Page 26 - Seniors Today

style. Guru’s household. Tai used to live at her
Kishoritai used to sing Thumari, Abhang, Maai’s house at the time. The family had more
Bhajan, and even Ghazals effortlessly. than their fair share of hardships and sorrows.
However, she didn’t sing Thumari much, and I helped them in any way I could. Tai always
Natyasangeet was never, by choice, her cup showed concern for my well-being as well.
of tea. She preferred devotional music such as She cared for me when I was sick and she
Bhajans and Abhangs. She composed many celebrated my successes in college. So much
of the light music songs herself. Her work so, that she even insisted on proudly attending
with various other composers and musicians the IIT convocation at Powai in 1966 when I
shows her versatility. received the President of India Gold Medal for
In summary, Kishoritai’s greatest my first rank at the graduation amongst all
contribution to Hindustani music, and branches of engineering. Many of her students
particularly to Jaipur Gharana, is the emotive experienced the same closeness with her.
content she made to blossom in all her Raag There is more on this part of my relationship
presentations. To her, music always had to with Taai as her disciple in an earlier article I
touch one’s heart, not just the brain! have written for Seniors Today.
Kishoritai’s spiritual journey through music Kishoritai’s personality
Kishoritai’s favorite passion was in the Born on 10th April, 1931, and brought up
spiritual connection of music. She was by Maai after the untimely death of Taai’s
a spiritual person since her young age. father, Tai developed an amazing personality
She was a dedicated devotee all her life of
Shri Raghavedra Swami, and used to do
a pilgrimage every year to his Ashram at
Mantralayam in Andhra Pradesh. She
believed music was for searching of the soul
and for the attainment of a higher spiritual
state, rather than for entertainment. In fact,
her listeners must have experienced divine
calm, or else how could their eyes well up
listening to her recitals? She has written
about her deep thoughts about music and
spirituality in her book “Swarartharamani”.
Also, her biography by late Mr. Datta
Marulkar titled “Ganasaraswati” has
considerable treatment of it.

My tutelage with Kishoritai
I learned from Tai when there were no
MP3 recorders to record the lessons. When
students started learning from the teacher,
they really immersed themselves in the lives
of their Gurus. It often transformed into a
close bond, and students became part of the

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