One of the finest examples of Odia architecture in Bhubaneswar, the 11th-century Rajarani Temple forms a spectacular backdrop for the Rajarani Sangeet Festival presented by the Department of Orissa Language, Literature and Culture, Government of Odisha in association with the Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi. , The idols of Ashta Digpal guard the eight cardinal directions of the temple which do not have any deities.
The open-air festival is held in the temple premises. The whole area decorated with Pipli’s crafts started looking bright and colourful.
Flute playing was done by Guru Jabhar Mishra. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The three-day festival began with flute playing by Guru Jabhar Mishra. Jabhar Mishra, a regular performer on All India Radio and Doordarshan, Cuttack, heads the flute department at Utkal Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, Bhubaneswar. Aided by his disciple Videha Bhushan on flute and Vishwaranjan Nanda on tabla, he began with an elaborate alap of Bageshree. For ati-mandra elaboration, in the lower octave, he chose a long and thick flute and elaborated on the raga. With the punctuation of a pawn, he picked up the original instrumental and proceeded to a delayed (slow) composition set to the allegorical cadence of a seven beat time cycle. The composition went through a complete round (frequency) of 14 beats with two ‘samas’. In the language of music, it is called ‘two-faced gat’.
The second composition was of medium tempo in three rhythms and was decorated with various types of taans. He then played a popular vocal bandish ‘Dagar Chalat Pakad Linhi Baiiyan Marori’ in fast Ektaal and finally played the fourth composition, shifting to a faster Teentaal for convenience in Jhala. He could have easily avoided it and played another raga instead before concluding the folk Odia tune in Dadra.
Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, a distinguished representative of the Jaipur Gharana, was the senior performer of the inaugural evening. Ashwini is also a versatile musician who has brought out books of her compositions. He presented the Bada Khayal ‘Aali Mora Jiya Sukh Bhayo, Kripa Keenhi Mope Krishna Madho Mukund’ in Jayjaywanti, which was set to slow Jhaptal, which he followed with his composition, ‘Sunder Shyam Salon…’ in Drut Ada Chautal. In paired with a challenging rhythm. 14 beats.
Written by Bijay Kumar Jena | Photo Credit: Courtesy: Rajrani Festival
With Vinay Mishra on harmonium, Yeti Bhagwat on tabla, and his talented disciple Shivani Haldipur Kalyanpurkar providing vocal support, he enthralled the audience with a melodious rendition of the late evening raga, which is rarely heard in concerts. Raag Nand was his second choice with the popular bandish ‘Ajhun Na Aaye Shyam’ in Aadha Theka, and then he took regular Teentaal for the Taan section. Saint Dnyaneshwar had sung the abhang soulfully in the finale, outlining the joy of seeing God, but on public demand, he had to sing Dadra in Bhairavi as well.
The second evening featured sarangi playing by Ustad Sabir Khan and Odissi music by Guru Bijay Kumar Jena. Trained since childhood under his father Ustad Sultan Khan and grandfather Ustad Gulab Khan of Sikar Gharana, Sabir has also inherited Rajasthani folk music from his forefathers. Accompanied by MR Nazar on tabla, he played three tunes of Aalap, Jod and Teental, Rupak and Drut Ektal in Raag Kausi Kanhada. Sabir impressed with his bowling technique. He received a round of applause from the discerning audience for maintaining Tar Shadza for a long time. But he played Kausi Kanhara for almost an hour and ended abruptly without serving sweets after the main meal.
Beginning with the verse ‘Aaj Mu Dekhli Ghanshyam Ku’ in praise of Jagannath, Bijay Kumar Jena presented Bilhari raga with alap, taan and sargam. He then concluded with Ashtapadi, an Oriya song in Bhavnapaddhati, and Bhairavi in Marwa. He had the best of accompanists – Satchidananda Das on Pakhawaj and Srinivasa Satpathy on flute, but he hardly used them to his advantage.
Kunnakudi M. Balamurali Krishna. , Photo Credit: Courtesy: Rajrani Festival
focus on carnatic ragas
The concluding day focused on Carnatic music, with a concert by Kunnakudi Balamurali Krishna and a violin duet by the Akkarai Sisters. There are different flavors of the same raga when Balamurali also presented raga Bilhari. He started with the famous Tyagaraja composition ‘Samajavara Gaman’ in Raga Hindolam and concluded with an Ashtapadi ‘Lalita Lavanga Lata’ in Raga Lalitha.
Akkarai sisters – Subhalakshmi and Sornalata. , Photo Credit: Courtesy: Rajrani Festival
Beginning with a varnam in Kankangi, the Akkarai sisters, S. Subhalakshmi and S. Sornalatha continued to play the ragam, tanam, pallavi in Shanmukhpriya, concluding with Sindhu Bhairavi, featuring Bindumalini, Nalinakanti, and Ragamalika Swaras, climaxing with a resplendent Thillana in Khamas.
The Delhi-based critic specializes in classical music.