is being fulfilled by his grandson, the renowned Kathak dancer Bakshi Vikas.

The festival has hosted luminaries such as Bharat Ratna Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan, Padma Bhushan V.G. Jog, *Tabla Samrat* (Tabla Emperor) Pandit Kanthe Maharaj, *Tabla Samrat* Pandit Gama Maharaj, Padma Vibhushan Pandit Kishan Maharaj, Padma Bhushan Pandit Samta Prasad (alias Godai Maharaj), Pandit Ranganath Mishra, Padma Vibhushan Vidushi Girija Devi, Padma Shri Pandit Siyaram Tiwari, Pandit Ramchatur Mallick, and Padma Bhushan N. Luminaries such as Rajam and Padma Bhushan Begum Parveen Sultana, as well as the Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Vidushi Sunanda Patnaik, made this event historic.

The popularity of the music festival kept the audience constantly captivated; the engaging nature of the high-quality performances ensured a crowd remained present throughout the night. With a large number of musicians participating, the program would often conclude only at dawn, typically with *Raag Bhairavi*. The audience would be enthralled by the elaborate rendition of the *Thumri* "Bajuband Khuli Khuli Jaaye..." and the rhythmic interplay (*laykari*) between the *tabla* and the *khanjari* played by Pandit Ramdin Pathak of Darbhanga. Long-time attendees still feel a thrill when recalling the extraordinary *tabla* accompaniment provided by Pandit Rangnath Mishra to Dashrath Thakur’s *Kathak* dance.

This event, too, was affected by commercialization and economic challenges. In this era of economics, this event—which served as a reflection of divine worship and adoration—began to seem modest when compared to programs featuring massive air-conditioned auditoriums, major corporate sponsors, and stages adorned with dazzling, colorful lighting. Yet, thanks to persistent effort and struggle, the tradition of musical confluence between local youth and established senior artists continues to thrive here. Prominent figures associated with the cherished memories of this event include Banaras-based sitar player Pandit Surendra Mohan Mishra; Kolkata-based Kathak dancers Chandra Ghosh and Tandra Ghosh; Pandit Ramdin Pathak (Darbhanga); Patiala Gharana vocalist Pandit Hari Bhajan Singh; Jangli Mallik; Rikheshwar Tiwari; Hira Bhagat and Ramshakal Pandit; Chandrashekhar Pathak; Akhothghari Nagendra Narayan Sinha (alias Nandan Ji); Ramvilash Ojha; Damodar Sharan; Lakshmi; Hanuman Prasad (alias Mohan); Surendracharya; and Lakshman Shahabadi (all vocalists). Also notable are Kathak dancers Dashrath Thakur and Ram Pandey; Sarangi player Hansa Ji; Tabla players Ambika Singh, Dwarika Singh, Manan Ji, Mahavir Singh, and Arvind Krishna; Sitar players Rajendra Sharma and Damodar Pathak; Flautist Chandrashekhar Singh; and Sakhichand. The Sri Krishna Janmotsav Music Festival remains inclusive, transcending barriers of religion and caste. In previous years, the audience highly appreciated the *jugalbandi* (duet) between the clarinet of Md. Muslim and Md. Jabbar—who arrived during the month of Ramadan—and the tabla accompaniment of Pandit Shivnandan. Renowned national vocalist Pandit Ramprakash Mishra and celebrated All India Radio singer Mohini Devi are also prominent participants in this event.