Page 32 - Seniors Today -April20
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in the book “Vishrabdhasharada”.) This
clearly reflects the magnificently large heart
that Maai had. How truly did she practice
Abraham Lincoln’s famous words… “With
Malice Towards None, and Charity Towards
All…….”!!
Legendary punctuality
Maai was extremely disciplined with regard
to commitments made to other people. Her
punctuality was legendary. She would
Mogubai Kurdikar with the writer
always be ready before the prescribed time
adversaries (by their choice, not hers!). at her concerts. Her conscientious attention
She was respectful of all gharanas, all to time management was not just limited to
singers, including her illustrious senior her commitments outside her home, but also
Gurubhagini Surashree Kesarbai Kerkar. equally at home. She was always ready on
I remember a letter she once wrote upon time for her disciples. When the tabla player
being invited to Delhi to perform at some was late, she would herself play the Baaya.
important national function, as the senior There were occasions when I used to travel
Jaipur gharana artist. In this letter she took from Powai on weekends for my lessons
the authorities to task, asking them how from my Guru Smt Kishoritai. Sometimes
they could forget Surashri Kesarbai Kerkar due to difficulty of phone connections
who, she asserted, was her senior and the Kishoritai could not communicate her out-
most accomplished contemporary artist of station travel in time. Maai would then
the Jaipur gharana. (Please see this letter herself sit and teach me, just so that my long
trip should not go waste. How many Gurus
have this sense of commitment, and show
the care and consideration for other people’s
time?
Unlimited patience
Maai had almost unlimited patience while
teaching her disciples. When a phrase being
taught was not coming out just right, she
would endlessly repeat it for the student,
without losing temper or patience. She never
discouraged other students from sitting at
her lessons, even though they were not her
primary students. I took full advantage of
this, because after my lesson with Kishoritai
was done during early evening, Maai would
normally sit with her disciples, late Kamal
The young Mogubai Kurdikar Tambe and Smt Kausalya Manjeshwar, and
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