Swami Haridas Tansen Mahotsava: A tribute to India’s musical heritage

Delhi’s largest annual gathering for classical music and dance, the Swami Haridas Tansen Sangeet Nritya Mahotsava, kicks off this weekend. Conceived by renowned Kathak dancer Uma Sharma, the festival traces its roots to Vrindavan, the birthplace of musician-saint Swami Haridas, where it began in 1971. After a brief hiatus, the festival found a new home in Delhi from 2000 onwards. Financially supported by the Shriram group, it showcases the finest talents in the world of music.

Kathak has always been the sole dance feature of the festival, performed traditionally by Uma herself or, in recent years, by her students.

What makes the festival unique is its tribute to the revered Guru Swami Haridas and his legendary disciple, Tansen. Widely regarded as the father of North Indian classical music, Tansen is the cornerstone of many musical lineages. This style, known as Hindustani music, contrasts with the Carnatic tradition of South India. The Guru Shishya Parampara, the basis of all Indian arts, is celebrated through this festival.

For many editions, the artists chosen were celebrated shishyas of equally celebrated Gurus: Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, son of Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan, and his sons Amaan and Ayaan; late Ustad Aashish Khan, son of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan; Ustad Shujaat Khan, son of Ustad Vilayat Khan; Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar, whose family traces their musical lineage back to Swami Haridas; Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia, a disciple of Annapurna Devi; Pt Vishwamohan Bhatt, disciple of Pt Ravi Shankar, and now his son Salil Bhatt, to name a few.

Additional considerations of popularity gradually crept in. Pt Channulal Mishra used to be an annual participant until he stopped singing a few years ago. Begum Parween Sultana and Vidushi Shubha Mudgal are regulars too and will be performing this year as well.

This year, Pt Shubhendra Rao, disciple of Pt Ravi Shankar, and Vidushi Saskia Rao, a disciple of Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia, will present an unusual sitar-cello jugalbandi.

Dutch-born Saskia, who will be playing for the first time at the festival, said, “It’s a huge honour to play at the same festival at which my Guru, Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia, is also playing. I am really looking forward to it.” The husband-wife duo will be accompanied on the tabla by Banaras gharana’s Pt Ram Kumar Mishra.

Pt Tejendra Narayan Mazumdar has been roped in since last year to represent Maihar gharana Sarod, after Ustad Aashish Khan was no longer actively playing. In earlier years, late Ustad Aashish Khan would come all the way from his home in the US to perform at this festival, usually accompanied by Ustad Zakir Hussain.

Tejendra Narayan Mazumdar is a rare sarodist who has learnt the sarod from two maestros of the Maihar gharana, cousins Ustad Bahadur Khan and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. His playing embodies both Guru’s styles: the virility and stroke work that was Ustad Bahadur Khan’s trademark, and the lyrical creativity of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. He said with becoming humility, “I am truly grateful to be invited to represent my gharana despite not belonging to the family.”

Salil Bhatt, who is a third-generation musician in a family of scholars and artists tracing their lineage to more than 14 generations, will be accompanying his father, Pt Vishwamohan Bhatt. Making his debut on this platform is tabla exponent Himanshu Mahant from Gujarat, disciple of Banaras gharana doyen Pt Kishen Maharaj.

This time the recital will be enlivened by the inputs of a group of Rajasthani manganiyars, who performed with the Bhatts at the Barbican Centre in London last year. The Bhatts, while not originally from Rajasthan (their forebears were from Andhra Pradesh), have now dwelt in Jaipur for the past 300 years or so and make all efforts to integrate the folk tradition with the classical.

Salil shared, “It’s exciting to perform at this event, Delhi’s biggest festival, and I am lucky to have performed here several years now.”

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The eclectic mix of artists from all over India attracts a huge crowd. Youngsters pour into the indoor stadium at Modern School from Gurgaon, Noida, and Ghaziabad, confident of a welcome as passes are not really checked very strictly.

Uma says the aim is for the younger generation to hear stalwarts, so her approach as an organiser is very open and welcoming. Students get to sit right in front, getting the best view, and VIPs sit on chairs behind them!

Preparations are made for the long haul. With three artists every evening, the expectation is that the music will carry on till midnight, so there is hot street food and hot drinks. Somehow the bitter cold of Delhi is not a deterrent; the space is heated with several standing heaters. Uma says, “Organising the festival is difficult and it’s been a long journey, but my determination to ensure the younger generation hears pure, authentic music is strong.”