संकट मोचन संगीत समारोह – शताब्दी वर्ष: उस्ताद राशि खान- जिनके आलाप में जगजीत सिंह, तानों में भीमसेन जोशी बसे

Here, even the winds moan carrying the burden of happiness. Although the wind has no physical body, but the wind of Banaras can be called a blessing from the lips of small children. Presently there is an opportunity for the Sankat Mochan Music Festival (centenary year). This popular music festival has completed 100 years. Big musicians are eager to come on this stage. Understand that when he comes on this stage, his singing and his art get stamped. Or Hanuman ji stamps a kind of receipt.

The Mahant tradition here is also rich. This ceremony was started a hundred years ago by Pandit Amarnath, the Mahant of Sankat Mochan Temple and the great Pakhawaj player. After him Mahant Pandit Virbhadra Mishra continued it. He was a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, Banaras Hindu University (BHU). Present Mahant Vishwambharnath Mishra too. Professor in IT BHU. He has also mastered Pakhawaj. Pandit Jasraj always used to come here till he was alive. Could not come during Kovid, when the online program happened, he cried while performing.

He was very sad for not being able to come in the shelter of Hanuman ji. Now let’s go inside the temple courtyard, where more than a thousand audience are sitting gazing at the stage. To say that the temple premises is not very big, but people sit in front of the stage, on the roofs above. When Ustad Rashid Khan’s turn came, the hall was filled to capacity. Belonging to the Rampur Sahaswan Gharana of music, Khan Sahab’s singing is a combination of many masters and pundits. If you listen to his bass or alap, it seems that some heavy, dark cloud is making noise on the stage. I miss the great Jagjit Singh.

This year’s ceremony is going to be held in the same premises of Sankat Mochan Temple in Varanasi, where it was first organized a hundred years ago (in the year 1923).

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi gets interviewed like thunderous lightning. He is one of the current masters of classical music, who gives light speed to even big ideas. The big idea is, in fact, in delayed rhythm. Any rhythm moves four or eight times slower than its normal speed in it. The maestro started Bada Khayal in Raga Chandrakosh. Ojas Adhia’s tabla was filling twelve matras of one taal amidst heavy sound, sometimes Dhatinada of Banaras used to come in between.

When a small thought came in three rhythms (16 matras), it was as if the cool waves of the Ganges had come in the courtyard. Deep deep rivers… waved…. Then in a quick beat…Apne Pritam Ke Main Vaari…and then in the same beat…Hari Hari Bhajat Naam Tero…As soon as it ended, the audience started demanding. In the meantime, Shayan Aarti started in the temple (at around 12.40 pm) when Ustad gave some answers. The singing stopped. But the people did not budge. Stuck in your place. With the end of the Aarti, the maestro started Dadra in his familiar tone. In the middle of the rhythm – the night has passed in the talks, you have become angry! Then there was a request… will you come when you decorate…. The master refused. Said this stage is not for that song. But narrated in the middle… yaad piya ki aaye….

Earlier, 75-year-old Pandit Vishwamohan Bhatt and his son Salil Bhatt graced the stage. Raag Vishwa Ranjani composed by Pandit ji enticed a lot by the jhals, taunts and gats. Young Himanshu Mahant, a disciple of Pandit Kishan Maharaj on Tabla accompanied by Mohan Veena and Satvik Veena gave interesting question-answers as if sitting on the heels of Pappu. Actually, there is a tea stall near Assi Ghat in Banaras called Pappu ki Aadi. Every party, every person of every society comes here to drink tea and while drinking tea, all of them cry for hours. His subjects range from Prime Minister Modi to Chhutbhaiya leader of Banaras. There is abusing in Banarasi style and it sounds as if someone is pouring sweet juice in the ears.

Well, flute playing, Mridang playing also took place in Sankat Mochan premises. Yella Venkateswara Rao was a great artist on Mridangam. He used to lift his hand from the left side of the mridang, even then it used to thunder like clouds for a long time. Meanwhile, Mangala Aarti started at around 5.15 am. After ten minutes, the program started again, which went on till 9-9:30 in the morning. Two days before this, singer Jasveer Singh Jassi had also come on stage here. He sang “Dil Le Gayi Kudi Gujarat Di”. There was a dispute on this too. Some big people said that Mahanti is not able to handle Mahant ji. Mahantji replied that Hunumanji is global and he is interested in listening and seeing all kinds of art.

However the controversy died down. The listeners here are also very proficient in music. They keep on clapping in between. Empty clap means if you clap your hands directly, then clap. Hit the wrong way, it’s empty. They come in the middle of the rhythm. When the finger is placed on the left hand or bump, it is clapped or filled and when the palm is touched, it is empty.