Varanasi : The Day the Music Died.
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Aman Nath Mishra, 73, a sitar exponent, in Benaras
The story first appeared in the Bangkok Post, 2014.
As elsewhere, music in India has its origins in religion. Hymns sung to the temple Gods eventually began to be organized into ragas. It was just as well that Varanasi, the holiest Indian city, with some of the holiest temples, shrines and ghats, became a cauldron of music and musicians.
From Tansen in the fifteenth century to Pt Ravi Shanker in the twentieth, Varanasi nurtured a panoply of musicians. Music thrived, as did the musicians. Varied music styles and instruments evolved in these schools of music (gharanas) and people flocked to them from far and wide. Even the Bhakti movement saints- Kabir, Ravidas, Ramananda – all of whom hailed from Varanasi, used music to spread their message of humanity. Blessing them all, was the Hindu God Shiva, Varanasi’s presiding deity, a god -among other things- of dance and music.
It is just as well that Varanasi is romanticized by writers, the media and the lay tourist as a great cultural hub- an Indian microcosm of sorts , pulsating with mysticism, ancient traditions, classical arts and an unique way of life. But like the Ganga flowing through it, Varanasi today, is shorn off all its ancient charms. Music is one of them. The sounds of the sheenai, the tabla, the sitar are now being swallowed up in the cacophony of a crowded, congested city, bursting at the seams. Living in neglect, the musicians now take any opportunity to flee the city. Music concerts are more on Bollywood themes, and Indian classical music as a consequence gets a short shrift. Students wishing to learn Indian classical music are few and far between and there is a real danger of some of the classical traditions vanishing and the old instruments falling silent forever.
Anshuman Maharaj, 28, a Sarod exponent, says tudents come to him for guitar lessons instead.
“There is no young student playing sarod in Varanasi. No one wants to learn it. I have students who come to me to learn classical guitar not sarod”, laments Anshuman Maharaj, a 28-year-old sarod exponent. Even Banaras Hindu University, which has a fairly comprehensive music department has no sarod or santoor teacher.
The late Ustad Bismillah Khan, who was conferred the highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna for his contribution to shennai, had virtually lived in poverty in Varanasi all his life. He had famously written to the Center that he had no money to pay his rent.
“People see that Bismillah Khan got the highest award but he remained poor, so they think what’s the point of all the struggle,” says Haji Mehtab Hussain, Bismillah Khan’s eldest son.
He says that there is more respect for Indian Classical musicians abroad. “They known more about our music now,” he says.
Narinder Mishra, 50, a sitar exponent says they value Indian classical music more abroad.
This is also a sentiment echoed by sarangi maestro Santosh Mishra. “We are losing our own traditions. A time may come when we might have to go abroad to learn our own classical arts from the Westerners. His two children who are both musicians chose not to live in Varanasi. One lives in Switzerland and the other in the US.
And west is where most musicians are headed. Those who are too old to shift bag and baggage look forward to their annual invitations abroad. Most Varanasi musicians inevitably get a summer invite for concerts and workshops overseas. There for once they feel they are being given their due. They are treated as royalty and students flock to them.
“There is no encouragement for the younger lot here. There is nothing to motivate them”, says Aman Nath Mishra, 73, a sitar player, who goes to Italy every year for a month for performances.
All the musicians here believe that Varanasi’s musical heritage can be restored if a music academy, which they have been demanding for decades, is set up in the city.
“The government is deaf. It doesn’t want to listen. Ten times in front of me, Rajan and Sajan Mishra and Girja Devi ji (all famous classical singers) appealed to the government for a music college where musicians could pass their knowledge on to students,” says Kaniyalal Mishra, a sarangi exponent.
Santosh Mishra,58, sarangi player says many traditional arts like sarangi, sarodh and shenai may die out one day
The need for a music academy in Varanasi is underscored by the fact that artists like Girja Devi who left Varanasi to live elsewhere said that they would have never left Varanasi if the city had its music academy.
Today, the smattering of musicians who still live in Varanasi teach from their homes to mostly foreign students who come to learn from them because of its exotic appeal.
The fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose Chhannulal Mishra a famous Hindustani singer, to propose his name from Varanasi is being seen by the musicians as a positive sign.
But not all are hopeful. “Bismillah Khan asked for petrol pumps for his sons rather than a music academy. Had he insisted on the academy, the government could have complied. With him dead, I am not so hopeful,” says Kuber Nath a tabla player.
Some like Kaniyalal Mishra blame it on the politicking musicians themselves “Every musician wants that the academy should be made on their recommendation. Not otherwise,” he says.
While a lot of right noises have been made on Varanasi’s dirt, pollution and overcrowding, precious little has been said on the cultural degradation of this ancient city. Will the music heritage of Varanasi ever be restored? All eyes are now on the Modi government.
Kanaiyalal Mishra, sarangi player says musician have been begging for a music academy in Banaras for years.
Haji Mehtab Hussain, 70, eldest son of late Ustad Bismillah Khan – says Music has gone from Banaras.
Kuber Nath, a tabla player in Banaras
Classical Hindustani singer Pt. Channulal Mishra who proposed Narendra Modi’s name from Varanasi.
A place where traditional/classical music is as regular a fare as fastfood is at metros, it’s appalling our PM’s chosen constituency is in such cultural shambles.
Considering the PM’s clarion call for preserving our ‘cultures’ & ‘traditions’ and ethos, the pathetic condition of our musicians takes away any hope one may have from the government in making life better for these artistes.
Don’t know much about the rest of the country, but classical music – vocal & instrumental – is quite popular at centres such as Kolkata & Chennai. It’s heartening to see regular programmes featuring novices and advanced players being conducted free-of-cost across the city. This is an encouraging practice.
Am sure a lot of youngsters do find the classical arts interesting, and perhaps a lot of them do not pursue it due to ‘practical’ reasons – the stability factor and earning potential of such pursuits is questionable. However, with the Internet, a lot of them are ‘exporting’ their skillset to a discerning audience, not only within the country, but also abroad.
It’s a small population at the helm of this struggle to keep our heritage alive, but there are pockets of hope even in the most dismal of scenarios. 🙂
Lovely piece. Thank you for highlighting this aspect of Varanasi.