Beyond high and low
MANJARI SINHA
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The Bhakti Utsav showcased devotional songs from the sub-continent.
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Bhakti is the direct path to attain truth and reach God, according to Indian thought. Be it literature, music, dance or visual arts, whether in classical or folk forms, bhakti has influenced them all. The Bhakti movement was perpetuated by the sufis, minstrels, bards and singers across the sub-continent. Itsparticipative character bridges the gap between the high and the low, the mighty and the weak, forging togetherness that cuts across caste and creed. No wonder the annual Bhakti Utsav, whose fifth edition recently took place in Delhi, draws thousands of rasikas.
Presented by the Delhi Government in association with Seher and the ICCR, itwas held at Nehru Park over three consecutive evenings this past week. Through vocal music, the Utsav celebrated the various ways to reach the supreme power. Carrying forward the SAARC initiative from last year, it enlarged its scope by involving Nepal and Pakistan this time.
The festival this year focused on bringing the neighbouring countries together on one platform by showcasing some of their authentic devotional forms along with India's varied Bhakti Sangeet. The Utsav comprised traditional chanting from Tamil Nadu and Nepal, Krishna bhakti songs by Sanjeev Abhayankar, Zikr by the Dargah Yousefain fakirs of Hyderabad, Gurubani by Ustad Chand Afazal, Naaradi Sangeet by Batohi group from Bihar, popular bhajans by Manna De, Marathi bhajans by Suresh Wadkar, Baul songs from Bangladesh, Carnatic kritis by Sanjay Subramanyan, Sufiana Khayal by B.S. Narang of Jalandhar, bhajans from the medieval period by Shekhar Sen, Paluskar gayaki by Pandit Vidyadhar Vyas, Meera bhajans by Natthu Khan and Manne Khan, Dhrupad by Nirmalya De and Sufiyana quawwali by Mehr Ali/Sher Ali Quawwaal from Pakistan.
Opening with traditional Tamil temple chants by N. Swaminathan from Chennai, the Utsav took off with the melodious Krishna bhakti songs by Sanjeev Abhayankar. The talented young artiste from the Mewati gharana and a brilliant disciple of Pandit Jasraj, Sanjeev started with "Bharoso dridh in charanan ko... " in raga Bihag and went on to sing "Baso mere nainan mein Nandlal", and other bhajans in raga Bageshri and Tilang concluding with the naam-sankirtan "Govindam Gokulanandam... " in the sonorous swaras of Bhoopali with the lively accompaniment of harmonium, tabla, pakhawaj, and manjira creating a devotional fervour. Manna De was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by Sheila Dikshit on behalf of the Delhi Government.
He concluded the evening with his popular bhajans. The other remarkable item of this evening was the Gurubani presented by Ustad Chand Afzal of the Dilli gharana. Starting with "Aavo Sikh Satguru ke Pyaro" to the concluding "Ek Omkar Sat Naam... ", he captivated the audience with his virtuosity. Vidyadhar Vyas took the audience to the old world charm of the Paluskar gayaki, while Nirmalya De offered the meditative aura of Dhrupad. Born into the musical tradition of the Talwandi gharana, Mehr Ali and Sher Ali from Pakistan performed perhaps for the first time in India and won the hearts of the city's music lovers.
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