Championing tradition
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CAUSEOctogenarian guru Pandit Kashinath Pujapanda's contribution to Odissi music is invaluable.
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On March 15 , his 84th birthday was celebrated in a serene atmosphere. For this silent `sadhaka' of Odissi music — Pandit Kashinath Pujapanda — honours and accolades are nothing new.
The maestro's contribution to the world of music cannot be measured in awards, many of which like Bisuba Award, Sangeet Natak Akademi award, Sangeet Kalanidhi award, Sarala Samman and Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra award would have gone to the head of a lesser man. But for Pandit Pujapanda each award and honour has been an occasion to rededicate himself to the cause of music.
Pandit Kashinath Pujapanda was born in and educated at Puri where his passion for music ran into rough weather because of lack of encouragement, parental and otherwise. So after his ninth class, one day he left for Calcutta.
Fighting heavy odds, he learnt Hindustani vocal first from Kalipada Mukherjee and later came under the tutelage of the great vocalist Sudhir Mitra for six years. He later studied music at Prayag Sangeet Samity, Allahabad, and earned the title of `Sangeet Prabhakar'.
Ensuring purity
His training in Odissi style of music was reinitiated when he came back to Orissa to join Laxmikanata Sangeet Vidyamandira set up by Laxmikanta Choudhury.
There he ran into the late `gayakaratna' Singhari Shyam Sunder Kar from whom he learnt not only vocal Odissi but also the `mardala', Orissa's very own percussion instrument. He has not looked back since. Steering clear of controversies the octogenarian Odissi guru has always believed that Odissi music is different from the other two classical strains of Hindustani and Carnatic.
But he is a great champion of tradition and is of the firm opinion that the present-day Odissi exponents should keep the tradition in mind and ensure purity of `tala, `swara' and `laya'.
Although not very happy about the treatment and (lack of) patronage meted out to Odissi singers by the government Pandit Kashinath Pujapanda is a contented man because for him music is worship.
"My music has brought me closer to God and there lies my contentment and life's fulfilment," says the guru with a touching faith.
BIBHUTI MISHRA
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