Sandesh May 2016 Final

SPIC MACAY
For Private Circulation Only
Vol. 21, Issue 3, May 2016
SANDESH
TO INFORM & INSPIRE
NEWSLETTER
Official Newsletter of the Society for the Promotion of Indian Classic Music And Culture Amongst Youth
IIT-GUWAHATI GETS READY TO HOST

4TH INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
IIT Guwahati is ready to host the 4th

International Convention (InterCon) of
SPIC MACAY from 9th to 15th May 2016.
This is in continuation of the tradition of
SPIC MACAYs 32 previous conventions
(earlier called National Conventions)
that have been held every year since
1986. The organizing team has worked
hard for the week-long event.
The inaugural function on 9th May will
be chaired by the Hon'ble Governor of
Assam and Nagaland Sh. P.B. Acharya,
who is also the Chairman of Advisory
Board of SPIC MACAY-Assam in the
presence of Dr. Jitendra Singh, Hon'ble
Union Minister for Science & Technology
and DONER, and Sh. Sarbananda
Sonowal, Hon'ble Union Minister of
Sports & Youth Affairs. The inaugural
function will be followed by the flute

recital of Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia
and dance by Guru Ghanakanta Bora
(Sattriya).
The InterCon is the culmination of the
year long programs conducted all over
the country. It is an annual congregation
of people from across the world who
shall spend one week in a unique
ashram-like atmosphere. During this
period participants will be severing all
ties with the outside world and would
adhere to the routine prescribed for
them. The week-long experience is
designed to teach one the difficult
practice of connecting with the within.
At SPIC MACAY we believe that watching
and listening to great masters in their
respective traditions can elevate people
to much higher levels than the mundane

existence of beings.
One of the aims of this InterCon would

also be to introduce the North-Eastern
heritage to students with intensives and
concerts showcasing various art forms
from this part of India.
The convention will consist of concerts

and intensive workshops of classical
music, dance, crafts and other art forms
by great artists over seven days. A
regular day at the convention will begin
with waking up at 3.30 am during the
very special time called the Brahma
Mahurat, doing Yog or meditation for
three hours. This would be followed by
Shramdaan, with an idea to give back a
cleaner place to the hosts than what we
received.
Continued on page 25
CONVENTION SPECIAL ISSUE
INSIDE
-PAGE 3Our Host City:
Guwahati
-PAGE 4A Day At
The Convention
-PAGE 5Convention
Schedule
-PAGE 7Artistes At The
Convention
-PAGE 12Craft Artists At the
Convention
-PAGE 17Conceptual Corner
-PAGE 18I Feel Strongly
-PAGE 19News From States

-PAGE 22SPIC MACAY
Abroad
-PAGE 23In Remembrance
-PAGE 26ConventionsThe Way Ahead
OUr GRACIOUS HOST

IIT Guwahati was established
in 1994 as the sixth member
of IIT fraternity. The campus is
located on a sprawling 700 acres
area towards the northern bank
of Brahmaputra, 20 kms from the heart of the
city. With the majestic Brahmaputra flowing by
the side, overlooking hills and many lakes on
the campus, IIT Guwahati is perhaps the only
IIT that is nestled in pure natural beauty. It will
certainly provide an ideal environment for the
SPIC MACAY delegates for enjoying the riches
of our cultural heritage during the convention.
IIT Guwahati also boasts of a very unique

course, introduced only in 2015, as part of its
curriculum called the SA Course. It is specifically
designed to promote Indian Classical Culture
amongst students. The course offers a choice
between Sattriya dance, classical instrumental
and classical vocals, all taught by "Artists in
Residence".
Smt. Anwesa Mahanta, Sh. Devanand Pathak,
Smt. Anita Mahanta and Smt. Bhaswati Sarma
are some of the resident artistes. The course
has received an overwhelming response as
over 60 students enrolled in the first batch. A
Dear Delegates,
huge increase is anticipated in the enrolment

for the next session, thus making IIT Guwahati
play a major role in the promotion of Indian
Classical Music and Culture amongst the future
generation.
IIT Guwahati has had a long association

with SPIC MACAY. It hosted the North East
Regional Convention and the Virasat series in
August 2014. This convention witnessed some
inspirational performances from artists like
Sh. Buddhadev Das Gupta, Smt. Ileana Citaristi,
Sh. Wasim Ahmed Khan, Us. Shahid Parvez and
others.
WELCOME TO iit guwahati
IIT Guwahati is all set to welcome all of you for the 4th International Convention (InterCon) of
SPIC MACAY to be hosted from 9th to 15th May 2016.
The inaugural function on 9th May will be chaired by the Hon'ble Governor of Assam and
Nagaland Sh. P.B. Acharya who is also the Chairman of Advisory Board of SPIC MACAY-Assam
in the presence of Dr. Jitendra Singh, Hon'ble Union Minister for Science & Technology and
DONER, and Sh. Sarbananda Sonowal, Hon'ble Union Minister of Sports & Youth Affairs.
The inaugural function will be followed by the flute recital of Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia and
Sattriya performance by Guru Ghanakanta Bora.
The convention will have performances and intensive by eminent artistes. All the artistes and
delegates will be housed in the gratifying campus of IIT Guwahati for the entire duration of the
convention.
All through the week, delegates will begin the day with Yoga in the Brahma Muhurat, carry on
the day with intensives followed by afternoon concert and evening concerts. Holistic food will be
served to keep the delegates energised the entire day.
Looking forward to a pleasant and memorable stay for all delegates and volunteers at IIT.
With Best Wishes ,

Prof. K. Mohanty
On behalf of the 4th InterCon Organising Committee
Sandesh
May 2016
OUR HOST
guwahati: THE ANCIENT CITY
UWAHATI, the largest city of Assam, located on the

banks of the mighty Brahmaputra river, is the gateway
to North East India. Also known as the City of Temples,
the city boasts of the famous Kamakhya Temple, which is
one of the Shaktipeeths in India; and the ancient Umananda
Temple located at the Peacock Island in the middle of river
Brahmaputra.
Guwahati was known as Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam. It
is said that the ancient cities of Pragjyotishpura and Durjaya
(North Guwahati) were the capitals of the state of Kamarupa
under the Varman and Pala dynasties. Dispur, the capital of
Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati
and is the seat of the Government of Assam.
Guwahati's myths and history go back several thousand

years. Although the exact date of the city's beginning
is unknown, references in the epics, Puranas and other
traditional histories of India lead many to assume that it is
one of the ancient cities of Asia. Epigraphic sources place the
capitals of many ancient kingdoms in Guwahati. It was the
capital of the kings Narakasura and Bhagadatta according to
the Mahabharata.
Located within Guwahati is the ancient Shakti temple of
Goddess Kamakhya in Nilachal hill (an important seat of
Tantric and Vajrayana Buddhism), the ancient and unique
astrological temple Navagraha in Chitrachal Hill, and
archaeological remains in Basistha and other archaeological
locations of mythological importance.
The Ambari excavations trace the city to the Hindu kingdoms

of Shunga-Kushana period between the 2nd century BC and
the 1st century AD. Descriptions by Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang)
reveal that during the reign of the Varman King Bhaskar
Varman (7th century AD), the city stretched for almost 15
kms. It remained as the capital of Assam until the 10th-11th
century AD under the rule of the Pala dynasty.
The city was also the seat of the Borphukan, the civil
military authority of the Lower Assam region appointed
by the Ahom kings. The Borphukan's residence was in
the present Fancy Bazaar area and his council-hall, called
Sandesh
May 2016
Dopdar, was about 300 yards to the west of the Bharalu

stream. The Majindar Baruah, the personal secretary of the
Borphukan, had his residence in the present-day deputy
commissioner's residence.
The Mughals invaded Assam 17 times and were defeated by
the Ahoms in Battle of Itakhuli and Battle of Saraighat. During
the Battle of Saraighat, fought in 1671, the Mughals were
overrun due to the strong leadership of Lachit Borphukan.
The great embankment called Mumai-Kota Gorh, named
after an incident in which Lachit had to slay (Kota) his
own maternal uncle (Mumai) for being lazy in building the
embankment (Gorh) that runs along the outskirts of the city,
stands as a proof of the hard work and war-readiness on the
part of the Ahoms.
The city experienced a brief period of Burmese rule during

the Burmese invasions of Assam from 1817 to 1826. After
the First Anglo-Burmese War, the city became a part of the
British Indian Empire vide Yandabo Treaty 1826. Later
the city was an active site of the Indian independence
movement, being the birthplace of many independence
activists.
A TYPICAL DAY AT THE CONVENTION

3:30 am
Wake Up
7:00 am 7:15 am
Shramdaan
8:45 am - 9:00 am
Movement time
4:00 am 7:00 am
7:15 am 8:45 am
9:00 am 12:00 noon (Fixed)
Yog
Personal time and Holistic Breakfast
Intensives / Workshops
12:00 noon 1:00 pm
Holistic Lunch
1:15 pm 4:45 pm (Fixed)
Folk / Theatre / Cinema Classic / Talk /

Performances
1:00 pm - 1:15 pm
Movement time
4:45 pm - 5:45 pm
Holistic Dinner
6:00 pm 9:30 pm (Fixed)
Performances
5:45 pm 6:00 pm
9:30 pm - 9:45 pm
10:00 pm
Movement time
Movement time
Lights Off
Sandesh
May 2016
SCHEDULE*
4th International Convention at IIT-Guwahati, 9th May 15th May 2016
DATE
Mon
09 May
TIME
SESSION
ARTIST
ART FORM
12 noon 12:45 pm
1:00 1:45 pm
2:00 - 4:45 pm
Welcome Performance
Manik Bora Borbayan
Bor Geet
Hariprasad Chaurasia
Ghanakanta Bora
Flute
Sattriya
Tarapada Rajak & Group
Purulia Chhau
6:00 7:00 pm
Tue
10 May
Wed
11 May
Thu
12 May
Fri
13 May
Sat
14 May
7:00 7:15 pm
Lighting of Lamp &

Inaugural Ceremony
Stage Setting Time
9:00 12 noon
1:15 3:30 pm
Meeting with Intensive Gurus

Performance
7:30 9:30 pm
Performance
1:15 4:45 pm
Performance
4:15 4:45 pm
6:00 9:30 pm
Presentation
Performance
6:00 9:30 pm
Performance
3:45 4:45 pm
Talk
1:15 4:45 pm
Performance
1:15 3:45 pm
6:00 9:30 pm
6:00 9:30 pm
Cinema Classic screening
Performance
Performance
12:15 2:15 pm Intensive Presentations
9:30 am
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May 2016
Performance
3:30 4:15 pm
8:30 pm
onwards
Sun
15 May
Holistic Lunch
Orientation for ALL participants by Kiran Seth & Kaustubha Mohanty
Overnight
'Vivekananda' by Shekhar Sen
Aruna Mohanty
Thanil Singh & troupe
Ulhas Kashalkar
Bihu dance (Assam)
Mizo Choir (Mizoram)
Hojagiri dance (Tripura)
Naga dance (Nagaland)
Wangla dance (Meghalaya)
Lion dance (Sikkim)
Theatre
Odissi
Raas Sankirtan
Hindustani Vocal
North Eastern Folk
Rajendra Gangani
Girija Devi
Kathak
Hindustani Vocal
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt

TV Sankaranarayanan
Gurbani
Warsi Brothers (Qawwali)
Sooryagayathri (Bhajan)
Naga/ Mizo (Choir)
Monks from Tawang Monastery
Malavika Sarukkai
Rajan & Sajan Misra
Mohan Veena
Carnatic Vocal
Prayer and Music
Kagemusha' by Akira Kurosawa
Cinema Classic
Bhalchandra Nemade on Nativism Talk
By all participants
Bharatanatyam
Hindustani Vocal
L Subramaniam
Carnatic Violin
Ashwini Bhide Deshpande
Hindustani Vocal
Margi Madhu
Kudiyattam
Ravikiran
Chitra Veena
F. Wasifuddin Dagar
Dhrupad
Heritage Tour options: Kamakhya & Umanand Temple / Hajo - a centre for Buddhists,
Muslims & Hindus / Sualkucchi - Town known for silk weaving handloom units
*Subject to change
LIST OF CRAFT & CLASSICAL INTENSIVES

10th May to 14th May / 9am 12 noon
SL.
NO.
NAME
Akshay Bariki
Pattachitra
Painting
21
Kalyanmal Sahu
Picchwai Temple
Art
Ambica Devi
Madhubani
Painting
23
Malabika Mitra
Kathak
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Amaljith
Anant Malakar
Aruna Mohanty
Ashwini Bhide
Deshpande
Balu Mhase
Bhalchandra
Nemade
Ranjit Gogoi
Brahmakumaris
D Padma
F. Wasifuddin Dagar
Ghanakanta Bora
Adhiraj Deb Varma

Irshad H Farooqi
Ishwar Naik
Lokendrajit Singh
Jamini Payeng
Japani Shyam
Kalyan Joshi
ART FORM
4-7
am
Also
Kathakali
22
24
Sholapith
25
Odissi
Hindustani Vocal
26
27
Warli Painting
28
Creative Writing
Bihu Dance
SL.
NO.
29
Meditation
30
Dhrupad
32
Cheriyal Mask
Making
Sattriya
Hojagiri Dance
Calligraphy in
Wood Carving
Chittara Painting
Manipuri
Handloom
Weaving
Gond Tribal
Painting
Phad Painting
31
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
NAME
Lion Dance
Manendra Deka
Manik Bora
Borbayan
Manimal Chitrakar
Manjula Murthy
Margi Madhu
Mizo Choir
Mohd Muslim Dyer

Along Longchar
Nandan Kudhyadi
Omkar Dadarkar
R K Padmanabha
Ragini
Chandershekar
Ram Soni
Swami Tyagaraj Bihar School of Yoga

Tarapada Rajak &
Group
Wangala Dance
P.L. Dhar
ART FORM
4-7
am
Also
North East Folk
Bamboo Weaving
Bor Geet
Patua Painting
Mohiniattam
Kudiyattam
North East Folk
Bandhej
Naga Dance
Cinema
Appreciation
Hindustani Vocal
Carnatic Vocal
Bharatanatyam
Sanjhi Paper
Cutting
Hath Yog
Purulia Chhau
North East Folk

Mindfullness
Sandesh
May 2016
ARTISTES AT THE CONVENTION*

*These Profiles are in order of the Artiste's performance as given in the Convention schedule
Hariprasad Chaurasia Flute

Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia is a
world renowned classical flautist
(bansuri). Chaurasia trained under
famous flute player Pt. Bholanath
Prasanna of Varanasi for eight
years. He joined the All India Radio,
Cuttack in 1957 and worked as a
composer and performer. Much
later he received guidance from the reclusive Annapurna
Devi, daughter of Baba Allaudin Khan. He has collaborated
with several western musicians, including John McLaughlin,
Jan Garbarek, and Ken Lauber, and has composed music for
Indian films too. He is also the founder of Vrindavan Gurukul
in Mumbai and Bhubaneshwar. Both of these institutes are
dedicated to training students in Hindustani Bansuri in the
Guru-shishya parampara. He is recipient of Sangeet Natak
Academy 1984, Padma Bhushan 1992, Padma Vibhushan
2000 among many others.
Ghanakanta Bora - Sattriya
'Bayanacharya'
Ghanakanta
Bora is one of the most eminent
exponents and gurus of Sattriya
dance, a major classical dance
tradition of Assam. He received
training under several gurus at
the famous Kamalabari Sattra
of Majuli, Assam. A teacher of
eminence,
Ghanakanta
Bora
has been training students in
the Sattriya dance and allied
disciplines for many years. He
received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2001.
Shekhar Sen Theatre
Sh. Shekhar Sen is a singer, music

composer, lyricist and actor. He is
famous for his mono act musical
plays which are researched,
written, composed, enacted and
directed by him.
Sandesh
May 2016
He was honoured with the

Padma Shri in 2015 and also
appointed as chairperson for
Sangeet Natak Academi in same year by the Government

of India.
Tarapada Rajak Group Purulia Chhau Dance
Sh. Tarapada Rajak leads the

group of Chhau dancers from
West Bengal. The history of
the Chhau dance, which has
its origins in West Bengal
is unknown but some date
it to 12th century when
tribals in the Purulia region
established their own rule in
the thick forest areas. Chhau
is a mask dance which is a
blend of dance and martial
arts. Almost every family in
Purulia masters the nuances
of the Chhau. The tribal belt where the tribals perform
Chhau dances is distributed into three adjoining states,
Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. After the dissolution of the
princely states in 1947, the three forms of Chhau are named
after the district or village where they are performed, i.e.
the Purulia Chau of Bengal, the Seraikella Chhau of Bihar
and the Mayurbhanj Chhau of Orissa.
Aruna Mohanty- Odissi
Smt Aruna Mohanty is a

renowned Odissi dancer. She
was initiated into dance at
an early age by Guru Srinath
Rout & Guru Govind Charan
Pal and nurtured by Guru
Gangadhar Pradhan himself.
She combines extensive
research,
lessons
from
her Guru and innovative
thinking
to
produce
scintillating choreography.
Her repertoire includes a
variety of ballets, Astapadis
from Geeta Govinda, Khamaj Pallavi and Siddhartha based
on Hermann Hesse novel. She has been a visiting faculty
in the University of California-San Diego. She received
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2010. Four out the seven
ARTISTES AT THE CONVENTION
recipients (for Odissi) of the Bismillah Khan Award (by

SNA) for young dancers, have been her students.
Sougaijam Thanil Singh - Manipuri
Sh. Thanil Singh is a renowned

Manipuri dancer and Nata
Sankirtana
performer.
He
received his early training from
his father as well as Guru Tombi
Sharma, Guru Bhaigchandra
Singh and Guru Koireng Singh. He
also studied at Jawaharlal Nehru
Manipur Dance Academy, Imphal
and went on to join it as a member
of faculty and later became its
Pradhan Guru while superannuating as the director of the
institution. He has performed on many stages in India and
abroad. He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in
1994 and Padma Shri in 2005.
Ulhas Kashalkar Hindustani Vocal
Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar, son of Shri N.D.

Kashalkar and disciple of Sh Ram
Marathe and Pt. Gajananbua Joshi,
blends Gwalior, Agra and Jaipur
gharana gayaki with authenticity
and aesthetic excellence. He
has performed at some of the
most prestigious venues in
the world and is the recipient
several awards including the
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2008 and Padma Shri in
2010.
Rajendra Gangani - Kathak
Pt. Rajendra Gangai is a Kathak

dancer trained in the Jaipur
Gharana and is notable for his
innovative style. Disciple of Pt.
Kundanlal Gangani, Rajendra
ji started training in the art of
Kathak at the early age of four.
He graduated from the Kathak
Kendra, Delhi in 1984 and ever
since has made significant
contributions to this field. He
stands out for his style; making use of his excellent blend of
manly grace and delicacy, he depicts the devotional aspects
that characterises Jaipur gharana. For his outstanding
contribution to Kathak, he received the Sangeet Natak
Akademi Award in 2003.
Girija Devi Hindustani Vocal

Vidushi Girija Devi sings in the
Banaras gharana and performs the
Purabi Ang Thumri style typical
of the tradition, whose status she
helped elevate. Her repertoire
includes the semi-classical genres
Kajri, Chaiti, and Holi and she sings
Khyal, Indian folk music and Tappa.
She is considered as the "Queen Of
Thumri". She was conferred the
Padma Shri in 1972, the Padma
Bhushan in 1989, the Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award in 1977 and the Padma Vibhushan in
2016.
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt Mohan Veena

Creator of the Mohan Veena,
Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt has
mesmerized the world with his
pristine and delicate yet fiery
music. Owing to his maiden mega
efforts, the guitar was rechristened
as Mohan Veena and is now
established at the top most level in
the mainstream of Indian Classical
Music scenario. He received the
Grammy Award in 1993, the
Sangeet Natak Academi Award in 1998 and the Padma Shri
in 2002.
T. V. Sankaranarayanan Carnatic Vocal

T.V. Sankaranarayanan is an
eminent
Carnatic
vocalist,
known for his vibrant music. His
emotion-laden style of singing
has won him a large following
among music lovers. He has
performed widely in India as
well as abroad and has several
albums to his credit. He is the
recipient of the Sangeet Natak
Academi Award (1990), the
Padma Bhushan (2003) and the
and the Sangeet Kalanidhi Award
(2003).
Warsi Brothers - Qawwali

Nazeer Ahmed Khan Warsi and Naseer Ahmed Khan Warsi
were born in Rampur. They are the music bearers of the gayeki
Sandesh
May 2016
of Dilli gharana and are noted for

their melody and improvisation.
They are recognised especially for
their traditional Sufiana Qawwali,
Ghazal, Thumri, Bhajan and
Classical Bandish. The brothers
jointly received the Sangeet Natak
Akademi Award for their contribution to Qawwali.
his M.B.B.S. at Madras Medical College but decided to pursue

music full-time. Since 1973 Subramaniam has amassed over
200 recordings to his credit, releasing several historic solo
albums, recording collaborations with world musicians like
Yehudi Menuhin, Stphane Grappelli, Ruggiero Ricci and JeanPierre Rampal, Ruggiero Ricci, Herbie Hancock, Joe Sample,
George Harrison and several others.
Smt Malavika Sarukkai is a classical

dancer
and
choreographer
specializing in Bharatanatyam.
Intense,
extraordinary
and
luminous are the qualities that
distinguish Malavika Sarukkais
dancing. With her artistic mastery
and technique, she commands
a presence on the world stage.
She is acclaimed globally for her
creative dance choreographies. A
2002 winner of the Sangeet Natak
Akademi Award, she was honoured with the Padma
Shri in 2003.
Smt Ashwini B. Deshpande,

an outstanding vocalist of
the famed Jaipur-Atrauli
Khayal Gayaki tradition,
represents
the
new
generation of veterans.
She pursued her career in
music after completing her doctorate in Biochemistry from
the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. She is the recipient
of the Government of Maharashtra Sanskritik Puraskar
for 2011 and the Sahyadri Doordarshan Sangeet Ratna
Puraskar for 2010.
Malavika Sarukkai Bharatanatyam
ajan and Sajan Mishra Hindustani

R
Vocal
Pt. Rajan and Pt. Sajan Mishra are

brothers and renowned singers of
the khayal style of Indian classical
music. Part of a 300-year-old
lineage of khayal singing of the
Banaras gharana, the Mishra
brothers have been performing to
audiences all over the world for
many years. They were awarded
the Padma Bhushan in 2007 and
the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1998.
L. Subramaniam - Carnatic Violin
Sandesh
May 2016
Dr L Subramaniam is an
acclaimed violinist, composer
and conductor, trained in the
classical Carnatic tradition and
also Western classical music. He is
renowned for his virtuoso playing
techniques and compositions in
orchestral fusion. Subramaniam
developed a passion for music as
well as science from a young age,
studying Medicine and acquiring
Ashwini Bhide Deshpande

Hindustani Vocal
Margi Madhu Kuddiyatam

Sh. Margi Madhu's portrayal
of characters on the stage of
venerated Kudiyattam is beyond
belief. A recipient of many
prestigious awards such as the
Sanskriti National Award for
young artists and the Kerala
Kalamandalam Award, Margi
Madhu is known for the intense
rendering of characters that he
plays. The artiste is currently
working as Assistant professor
in the Department of Theatre,
Sreesankaracharya University of
Sanskrit in Kerala.
N. Ravikiran
Sh Ravikiran is a Carnatic
musician, considered one of the
most celebrated prodigies and
musicians whose been performing
since the age of two. A slide
instrumentalist and vocalist from
age 5, a composer, guru, author
& orator, he is also the creator
of the concept Melharmony in
world music. Son and disciple of
revolutionary "prodigy-maker" Chitravina Narasimhan, he

is the grandson of famous musician Gotuvadyam Narayan
Iyengar. He is also hailed as the Mozart of Indian music.
Ravikiran made his first appearance in 1969. He has over
700 classical compositions to his credit which include
varnam, krti, javali, tillana and padam. He received the
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2007 and has numerous
other recognitions to his credit from around the world.
Linguistics from Deccan College, Pune and Masters in English

Literature from Mumbai University. Nemade taught English,
Marathi and comparative literature at various universities,
including the School of Oriental and African Studies at
London. In the 1960s Nemade also edited Marathi magazine
Vacha. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award (1990) for
his critical work Teeka Svayanwar, Padma Shri in 2011 and
Jnanpith Award in 2014.
Us. Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar

is a classical singer of the
Dhrupad genre and the son
of renowned dhrupad singer
Ustad Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar.
Since the death of his father
and later his uncle, Wasifuddin
has been singing solo. He was
awarded the Padma Shri in
2010.
RK Padmanabha is a well known

Carnatic musician. He started
learning music only at age 25.
His music is characterized
by discipline, tradition. His
strong hold on both Lakshya
and Lakshana (practical and
theoretical) aspects of music,
makes his lecture demonstrations
a treat to both the classes and
masses. He established Sharada
Kala Kendra in 1990 and has
been tutoring many young musicians ever since. He has
150 compositions, several varnams, krithis and thillanas,
which are easily appealing to even a lay man. He has created
ragas like Hayasya, Manasollasini, Prabhamani, Ramasudha.
Has published many books and cassettes with notations.
Received 64 awards including Karnataka Rajyotsava.
Developed two residential layouts where roads and plots are
named after ragas! Worked for 30 years with SBI. Has great
enthusiasm for sports and won Volleyball, Kho Kho, Kabaddi
tournaments during his college days. Also a theatre actor
and has portrayed the role of the music trinity, Purandara
Dasa, Muthuswamy Dikshitar, Tyagaraja & Shyama Shastri
F. Wasifuddin Dagar Dhrupad
Sooryagayathri - Bhajan
is a ten-year-old girl born to a

Mridangam player father from
a remote village Vadakara in
north Kerala. She is truly a gift
of God and an amazing bundle
of talent. She has been singing
Carnatic music ever since she
was five-years-old. Soon she
started singing devotional songs
and thereafter she has been
giving public performances. On
one such concert she even sang some bhajans that had
been earlier sung by the great Smt. M.S. Subbalakshmi
and received rave reviews. The little girl is continuing
with her music education with all commitment and
devotion.
Artistes for Intensives

Bhalchandra
Nemade - Writer
is a Marathi writer, famous for his

books "Hindu" & "Kosala". Nemade
was born in the Khandesh region
of Maharashtra. He received his
bachelor's degree from Fergusson
College in Pune and Master's in
10
R.k. Padmanabha
Ragini Chandershekar
Smt
Ragini
is
the
finest
Bharatanatyam dancers of her
generation.
Trained by her
mother Jamuna Krishnan and
later by legends like Kalaimamani,
K.N.
Dakshinamoorthy
Pillai,
Kalanidhi Narayanan and Usha
Srinivasan, she is an accomplished
classical singer too. She is also
trained in Nattuvangam and has
conducted several performances
of other dancers. Equipped with
her superlative training, her art reflects her own unique
sensibilities. Her nritta (pure dance) sparkles with the
kinetics of movement and space, her abhinaya flows into
the subtle spaces within. She has performed at several
Sandesh
May 2015
prestigious festivals both at home and abroad. In recognition

of her brilliant talent as a young performing artiste, she has
been conferred with the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar
by the Sangeet Natak Akademi.
Manjula Murthy
Smt Manjula Murthy is a

Mohiniattam
dancer
whose
passion for this dance form led
her to seek guidance of the late
Kalamandalam
Kalyanikutty
Amma, the renowned pioneer who
revived this art. She later studied
at Nrityagram, the Gurukul of
late Protima Gauri Bedi, which
culminated in nine year tutelage
by the acclaimed Mohiniattam
Guru Bharathi Shivaji. She has
taken part in most productions by her Guru. She is the
recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademis Bismillah Khan Yuva
Puraskaar for2009 and received Nritya Jayantika title from
Mayadhar Raut Institute of Odissi.
Kalamandalam Amaljith
Sh Amaljith is a senior artist

cum teacher. Born in a family of
traditional Kathakali dancers, his
grandfathers Champakulam Pachu
Pillai & Dr. Guru Gopinath were
well known Kathakali dancers. At
the age of 12 he started learning
under his grandfather. After his
initial training he joined Kerala
Kalamandalam, Trichur. In 2000
he joined the International Centre
for Kathakali, New Delhi as a
teacher-cum-artiste. He has also worked and learned under
the Sadanam. Balakrishnan. He has been teaching students
and has performed extensively in India and abroad. In 2009
his performance of a fusion dance , incorporating five classical
dance forms of India for the Incredible India campaign in New
York won rave reviews. He has been awarded the Bismillah
Khan Yuva Puraskar 2010 and Natana Praveena award from
Guru Gopinath Trust, Kottayam
among many others.
Wanghkhem
Lokendrajit Singh
Lokendrajit Singh has been a flag

bearer of Nata-Sankirtana, one
Sandesh
May 2016
of the pillars of Manipuri dance. A dedicated guru, he is an

exemplary choreographer too.
Omkar Dadarkar
Sh Omkar Dadarkar comes from a

family of Natyasangeet exponents.
He has been trained by legends
like Ram Deshpande; Hirabai
Barodekar and Yashwantbua Joshi
in Guru-Shishya style and has also
learnt from Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar
at ITC-SRA; Girija Devi in thumri
and Srinivas Kale for abhangs
and natyasangeet. He is presently
an instructor at ITC Sangeet
Research Academy, Kolkata. He
has performed all over India and
abroad. He is also recipient of Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar
(2009) from Sangeet Natak Akademi.
Malabika Mitra
Smt Malabika Mitra started

dancing at the age of 3 and was
groomed by Guru Ramgopal
Mishra of the Jaipur gharana
and Guru Om Prakash Maharaj
of Lucknow. She also trained
with Sh Vijay Shankar and
attended
workshops
under
Pt. Birju Maharaj and Sitara
Devi. A graduate in medicine,
she applied this knowledge to
develop a better understanding
of the body and its movements in
dance. She has choreographed several dance productions
based on literary works in Bengali and Sanskrit. She has
performed at national and international dance festivals
like Khajuraho, Konark, Edinborough, Bath and others.
She received Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2011 and
Eminent Dancer recognition 2004 from the Govt. of West
Bengal among other such awards.
Apart from the above mentioned artistes, there will be others
too who shall be taking the week long intensive / workshops
at the 4th international convention:
Swami Tyagaraj from Bihar School of Yoga

(Hath Yoga), Brahmakumaris (Meditation),
Nandan Kudhyadi (Cinema Appreciation),
Ranjit Gogoi (Bihu), PL Dhar (Mindfulness)
apart from a few folk dances of North East.
11
CRAFT INTENSIVES AT THE CONVENTION

PHAD PAINTING
Born in the land of folklore Rajasthan, the Phad paintings
are huge paintings done on cloth, and depict stories of the
local deities and gods. Scale of the figures in the painting
depicts the social status of the character in the story. What
is also interesting is that the figures face each other, not the
audience..
About the Artist : Kalyan JOSHI

Sh. Kalyan Joshi comes from
Bhilwara, Rajasthan. He is
the son of world renowned
Phad artist Sh. Lal ji Joshi.
Phad means folds or refers
to rolling and unrolling
of scrolls made of starchprimed cloth. Its a tradition
that goes back almost 700
yrs. Joshi has been honoured
with National Merit Award in
2006. National Award, State
Award (Rajasthan), UNESCO
Award, Gourishankar Mehta
Award among others.
MADHUBANI PAINTING
Madhubani painting or Mithila painting is a style of Indian
painting practiced in the Mithila region of Bihar and the
adjoining parts of Terai in Nepal. The painting is done with
fingers, twigs, brushes, nib-pens and matchsticks, using
natural dyes and pigments, and is characterized by eyecatching geometrical patterns. There are paintings for each
occasion and festival such as birth, marriage, Holi, Surya
Shasti, kali puja, Upanayanam, Durga Puja etc.
About the Artist : Smt. Ambika Devi

Hails from Rasidpur village
in Madhubani district, Bihar.
Devi learned the craft of
Madhubani painting from
her mother, Smt. Leela
Devi, at the age of 12. She
has been engaged in this
traditional folk painting
12
(Scroll-painting) for the last 40 year and has received

many national and State awards. She has also been invited
to a number of European and Asian countries. She also
participated in Marie Claire - Dastkar fashion show, which
brought together 15 designers with craftspersons from all
over India to create trendy garments using traditional crafts
in their own influential style.
PICHWAI TEMPLE ART
Pichwai paintings are cloth paintings that depict the scenes

from the life of lord Krishna and are used as the backdrop for
his idol in the Nathdwara temple, near Udaipur. Nathdwara
is famous for the pichwai paintings. The main theme of these
pichwai paintings is lord Shrinathji and his exploits. Pichwai
paintings are made in dark rich hues on rough hand spun
cloth. These paintings have deep religious roots and are
executed with the utmost devotion of the painters.
About the Artist : KALYANMAL SAHU
Sh. Kalyanmal Sahu comes

from Ajmer, Rajasthan.
He has been working on
Pichhwai temple art for
the last 40 years. Pichwai
style is from the Nathdwara
School in Rajasthan, and is
identified by characteristic
features like large eyes,
broad nose and a heavy body, similar to the features on the
idol of Shrinathji, an incarnation of Lord Krishna. Sahu was
awarded national award in 2011.
PATUA FOLK PAINTING
In Bengali, "Pat" means "scroll" and "Patua" or "Chitrakar"

means "Painter". The origin of the painted scrolls is very
ancient. We could find some in the Pharaohs' graves in
Egypt. In India the first description of these painted scrolls
can be found in a sacred text dated 200 B.C.
About the Artist : MANIMALA CHITRAKAR
Manimala Chitrakar learnt to paint in the 1970s from her

grandparents with whom she traveled across villages
singing stories and painting scrolls. Her paintings depict
mythological stories of deities as well social themes
Sandesh
May 2016
such women's education and

empowerment. She has received
several awards at state and
national levels, including an
award from the Indira Gandhi
Folk Art Museum in Bhopal. She
has travelled with her paintings
to exhibitions and shows in the
UK, Thailand, New Zealand and
the US.
The unique feature of these

hangings was that instead of
being hung behind an icon, four to
five hangings were used to form a
shrine for the goddess.
GOND TRIBAL PAINTING

The word Gond comes from the Dravidian expressionkond,
meaning the green mountain.The work of Gond artists is
rooted in their folk tales and culture, and thus story-telling
is a strong element of every painting.
About the Artist : Ms. Japani Shyam
Ms. Japani Shyam is the

daughter
of
legendry
Jangarh
Singh
Shyam.
Jangarh Singh had named
her Japani after his visit
to Japan which was his
favourite country. She is
the youngest recipient of
Kamla Devi Award in 1999
(at age 11) and has held
exhibitions at popular art
gallaries around the world.
Japanis main motif is animals and birds, their struggle
for food, their sense of camaraderie and different moods.
Another motif is the world of rituals & beliefs among the
Gonds.
WARLI PAINTING
Warli is the vivid expression of daily life and social events of

the Warli tribe of Maharashtra, used by them to embellish
the walls of village houses. This was the only means of
transmitting folklore to a populace not acquainted with
the written word. This art form is simple in comparison
to the vibrant paintings of Madhubani. Mostly women are
engaged in the creation of these paintings. Painted white
on mud walls, they are pretty close to pre-historic cave
paintings in execution and usually depict scenes of human
figures engaged in activities like hunting, dancing, sowing
and harvesting.
Sandesh
May 2016
About the Artist : Balu Mahse
Sh. Balu Mahse is the son of legendary

Warli painter Jivya Soma Mhase. His
pictorial style is rooted in the tradition
of Warli, with rhythmic, simplified
forms representing the complexities
of the world around him. In 2007, the
artist exhibited his paintings along with
his father at Gallery Chemould. Balu
continues the tradition of Warli painting along with his
brother Sadashiv Mashe.
CHERIAL SAWDUST MASKS
Cheriyal Scroll Paintingis a stylized version ofNakashi art,

rich in the local motifs peculiar to the Telangana region.
The scrolls are painted in a narrative format, much like
a film roll or a comic strip, depicting stories from Greek
mythology, and intimately tied to the shorter stories
from the Puranas and Epics. Earlier, these paintings were
prevalent across Andhra, and also in various other parts of
the country, albeit flavoured with their distinct styles and
other local peculiarities dictated by the local customs and
traditions.
About the Artist: D. PADMA

D Padma is an accomplished
artist of the Cherial art
form in which she likes
to create scroll painting,
sawdust dolls and masks.
She has organized various
workshops across the
country and was a State
Award winner for the year
2009.
CHITTARA TRIBAL PAINTING

Indian tribal art has a great potential because of its
traditional aesthetic sensibility and authenticity. Chittara
is a form of intricate painting done on walls using natural
colours; indigenous to the Malnad region of Karnataka
and practiced mainly by tribal women of the Deevaru
community. The art form is known for distinctive
designs, which are treated with intriguing motifs,
reflecting the creative energy found in rural areas that
acts as an undercurrent to the craftsmanship of the tribal
people.
About the Artist: ISHWAR NAIK
Sh. Ishwar Naik hails from Uttarkannada district of

Karnataka. He graduated from renowned theatre school
Ninasam Heggudu in Shivamogga, Karnataka. He is the
13
biggest torch-bearer of Chittara

painting style which is usually
practised by women. He also runs
a full time school named Chittara
Chawadi to teach this art and is
given credit for single-handedly
reviving the art form. He has been
honoured by President of India,
has received Kannada Rajyotsawa
Award in 2007 and the National
Award for his painting Aradhana
Chitra.
PATTACHITRA FOLK PAINTING

Pattachitra is a term for traditional, cloth-based scroll
painting based in Odisha. In Sanskrit "Patta" means cloth
and "Chitra" means picture. Most of these paintings depict
stories of Hindu deities and specially inspired by Jagannath
and Vaishnava sect. All colours used in the Paintings are
natural and paintings are made fully old traditional way
by Chitrakaras that is Oriya Painter. Pattachitra style of
painting is one of the oldest and most popular art forms of
Odisha
About the Artist: Akshay Bariki

Sh. Akshay Bariki has been
contributing to this art form for
the last 18 years. He received the
national award in 2011 and WCC
UNESCO award in 2014. He works
on Pattachitra painting, Tussar
painting, saree and dress painting,
palm leaf etching and wood
painting.
SHOLAPITH
Sholapith or Shola Pith (also referred to as Indian cork) is a dried

milky-white spongy plant matter which can be pressed and
shaped into delicate and beautiful objects of art. Shola grows
wild in marshy waterlogged areas. Traditionally sholapith
products were used in decorating Hindu idols and in creating
the headgears of brides and grooms for a traditional Bengali
wedding. Almost similar to thermocol, which is artificially
produced, sholapith is much superior to thermocol in terms
of malleability, texture, lustre and sponginess. In Bengal
this craft is mainly practised in the districts of Bardhaman,
Murshidabad, Birbhum, Nadia, Hooghly and Malda
About the Artist: Shilpguru Ananta MALAKAR
Shilpguru Sh. Ananta Malakar is a master craftsman from

West Bengal who turns out impressive decorations from
14
the sholapith plant. He

belongs to the traditional
Malakar
community
whose knowledge of the
craft is hereditary. He
was awarded ShilpGuru
title in 2004. He has
several state, national and
international awards and recognitions to his credit. In 1970
a documentary "Ananta's dream" was commissioned by Govt.
of India on him.
SANJHI PAPER CUTTING
Sanjhi, the art of hand cutting designs on paper, is typical

art of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, the legendary home of
the god Krishna. Traditionally, motifs from the Krishna
stories are created in stencil and used to decorate spaces
during festive seasons, or are used for filling in with colors
in water and on the floors of temples. The cutting process
requires enormous skill, concentration and patience, and
the fine detail is achieved with specially designed scissors.
Of late, striding latticework patterns of Mughal origin as
well as more contemporary themes have been introduced
to widen the repertoire
About the Artist: Ram Soni

Sh. Ram Soni is custodian
of an ancient art form
that his family has been
practising for at least 350
years. He has shown his
work at the Nehru Centre
in London. He won the
National Award in 2002.
It is his dream to start a
Sanjhi museum.
CALLIGRAPHY IN WOOD
About the Artist: Irshad Hussain Farooqi
Sh. Irshad Hussain Farooqi is a

self taught practitioner of one of
the rare crafts in India, Farooqi
is the only calligrapher in India
who does Calligraphy on wood.
He also learnt urdu calligraphy
from master calligrapher Ustad
Anees Siddiqui. He has been
honoured with the prestigious
Kalanidhi Award by Haryana
govt. in 2009 and the Moulana Qazi Sajjad Hussain Award
at Ghalib Academy. He has also received the National
Award.
Sandesh
May 2016
HANDLOOM
BAMBOO WEAVING
Handloom weaving forms a cultural constituent of

the woman of Assam. In earlier days most of the cloth
required for the family was produced in the family
itself. Home made cloths are Mekhla and Patani (lower
garment of the women), chaddar (upper garment of the
women), gamocha (towel), dhuti, bed sheet, eri (endi), etc.
Assam is rich in sylvan resources and most of its forests are

richly stocked with bamboos and canes of various species.
Bamboo is a raw material of great versatility and forms an
integral part of the lifestyle and economy of Assam. The
making of bamboo and cane products is perhaps the most
universal of all the crafts practiced by a large number of
artisans scattered throughout the State. It is practiced as
a household industry and no mechanical device is used.
Cane and bamboo products are used for a wide range
of purposes and extensively used in every household.
About the Artist: Jamini Payeng
Smt. Jamini Payeng is a

master weaver from Majuli,
Assam. She has been working
on traditional handlooms and
weaving intricate patterns on
it. She is a five time national
award winner. She has also
received award from Craft
Council of India in 2015 and
Craft Council of Mangalore.
She has been associated with SPIC MACAY since 2009.
Sandesh
May 2016
About the Artist: Manendra Deka

Sh. Manendra Deka comes from
Barpeta, Assam. He has been working
with bamboo and cane craft for the
last 30 years, continuing the family
legacy. Has been awarded National
Merit Certificate in 1991 and National
award in 1998.
15
gurukul Scholarship Scheme
Establishing a Bond
By Ranjani Govind
n 30 years, SPIC MACAYs Gurukul Anubhav Scholarship

scheme has benefitted nearly 2,500 students from rural
schools across the country
Can young students imagine going to a gurukul to learn music

in this day and age? SPIC MACAY (Society for the Promotion
of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth) in 1986
stepped in to provide opportunities for students residing in
far flung areas of each state in the country with the Gurukul
Anubhav Scholarship Scheme. In 30 years, have seen 2,500
students attend the gurukuls.
This year nearly 200 students from various schools will

be attending. They will be selected on merit and will get
an opportunity to attend lessons conducted by illustrious
musicians, says Supriti, Karnataka State Co-ordinator, SPIC
MACAY. A student is given an opportunity to stay with a guru
for a month during the summer vacations and observe the
ethos that exists in the system of education and living.
They bring in gurus from classical music/dance, arts, yoga,

and social service disciplines. This year SPIC MACAY will have
its gurukul conducted at Welham Boys School, Dehradun
where six gurus will teach 90 students. Apart from this,
students will also be sent to Vrindavan Gurukul in Mumbai,
ITC SRA at Kolkata and Gangubai Hangal Gurukul at Hubli.
Acclaimed gurus, who are part of this experience are

also looking forward to the exercise. The Gurukul is not
aimed at creating artists. It is to use art as a catalyst and
medium to facilitate holistic excellence in the lives of
children, says N. Rajam, acclaimed Hindustani violinist.
More and more children need to be part of this Gurukul
scheme so that our values are not lost, feel other senior
gurus. Its gratifying to be part of something as this. I wish
more students are given the exposure to learn away from
their surroundings. It helps open up ones personality and
builds a Guru-Shishya relationship, says the renowned
Pandit. Hariprasad Chaurasia who has been part of SPIC
MACAYs initiatives.
How different is the flute maestro Chaurasia as a guru? At
our Gurukul there is no formality and set time-table. No one
16
is forced to do anything. The environment is so conducive

that it inspires one to watch, practice, listen, write from 6 in
the morning to 9 at night, says Chaurasia.
I was thrilled to be selected for the Gurukul as it is oncein-a-lifetime opportunity that helped me stay and learn from
the maestros in music who have only been our models, says
a Gurukul scholarship recipient Tejaswini Vernekar, who
started learning Hindustani as a five-year-old.
For Tejaswini, daughter of a KSRTC driver from Kumta in

Karnataka, it was a dream come true. Learning and staying
in the Gurukul with icons as Pt. Ulhas N. Kashalkar, Ustad
Mashkoor Ali Khan was so rewarding. It helped me get
admission at ITC-SRA in Kolkata and helped me in furthering
my musical pursuits, says Tejaswini whose parents came all
the way from Karnataka to settle down in Kolkata and see the
daughter pursue music studies.
Tejaswini went on to become the junior scholar at the ITC
Sangeet Research Academy. My Guru, Sri Kumar Mardur ji
helped me mend my ways paying attention to even minute
details. I was taught the right pronunciation of each swara,
techniques of breathing, breath control and a lot of such
seemingly basic, yet profound aspects, says Tejaswini
Email: scholarship@spicmacay.com
Courtesy: The Hindu
Sandesh
May 2016
Convention Special Issue
Imbalance
Dr. Kiran Seth
CONCEPTUAL CORNER
report in the newspaper once stated that

a sum of Rs 19 crore had been raised for
Narain Karthikeyan, the Formula One car
driver, in endorsement for him. On the other hand
Kuttiyattam, declared as one of the masterpieces of
the oral traditions of humanity, not by the Indian
Government but by UNESCO, stands on very shaky
grounds due to a lack of support. A large amount of
media space is given to a Sania Mirza when she goes
past the first round of a tennis tournament but late
Ustad Bismillah Khan got just a small mention when
he performed.
This imbalance has resulted in a gross devaluation of
what this country has to offer to the world. We are all
aware of the fact that the globe has shrunk. This has
resulted in a big melting pot of all cultures in which
every country is contributing its own bit. An eminent
philosopher has stated that Indians are going to this
pot empty-handed, not because they have nothing to
offer, but because they do not know what they have.
This is the direct result of the imbalance referred to.
When computers first came into existence, they were

bulky and limited. Diodes and triodes gave way to
transistors, which in turn developed into integrated
circuits, bringing down the size and pushing up the
computing power of these useful machines. It would
be very unfortunate if the entire process of research
and development that has brought us to this stage
was suddenly lost.
Similarly our ancestors have conducted extensive
research in the inner domain, using the body as a
laboratory for several centuries. The results that they
obtained in this intangible domain were and still are
useful to mankind. It would be sad if even some of
these were lost due to our negligence. While moving
forward to catch up in different areas with the rest of
the world, let us not forget what invaluable treasures
our ancestors have bequeathed us, from which not
only us but the entire world can benefit.
This article appeared in a previous issue of Sandesh
Sandesh
May 2016
fOOD FOR tHOUGHT
here is a
story of
Bamboo
and
Fern.
When both are
planted side by
side, the fern
sprouts quickly
and the small plant with shiny green leaves actually
leaves a spell on the beholder. Nothing happens
to the bamboo seeds for three or four years and
slowly a tiny bulb emerges which then grows quite
tall over the years, as almost a 100 feet majestic
bamboo tree.
The reason why the seed took so much time to grow
is that unseen by us, it first establishes very, very
strong roots under the soil. It first grows INSIDE
before growing outside.
Our relations can grow like a bamboo tree only
after establishing stronger roots. The fern can fade
away leaving the tall bamboo tree to prosper. In
life each relationship will surely have feelings and
differences. Both coexist. We need to realise our
mistakes that allow these differences to grow more
than the feelings to grow.
A very valuable morale of the story is that whenever

there is a combination of feelings and differences in
a relationship, we must recognize the feelings and
allow oneself to melt in the feelings rather than get
frozen with differences.
It has been a situation of heavy rains challenging
our lives. I was asking for lighter rains. I should
have instead asked for a better umbrella and that
would have been a better attitude.
By CS Pancham
17
I Feel Strongly...
Art is necessary to strike a balance between the creative and the cognitive parts of brain,
says ARCHIT VERMA, final year student of Delhi Technological University.
n the short time that I have been associated with SPIC

MACAY, my exposure to art, music and Indian culture has
increased manifold. My initial idea about SPIC MACAY being
just a society to promote art and dance changed with my first
real experience of being a volunteer during the IIT Bombay
convention in 2015, and I soon realised it was so much more.
In the one year that I have been associated with SPIC

MACAY I've learned a lot. But it was the basic principle
of volunteerism or 'Nishkaam Seva' which I found to be
the most striking. I realised how powerful the idea of
volunteerism is, and how every successful movement
was led by volunteers. This principle if applied in other
areas of the society can lead to a revolution of sorts.
The convention had an ashram-like environment where

students from all parts of the country and abroad came I come from an engineering background and the idea of
someone being interested in both
together to learn from the most eminent
technology and arts seemed strange at
gurus and each other. The rigorous
In
SPIC
MACAY
I
that time. But surprisingly, I discovered
schedule starting with yoga at 4am
discovered
that
both
both the aspects in myself and realised
followed by intensive workshops by the
that they have a lot in common. They
gurus in various disciplines enabled us to
technology and art
are both creators. As with composers,
become very productive and disciplined. It
are
about
creating.
architects,
and
writers,
what
was overwhelming to be taught with such
engineers
and
painters
are
trying
to
As
with
composers,
personal attention by such learned gurus.
architects or writers, do is create something with a purpose.
As my choice for intensive I had selected
In the course of creation they often
what engineers
Phad Painting. Having not used a paint
discover something new in the art
brush for many years, and having seen
or execution, and hence contribute
and painters are
the intricacies involved in this I thought it
to the knowledge of the field. Also,
trying to do is create
was going to be a difficult thing to learn.
I feel that art is necessary to strike a
something with
But Guru Prakash Joshi was amazingly
balance between the creative and the
patient and taught me from the basics.
cognitive parts of one's brain, and
a purpose. In the
one adds to the function of the other.
I was able to create a piece I am proud of
course of creation
and more importantly, I realised that I
I'll always be grateful to SPIC MACAY
they often discover
could be creative as well. Despite getting
for making me start this journey
something new and
no more than five hours of sleep a day, it
of exploring the world outside and
was the one week of my life when I felt
within and for showing the way
hence contribute to
most energetic and productive. We have
to go forward. I still have a long
the knowledge of the
great potential, both to do and to learn,
way to go and I hope I continue to
field.
irrespective of the age we realise this at.
help the movement grow, as I do.
Technology, like art, is a soaring exercise of the

human imagination..."
Daniel Bell, American sociologist at Harvard
18
Sandesh
May 2016
State News
<< News From STATES >>

DELHI
Under its annual series the Delhi/NCR chapter celebrated
World Dance Day (29th April) for the entire month of April.
This was a tribute to the great dancers and dance forms of
India.
During this period (11th April to 3rd May) there were

regular performances by more than 10 renowned dancers
at various educational institutions across the city. Some
of the artistes who performed were: Guru Singhajit Singh
and Charu Sija [Manipuri], Smt Shovana Narayan [Kathak].
Smt Geeta Chandran [Bharatnatyam], Pt. Rajendra Gangani
[Kathak], Smt. Madhavi Mudgal [Odissi], Su. Ileana
Citaristi [Odissi], Smt. Rama Vidyanathan [Bharatnatyam],
Smt. Uma Sharma [Kathak], Smt. Ranjana Gauhar [Odissi]
and others.
There were also workshops by Smt. Meenu Thakur
[Kuchipudi] and Smt. Malti Shyam [Kathak] in schools.
Some of the educational institutions that celebrated

World Dace Day were: Modern School Barakhamba Road,
Humayum Road and Kundli branches; Presidium Group of
schools in Ashok Vihar, Indirapuram, Gurgaon & Dwarka;
DPS-Indirapuram, Queen Marys, G.D. Goenka group.
Khaitan Public School-Noida, KIET Ghaziabad, Uttam
School for Girls Ghaziabad and DPS-Vasundhara among
others.
World Dance Day is celebrated very graciously by the

institutions that hold these programmes for enriching and
inspiring the younger generation to keep such traditions
alive.
RAJASTHAN
MUSIC IN THE PARK

The annual and most popular classical music event for Jaipur
residents Music in the Park (MIP) was organized under
the banner of SPIC MACAY yet again at the Central Park on
13th February 2016. Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
performed at the event and was accompanied by Pt. Shubh
Maharaj and Sh. Anubrat Chatterjee on Tabla. Dr. Devendra
Pathak, Vice Chancellor of K.N. Modi University-Newai,
felicitated Ustad ji.
The second edition of MIP 2016 was held on 9th April 2016
where legendary Dr L Subramaniam gave a splendid violin
performance. He was accompanied by his son Sh. Ambi
Subramaniam.
Sandesh
May 2016
The violin recital was followed by taal chakra, a duet between

Ghattam and Mridangam by Sh. Burra Sriram (Mridangam)
and Sh. Vaikom Gopalakrishnan (Ghatam).
All the Music in the Park initiatives are supported by
Rajasthan Tourism.
HIMACHAL PRADESH
A two-day BASANT FESTIVAL was held for the Shimla
community and students to welcome spring and celebrate
regeneration of life from February 26 to 27, 2016. Seasons
are something we take for granted these days. They are under
extreme stress and increased volatility in the Himalayas and
are also getting increasingly unpredictable.
Through this series SPIC MACAY tried to do its bit to raise

environmental awareness and bring this to the audience's
attention to reflect and start a conversation.
The two day event saw performances by Dr Kamala Shankar
(Hindustani Guitar) and Vidwan R Kumaresh (Carnatic
Violin) at the historic Gaiety Theater on The Mall. The unique
aspect of this series was that both the artiste first performed
for school and college students during the day time and gave
public concerts in the evenings.
On day 1, February 26, Dr Kamala Shankar gave a Lec-Dem

at the Gaiety Theatre where university, college and school
students were invited to interact with the artist. About 160
students attended this Lec Dem. On the second day, Vidwan
Kumaresh demonstrated his Carnatic violin to almost 140
students from Kendriya Vidyalaya and Himachal University.
Kumaresh explained to students about the emergence and
evolution of music and also imparted knowledge about the
seven notes
On both days the evening public concerts were packed to
capacity with more than 200 people in attendance.
MAHARASHTRA
The Pune chapter organized a North East Festival that had

performances by Manipuri Dancer Smt. Dhanarani Devi and
Purulia Chhau by Sh. Chinibas Mahato. There were a total
of 11 programs at 6 institutions in 3 different cities covering
more than 6500 students.
This was the first time that such elaborate arrangements were
made for a North East dance fest. Almost 22 artists toured for
7 days in February 2016. Their lodging, food and transportation
responsibilities were given to various schools and colleges and
they ably managed to deal with the big challenge.
19
State News
Thanks to Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT-Pune)

and Riverdale High School for making it work. We are
grateful to MIT for sharing the major chunk of expenses. We
also had program at Zilla Parishad School in Lasur village,
which was also sponsored by local benefactor. This village
program was itself an experience to all as it was conducted in
a temple premises and we had Mahishasur Badh by Purulia
Chhau group in the temple. It was applauded by students
and villagers alike. This tour also included First SPIC MACAY
program in Nashik at the DPS.
At the end, it was the smile and excitement on young
students faces at the end of the program that was worth all
the efforts. We are sure these 6500 students will now cherish
these programs for life and become aware of our rich cultural
heritage.
A Virasat series was also held at Government College of

Engineering, Pune (COEP) from 7th to 9th March 2016.
Following artistes participated in the series: Us. Irshad Khan
(Sitar), Pt. Jayteerth Mevundi (Hindustani Vocal), Manjusha
Patil Kulkarni (Hindustani Vocal), Nancy Kulkarni (Dhrupad
on Cello) and Smt. Rajashree Shirke (Kathak).
The chapter also observed International Women's day on
8th March with performances by Smt Manjusha Kulkarni and
Nancy Kulkarni. Smt Rajashree Shirke performed for the first
time for SPIC MACAY.
TELaNGANA
Hyderabad Chapter hosted Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh (Saraswathi

Veena) from 9th to 11th March, 2016. Dr. Jayanthi performed
at various educational institutions during this period.
KARNATAKA
Smt Prerana Shrimali had a wonderful circuit of Mysuru,

Mandya and Bengaluru where she gave 9 performances. Her
lasya bhava swept away everyone in the audiences.
Dr Kiran Seth at NITK
Dr. Kiran Seth visited NITK-Surathkal on 8th February for a talk

that was organized by the Department of Applied Mechanics.
Prior to the talk Dr Seth interacted with various groups of
people about the movement in three separate events.
Dr Seth and Mr Arun Sahay attended the SPIC MACAY Regional

Meet on 7th Feb held at NITK. Dr S G Mayya graced the occasion
with his presence. Dr Rajamohan, Principal, Govinda Dasa
College, Surathkal, an important partner of the movement,
was also present. Su. Supriti, Vidya and Basava also came
from the Bengaluru chapter. The problems faced by the NITK
chapter and the different ways to overcome it were discussed
in the meeting. The meeting was followed by Lunch.
Later that evening there was an interaction with students
of NITK. Dr Seth and Arun ji interacted with students and
20
inspired them with their tales. They made them realize the
Spirit of Nishkaam Seva.
Next day, i.e. on 8th Feb, prior to the talk, Dr Seth also had
a brief meeting with some of the faculty of NITK. This was
followed by the talk on Innovative Optimization.
TAMIL NADU
Coimbatore chapter had its inaugural concert by Sh. Shashank

Subramanyam (Carnatic Flute) on 28th and 29th March 2016
at PSG Institute of Management and other schools.
A formal Coimbatore Chapter was inaugurated in December

2015 during the National School Intensive held at DPS
Coimbatore in the presence of Dr Kiran Seth and senior
volunteers, music lovers, representatives of various
institutions of Coimbatore city. Sriram Krishnan has been
selected as the convener of the Coimbatore chapter. He and
his team of dedicated volunteers has been working hard to
organise more activities in the region.
KERALA
Summer vacation workshops in Govt and Govt-aided

schools have been started by the Kerala chapter in various
parts of the state. The first one was organized at Govt. Higher
Secondary School, Perassannur, Malappuram Distt. with two
art forms - Koodiyattam/Nangiar Kooth (Dr. Aparna Nangiar)
and Mural Painting (K.R. Babu) from 2nd to- 7th April 2016.
This was the first time that a workshop on Koodiyattam/
Nangiarkooth was held by a SPIC MACAY chapter in Kerala,
otherwise this particular dance drama is performed only
during conventions.
We were thrilled with the positive feedback with almost
42 students participating. In five days time they even
managed to learn a few Sanskrit Slokas in order to give a
good presentation, complete with Abhinaya.
Similarly for the painting workshop too around 45 students

enrolled themselves. It was heartening to see the enthusiasm
considering this was a rural school with majority of the
students coming from very poor living standards. All students,
teachers and parents were happy with the programme.
UTTARAKHAND
A week-long 'Virasat' was held from 28th March to 2nd April

2016 in various cities of the state. The artistes were Smt.
Geeta Chandran (Bharatnatyam), Pt. Ronu Majumdar (Flute)
and Us. Kamal Sabri (Sarangi). We covered Sirinagar, Garhwal,
Rishikesh, Mussoorie, Selakui and Dehradun for a total of
17 programs.
The travel, hospitality and most of the honorarium was taken

care of by the chapter itself. In the month of March schools
are almost impossible to get due to examinations, therefore,
programs were held mostly in Universities and Academies.
Sandesh
May 2016
State News
DEHRADUN ON A ROLL
SPIC MACAY Dehradun chapter has been earnestly striving
to bring glimpses of the rich art forms of the country to the
students and youth in Uttarakhand. Since April 2015, we have
been able to do around 370 programs along with Roorkee
and Kumaon Chapters.
From April to December 2015, Uttarakhand was able to get
artists like Bombay Jayashree, Jayanthi Kumaresh, Ranjana
Gauhar, Saroja Vaidyanathan, Partho Sarathy, Shubhendra
Rao, Parvathy Baul, Ritvik Sanyal, Sombala Kumar, Rajendra
Prasanna amongst others, who performed extensively in
Uttarakhand.
Beside Lec-Dems, Uttarakhand was able to do 95 Workshop

Demonstrations in various art forms like Bharatanatyam,
Odissi, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Sattriya, Dhrupad, Theater,
Garhwali Folk and various Craft Workshops reaching out to
thousands of students and covering almost every district in
Uttarakhand. These were done with the help of SSA, RMSA,
Uttarakhand Government and IMS Unison University.
After hosting the 1st Winter National Convention at IIT
Roorkee, SPIC MACAY Uttarakhand started with graceful
Mohiniattam by Smt. Neena Prasad at 8 venues in Dehradun
and Mussoorie in the month of January 2016.
February started with lec-dems of Kathak by Monisa Nayak

where she reached out to students in 6 schools and provided
an enriching experience to the youth about her art form.
Six programs of Shehnai by Ashwani-Sanjeev Shankar were
held at Dehradun. It was after a long time students got to
know about this beautiful instrument -Shehnai.
Before the end of month of February, Dehradun witnessed yet
another melodious circuit of Shankar Guitar recital by Kamala
Shankar where she enthralled the students to the sounds of
Shankar Guitar. Six programs took place at various schools in
Dehradun and Mussoorie.
March used to be a low session for SPIC MACAY activities

due to annual and board exams going on but this time we
managed to do 21 programs which includes a week long
VIRASAT series in Garhwal region.
Kumaon region witnessed the graceful movements with

expressions in lecture demonstration of Kathak by Rani
Khanam in Nainital and Haldwani. Total 6 programs were
conducted where students were thrilled by the Chakkars
(rounds) performed by Rani Khanam.
Towards the end of March, Garhwal region hosted a week
long VIRASAT in which Padmashri Geeta Chandran ji
(Bharatnatyam ), Pt.Ronu Majumdar ji ( Flute ) and Ustad
Kamal Sabri ( Sarangi ) performed at Pauri Garhwal, Srinagar,
Rishikesh, Mussoorie , Selaqui and Dehradun in the circuit of
15 programs.
Six programs of Bharatnatyam by Padma Shri awardee
Geeta Chandran were conducted. She connected with the
Sandesh
May 2016
students of schools in Dehradun. Her repertoire included

compositions in Hindi and Tamil, yet adhering to the purity
of her art form.
Pt. Ronu Majumdar (Flute) took out time from his busy
schedule and performed in Srinagar Garhwal. Total 4
programs were done for the students in mountainous region
of Uttarakhand.
Ustad Kamal Sabri (Sarangi) performed extensively
in Mussoorie and Dehradun where he gave 5 lecture
demonstrations for students which also include IAS Trainees
at Lal Bahadur National Academy of Administration,
Mussoorie.
In year 2015-16, SPIC MACAY Uttarakhand has been able to
organize a total of 370 activities for the students and youth
only with the help of enthusiasm and zeal of its volunteers
who identify themselves with the goal of SPIC MACAY. We will
keep striving harder for greater awareness and spreading
our rich cultural tapestry to every nook and corner of the
state.
MADHYA PRADESH
In the month of February 2016, Sh Ritesh-Rajnish Mishra

(Vocal) accompanied by Sh Hitendra Dixit (Tabla) and
Sh Sumit Mishra (Harmonium) performed at Champion
International School, Khategaon, Tehsil Satwas, (Dewas
District), Bhandari Public School (Khandwa), Gyanodaya
School (Mhow), and Truba College of Engineering and
Management (Indore).
Efforts were undertaken to invite and encourage students

to apply for the Gurukul Anubhav Scholarship Scheme 2016
and also for the 4th International Convention at Indian
Institute of Technology, Guwahati between 09 May 2016 to
15 May 2016.
EXPERIMENT WITH
PLAY SCHOOLS
For the past 4 years, Dr Kiran Seth has been
experimenting with Play School children in the
age group of 2 to3 years. Whenever he gets time
off from his morning classes at IIT-Delhi, he does
a little naad yoga with young children for about an
hour. It has been a wonderful learning experience.
These children respond very positively to the
exercises and are seen to be improving in their
overall cognitive skills. Such exercises can be very
effective in a child's growth. If our next-generation
has to succeed in becoming better humans, in the
long run, this could be worth exploring.
21
SPIC MACAY Abroad

ABU DHABI
Sitar Lec-Dem at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Ram Manch' at Bhavans school reverberated with rhythm and
music when the Abu Dhabi Chapter of SPIC MACAY organized
a Lec-Dem by Sh. Sameep Kulkarni (Sitar) accompanied
by Sh. Arvind Paranjape on the Tabla on February 23, 2016.
It was a treat to the ears for hundreds of students who had
gathered to listen to Sh. Kulkarni play the electric sitar who
kept everyone spell bound by effortlessly stretching from
one note to another.
The Lec Dem also included an interactive session with
students and parents who were eager for a chat with the
renowned musician. On a lighter note Sameep ji also shared
his wide experience in music and how he enjoys managing
both his passion music and his IT profession. He also took
time to clarify certain doubts put forward by students. The
event was a memorable experience that will be cherished by
all music lovers and students for a long time.
HONG KONG
Pt. Partho Sarothy performs at HK University
Sarod maestro Pt. Partho Sarothy, accompanied by

Sh. Nishikant Barodekar (Tabla) gave two performances
between March 14-15, 2016 in Hong Kong. On the 14th there
was an evening concert, open to public, at the CYM Cultural
Centre of HKU. It was a wonderful evening that started with
Raag Madhuvanti and ended with Raag Bhairavi enthralling
the audience no ends. It was most heartening to see a packed
theatre even on a Monday evening.
A Lec Dem was held on 15th March for young school
students of Clear Water Bay School. Young pupils, as young
as 5-yrs sat in rapt attention as they listen to the maestros
and learnt about Indian classical music many experiencing
it for the first time in their life.
All expenses relating to the travel, lodging & other expenses

for this tour were ably raised by the volunteers of HK
22
chapter. We congratulate Viveik Saigal, chief coordinator of

HK chapter and Yosha Gupta for continuing to keep the flag of
the movement flying high in foreign lands.
USA
Stanford shows the way

The Stanford University chapter has been quite active these
past few months. It began with a Carnatic violin concert of
brothers Sh. Ganesh & Sh. Kumaresh Rajagopalan on
October 4, 2015. They performed at the famous Roble Theater
to a jam-packed hall. The concert received rave reviews.
This was followed by a highly successful solo table concert

by Pt. Subhankar Banerjee on November 8, 2015 at the
Campbell Recital Hall. He is considered by many to be
the most virtuosic tabla player of his generation. He was
accompanied by his son Sh. Aarchik Banerjee on tabla and Sh.
Manoj Tamhankar on the harmonium. His performance was
generously supported by the Music Dept of the university.
This too received an overwhelming response.
The final programme under the SPIC MACAY banner was by
Sh. Sikkil Gurucharan (Carnatic Vocal) who performed on
April 1, 2016 at the Cubberley Auditorium inside Stanford
Education Building. He was accompanied by Sri. V Sanjeev
on the violin and Sh. Patri Satish Kumar on the mridangam.
Sh Gurucharan blew away the listeners with his bhava and
complexity.
But the other major highlight cum achievement of the

Stanford chapter has been conducting Indian classical
music classes called the Music 1 SL. This spring, SPIC
MACAY's Guhan Venkataraman and Devangi Vivrekar taught
introduction classes for Indian classical music to students.
They taught the basics of Indian music appreciation and
supplemented it with live demos. There were also guest
lecturers from a plethora of talent around the Bay area. The
class has so far seen a record number of attendees at 40
auditors and 15 students and has received positive feedback.
Finally, the volunteer group at Stanford is expanding. There
is more funding now with much more in the pipeline. New
officer elections are also happening. We wish the team all
the best in their endeavor to keep the Indian classical music
flourishing in their university.
Kansas University
The KU Chapter organized a concert by three great musicians:

Smt Mita Nag (Sitar), Pt Subhen Chatterjee (table) and Pt
Joydeeo Ghosh (Sarod) in a sort of jugalbandi on 27th April
2016 at the Alderson Auditorium, Kansas. The event was cosponsored by KU South Asian Studies, Student Senate and
Center for Global & International Studies.
Sandesh
May 2016
in REMEMBRANCE
Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan
Veteran
Hindustani
classical vocalist Ustad
Abdul
Rashid
Khan
passed away in Kolkata on
February 18, 2016 due to
old age problems. He was
107.
Born in 1908, in a family of

musicians of the Gwalior
gharana, Rashid Khan
received his initial training from his father Us. Chhote Yusuf
Khan and uncle Bade Yusuf Khan as also from other elders
in the family like Chand Khan, Barkhurdar Khan and Mahtab
Khan.
His family of musicians traced their lineage back to Us.

Behram Khan who was a singer of traditional Gwalior
gayaki in the royal courts. Young Abdul Rashid further
developed this style suiting his own artistic sensitivity.
His traditional compositions have been recorded by
reputed broadcasters and institutes like BBC, Iraq Radio,
UP Sangeet Natak Akademi-Lucknow and ITC Sangeet
Research Academy, Kolkata. Equally adept at Khayal,
thumri, dhrupad and dhamar, Khan sahab created several
compositions and was a prolific writer and poet under the
pseudonym Rasan Piya.
He was a regular performer in AIR and Doordarshan
and reputed national music conferences like Sadarang
Conference, Godrej Conference, Lucknow Mahotsav,
Dover Lance Conference, ITC Sangeet Sammelan, Prayag
Sangeet Samiti Sangeet Sammelan all over India and has
been felicitated by critics, fellow artists and reputed and
recognized institutions like UP Sangeet Natak Academy,
(1981), Banaras Hindu University (1993), Eastern
Zone cultural center and Press club Kolkata. He was
also a regular at various SPIC MACAY events for the last
7 years.
He also received numerous awards like ITC award (1994),

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2009), Kashi Swar Ganga
Award (2003), Padma Bhushan (2013) - the oldest person
ever to be conferred a Padma award and the Lifetime
achievement award by Government of NCT of Delhi
(2013).
Sandesh
May 2016
OUR SENIOR VOLUNTEER Col. GOPAL VERMA

(Retd.) REMEMBERS USTAD JI:
I am extremely saddened to learn about the demise of the
maestro. I remember meeting him when he had come for a
convention at Don Bosco School at Agartala in 2007. He was
a little upset with the arrangements but was as humble as a
great man could be. He told me "Gavaiya theek se khayega
ya soyega nahi to gaayega kya?" A bandish that he later
taught children there was, "Sauten Meri bairaniya" still
hums in my ears. RIP Baba...
guru Kalanidhi Narayanan

Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan
was
a
renowned
Bharatanatyam
Guru
&
Abhinaya
exponent.
She
passed away on 21st Feb 2016
in Chennai.
Born in 1928 in a Brahmin

household of Sumitra and
Ganapati, her mother was keen
on getting her dance education,
and this was supported by her father. Thus starting at the
age of seven she trained intensively under various gurus
like Kamakshi Ammal for Padams and Javalis and Manakkal
Sivarajan for vocal lessons. Noted guru Kannappa Pillai from
Kanchipuram was her main teacher. He was also the teacher
to Balasaraswati, while Chinnayya Naidu and Mylapore Gauri
Ammal taught her Abhinaya.
Kalanidhi was the early non-devadasi girl to learn this dance
form and performed on stage in the 1930s and 1940s. She
made her stage-debut at the age of 12 at the Senate House
in Chennai for the Madras Music Academy. While still in her
teens, she gave two notable recitals, one with Dhanamanikkam
and another with Nattuvanar K. Ganesan, son of the Kandappa
Pillai.
She had a brief dance career in the 1940s, before she stepped
out at the age of sixteen when her mother died and she was
married into a conservative family. She returned to dance
only in 1973 when noted art-patron, Y. G. Doraiswamy, who
had seen her performances as a teen, asked to instruct dancer
Alarmel Valli in abhinaya, to which she agreed, encouraged by
her sons who had by now grown up. This started the second
phase of her career after a gap of 30 years at the age of 46.
23
IN REMEMBRANCE
She also started to reeducate herself in dance. Luckily her

books from her younger days had survived. She started
attending dance performances and Arangetram in the city
and enrolled in a course on dance theory on Bharatanatyam
by Dr. Padma Subramanium. Gradually more students started
coming to her and in the coming decades she became "the
most sought after teacher for abhinaya".
In December 2003, various dance teachers and her disciples

celebrated her 75th birthday at the Luz Community Hall in
Chennai. It was marked by a two-day seminar on Abhinaya,
where prominent gurus of Bharatanatyam participated.
Disciples
Amongst her noted disciples are, Geeta Chandran (Delhi),

A. Lakshmanaswamy, Uma Vasudevan (Montreal), Ramya
Harishankar (California), Hema Rajagopalan (Chicago),
Subashree Narayanan (Jacksonville, FL/Bangalore, India),
Minal Prabhu (India), Priya Govind (India), Sharmila
Biswas, Madhusri Sethuraman (Plano, TX) and Meenakshi
Chitharanjan.
She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1985, Sangeet Natak
Akademi Award in 1990 and Kalidas Samman 1998.
NIDA FAZLI
Muqtida Hasan Nida Fazli,

known as Nida Fazli, was
a Hindi and Urdu poet,
lyricist and film dialogue
writer. He passed away on
8th February 2016.
Nida was born in Delhi, in

a Kashmiri family but grew
up in Gwalior where he
studied English literature.
His father was also an Urdu
poet. During the partition in
1947, his parents migrated to Pakistan but Fazli decided to
stay back in India.
While still young, Fazli was passing by a Hindu temple where
a bhajan singer was singing a composition of Soordas about
Radha sharing her sorrow with her maids at being separated
from her beloved Krishna. The poetic beauty of the Pad,
relating to the close rapport and bonding between human
beings, inspired Nida to begin writing poems.
During that period, he felt that there were limitations in Urdu

poetry. He absorbed the essence of Mir and Ghalib to express
what he intended. He was fascinated by the lyrical mood of
Meera and Kabir and widened his knowledge of poetry by
studying T. S. Eliot, Gogol and Anton Chekhov.
24
He moved to Mumbai in search of a job in 1964. In the early

days of his career, he wrote in magazines like Dharmayug and
Blitz. His poetic style attracted the notice of filmmakers and
writers of Hindi and Urdu literature. He was often invited to
Mushairas and became known among readers and ghazal
singers for his elegant presentation and exclusive use of
colloquial language for while avoiding ornate Persian imagery
and compound words to simplify his poetry.
He wrote the famous couplet: 'Duniya jise kehte hain jaadu

kaa khilona hai, Mil jaaye to mitti hai kho jaaye to sona hai'.
Some of his famous film songs include Aa bhi jaa (Sur), Tu
is tarah se meri zindagi mein (Aap To Aise Na The) and Hosh
waalon ko khabar Kya (Sarfarosh). He wrote essays critical of
contemporary poets of 1960s in his book Mulaqatein which
outraged poets including Sahir Ludhianvi, Ali Sardar Jafri and
Kaifi Azmi. As a result he was even boycotted in some poetic
sessions. His career shot up when filmmaker Kamal Amrohi
approached him for final two songs of his movie Razia Sultan.
Soon he was attracting many Hindi filmmakers.
Shortly before his death he wrote columns for BBC Hindi

website on various contemporary issues and literature. Mirza
Ghalib's works were often mentioned by him.
Nida Fazli disagreed with the partition of India and has

spoken out against the communal riots, politicians and
fundamentalism. He was honoured with the National
Harmony Award for writing on communal harmony. He wrote
24 books in Urdu, Hindi and Gujarati some of which are
assigned as school textbooks in Maharashtra. He received the
Mir Taqi Mir award for his autobiographical novel Deewaron
Ke Beech from the Government of Madhya Pradesh.
USTAD ALI AHMED HUSSAIN KHAN

Shehnai maestro Us. Ali
Ahmed Hussain Khan was
the most popular musician
in the realm of Shehnai after
Ustad Bismillah Khan. He
passed away in Kolkata on
March 19, 2016 at the age
of 77.
Ali Ahmad Hussain was son

of Ustad Ali Jaan Khan of
Allahabad and was widely
acknowledged
as
the
premier Shehnai specialist
of Eastern India. He was
born in Kolkata on 21st March 1939. His grandfather Ustad
Wazir Ali Khan of Benaras was an eminent musician who was
the first Indian to demonstrate Indian classical music on
Sandesh
May 2016
the Shehnai in London in 1910 and was even honoured by

Pt. Motilal Nehru at a grand public function.
He received his training from his maternal uncle Ustad Nazir

Hussain Khan & his paternal uncle Ustad Imdad Hussain Khan
of Benaras. He also took training from Pt. Tansen Pandey in
vocal under the Senia Gharana tradition. Soft, subtle & sweet
tones presented in a melodious manner were some of the
hallmarks of his playing the Shehnai. Purity of the raga also
depicted his solid traditional background.
His first performance was at the All Bengal Music Conference
in 1956. He regularly featured on All India Radio and
Doordarshan. He also holds the distinction of composing
the signature tune for Doordarshan along with Pt. Ravi
Shankar. He played many jugalbandis, both commercially
and in live performances with artists like Us. Vilayat Hussain
Khan & Pt. Manilal Nag on sitar, Pt. V.G. Jog on violin and Us.
Munewar Ali Khan (Hindustani vocal). His recordings are

numerous and under a variety of labels.
He also taught at the Sangeet Research Academy, Calcutta
from 1974 till almost his last days.
Ali Ahmed Hussain traveled extensively in India and abroad

over a span of twenty years. On several occasions he was
invited by governments and music festivals. He performed a
duet with pianist Peter Michael Hamel at the Indo-German
Festival and participated in the Music Festival Raag-Mala in
the U.S. and Canada in 1994.
He was awarded and feted by people across the world.

Amongst others he received the All Bengal Music Conference
Award, Award from Indian Classical Music Circle of AustinUSA, Bishwa Banga Sammelan Award & Awarded by Indian
Community at Bangdung, Indonesia.
Continued from page 1
PLEASING GREENS OF IIT-GUWAHATI

AWAIT ALL THE ACTION
Participants will then head into a three hour intense
workshop to learn classical and folk forms of music and
dance, traditional crafts, literature, arts etc from celebrated
Gurus, who have mastered her skill in that particular
art form. There will be talks by eminent personalities,
movie screenings and concerts in the afternoon. In the
evening there will be concerts by some of the most
distinguished artists like Pt. Hariprasad
Chaurasia, Dr. L. Subramniam, Smt. Girija Devi,
Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar, Smt. Malavika Sarukkai,
Pt. Rajan and Sajan Misra, Us. Wasifuddin
Dagar, Vidwan TV Sankaranarayanan and many
others. All this will be supplemented by holistic
food that provides necessary support to body,
mind and soul in this wonderful journey.
SPIC
MACAY
would
like
to
thank
Prof. Kaustubha Mohanty, Chairman, Cultural Board
IIT, Guwahati, Prof. Chandan Mahanta and the IIT
Guwahati Volunteers: Bhavin Mandalaywala, Anupam
Anand, Himansu Goyal, M. Zeelani, Kuldeep, Pragyam
Maheswari, Ishan Sharma, Paawan Talwar, Sreemoy
and Krishnanjan among others for their efforts.
On the penultimate day, participants will

demonstrate what they have learnt from their
Gurus on the stage. There will also be an overnight
concert which is the culmination of the event.
The last day has been kept for trips to heritage

sites like Kamakhya temple, Sualkucchi town and
Hoja pilgrimage centre, where participants will
have to select any one trip.
Sandesh
May 2016
25
CONVENTIONS: THE WAY AHEAD
By Robinson
ver the last year, SPIC MACAY has had more

Conventions than ever before which led to people
posing the question why so many Conventions;
when earlier there was only one National Convention.
Over the last three years we have had the annual
International Convention apart from State Conventions
which are of three days duration. The straightforward
answer would be to be there to witness the power of
the Convention to bring about positive changes during
that one week period, not only in the Children/Delegates
but also in the organising team and people who become
part of it. The lasting impression that it leaves on
those who partake of it goes a long way in inculcating
values and understanding that SPIC MACAY espouses.
There are many reasons for Why we should have more
Conventions both at National
as well as State level apart from
the Annual International one.
The length of a week-long
convention enables one to
have an empirical experience
of lasting nature. It exposes
the delegate to a wide array
of rich and diverse culture
brought forth beautifully to
enhance understanding and
awareness of traditions which
have stood the test of the time.
The schedule which is

tightly assembled allows
one to attain a discipline
and also realise the importance of time. The morning
Yoga session from 0400 a.m. to 0700 a.m. apart from the
Hatha Yoga also has Naad Yog, Dhyan Yog and Kudiyattam
enabling one to prepare the body and mind for the day
ahead. This is followed by Shramdaan (Voluntarily
offering to work physically) for half-an-hour. Post the
personal time and breakfast, one moves to the place of
one's workshop/intensives both in performing arts as
well as crafts where the finest exponents of art and craft
guide and teach the students. Each delegate is allowed one
workshop/intensive which the person then partakes of for
the whole duration of the Convention. This Session lasts
from 0900 a.m to 12 noon followed by a holistic lunch.
26
The afternoon sessions explore folk forms, theatre, talks

on art, literature and other forms by leading exponents
of the respective fields. There are also cinema classics
in the presence of the films director. This is followed
by an early holistic dinner. All these sessions are for the
registered delegates (students and others) during the
Convention. The evening session is of performances by
luminaries in their art forms and an experience which
elevates one to a whole new level. This Session is open to
others as well in keeping with the SPICMACAY philosophy.
By 10 p.m. the day ends for the experience to continue
in the same vein for the next six days. The last day of the
Convention gives the delegates an opportunity to be on stage
to share of what they have learned during the Convention in
the afternoon followed by resting so that they can be fresh
for the beautiful overnight
experience
wherein
performances begin at 0800
p.m. and go on till 0400 a.m.
The overnight experience
is a magical one where one
is transported in time and
words can't do justice to
the feeling it generates. The
Convention ends with heritage
walks wherein one gets to
experience the tangible form
of the rich diversity of India.
The
Conventions
thus
with
its
residential
nature of an Ashram-like
atmosphere,
purposeful
planning of the day, holistic food and empirical
experiences creates impressions which are not easily
possible in today's time of instant gratification.
The week-long Convention apart from exposing the

participants to an array of art forms and crafts also
enables them to look within and reflect on life and the
possibilities to lead a meaningful life and contribute to
the well being of others in the society and keeping with
one of the key aspects of SPICMACAY of 'Nishkam Seva'
(Selfless Service) along with its core purpose of : Have
every child experience the inspiration and mysticism
embodied in Indian and World Heritage.
Sandesh
May 2016
BLAST FROM THE PAST :

a glimpse of previous conventions
Sandesh
May 2016
27
SPIC MACAY TIES UP WITH

DAINIK BHASKAR
Going by the ever expanding rate
of our activities, it is important
that we are able to suitably and
regularly reach out to the masses
to make them aware of our
mission.
In this endeavour, we have recently tied up with leading

Hindi daily of the country, Dainik Bhaskar for giving
wide coverage to our events across Hindi speaking
states. While the finer details of the tie-up are still being
worked out, we feel since Bhaskar is a well known brand /
publication with a wide reach, this tie up will help us reach
out to millions of people and the resultant publicity will help
us achieve our goal (Vision 2020) faster. This initiative was
lead by Mrs Suman Doonga, Head of SPIC MACAY's Media
and Communications wing.
We want volunteers!!
Dear Volunteers, SPIC MACAY has set up a Facebook Group
where we assign a One Tiny Drop Task to all those people
who want to volunteer for the movement. All such people
may post how they they would like to contribute. Facebook
offers many such groups for startups where people
connect for sharing ideas and finding co-workers, so we at
SPIC MACAY are now trying it for SPIC MACAY
Volunteer Opportunities too. Spread the word and
join in!
The Facebook group page will also be used for anyone
who wants to post their chapter-level volunteer
opportunities. SPIC MACAY chapters are present in all major
cities of India and Capital cities abroad.
VISIT US AT
https://www.facebook.com/groups/
spicmacay.volunteers
Team Sandesh
Editor : Anshuman Jain
Associate Editor: Robinson
Design : Ashok Joshi +91 9999395562
Printing : Imagica Graphics, Okhla, New Delhi
Send your views, contributions and queries to :

Editor, Sandesh c/o SPIC MACAY,
41/42, Lucknow Road, Delhi - 110054
OR call 011-23323826, 9810000874
Email : sandesh@spicmacay.com
Website : www.spicmacay.com
Broadcast Yourself
www.youtube.com/spicmacay www.facebook.com/spicmacay
Takshila Educational
Society
recognizes the invaluable efforts
of SPIC MACAY in keeping alive
Indias rich cultural heritage. To
support the movement Takshila
has taken the onus of publishing
Sandesh.
28
Sandesh
May 2016

Sandesh May 2016 Final

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SPIC MACAY

For Private Circulation Only

Vol. 21, Issue 3, May 2016

IIT-GUWAHATI GETS READY TO HOST

IIT Guwahati is ready to host the 4th

function will be followed by the flute

to much higher levels than the mundane

One of the aims of this InterCon would

The convention will consist of concerts

CONVENTION SPECIAL ISSUE

-PAGE 17Conceptual Corner

-PAGE 18I Feel Strongly

-PAGE 19News From States

OUr GRACIOUS HOST

IIT Guwahati also boasts of a very unique

huge increase is anticipated in the enrolment

IIT Guwahati has had a long association

WELCOME TO iit guwahati

With Best Wishes ,

CONVENTION SPECIAL ISSUE

guwahati: THE ANCIENT CITY

UWAHATI, the largest city of Assam, located on the

Guwahati's myths and history go back several thousand

The Ambari excavations trace the city to the Hindu kingdoms

Dopdar, was about 300 yards to the west of the Bharalu

The city experienced a brief period of Burmese rule during

CONVENTION SPECIAL ISSUE

A TYPICAL DAY AT THE CONVENTION

9:00 am 12:00 noon (Fixed)

Personal time and Holistic Breakfast

12:00 noon 1:00 pm

1:15 pm 4:45 pm (Fixed)

Folk / Theatre / Cinema Classic / Talk /

6:00 pm 9:30 pm (Fixed)

CONVENTION SPECIAL ISSUE

Manik Bora Borbayan

Tarapada Rajak & Group

Lighting of Lamp &

Meeting with Intensive Gurus

Cinema Classic screening

12:15 2:15 pm Intensive Presentations

'Vivekananda' by Shekhar Sen

Vishwa Mohan Bhatt

Kagemusha' by Akira Kurosawa

Bhalchandra Nemade on Nativism Talk

CONVENTION SPECIAL ISSUE

LIST OF CRAFT & CLASSICAL INTENSIVES

Adhiraj Deb Varma

Mohd Muslim Dyer

Swami Tyagaraj Bihar School of Yoga

North East Folk

North East Folk

North East Folk

CONVENTION SPECIAL ISSUE

ARTISTES AT THE CONVENTION*

Hariprasad Chaurasia Flute

Ghanakanta Bora - Sattriya

Shekhar Sen Theatre

Sh. Shekhar Sen is a singer, music

He was honoured with the

Sangeet Natak Academi in same year by the Government

Tarapada Rajak Group Purulia Chhau Dance

Sh. Tarapada Rajak leads the

Aruna Mohanty- Odissi

ajan and Sajan Mishra Hindustani