A MELODIOUS AFTERNOON WITH USTAD AASHISH KHAN

Braving the heat of a sultry August noon were the students, teachers and parents of Delhi Public School,Patna waiting breathlessly to be soaked in the mellifluous downpour of a Sarod recital by the maestro,Ustad Aashish Khan of the ‘Maihar Senia Gharana’. Grandson of the legendary musician Padma Vibhushan Acharya Baba Allauddin Khan and son of the doyen Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Aashish Khan blossomed under the strict tutelage of his grandfather,father and illustrious aunt Smt.Annapurna Devi from the tender age of five. Apart from being a traditional sarod player, Aashish has experimented and composed with many acclaimed artists and founded fusion groups like ‘Shanti’ and ‘The Third Eye’.He set memorable musical scores in films like ‘Pather Panchali’, ‘Gandhi’, ‘Passage To India’ and many more.A holder of many prestigious posts Ustad Aashish Khan is a famed guru having numerous students in India and abroad. On the afternoon of Saturday, 7th August ,the much awaited programme began with a brief and solemn chanting of a shloka and a devotional song by the school choir. Ustad Ji started with a very sweet gesture of playing the Happy Birthday tune exclusively for those who had their birthday today, which bought a smile on the face of everyone, young and old. After a brief introduction on the musical instrument Sarod and its working. It was then that Ustad Ji started his spell binding performance with Alaap followed by Raag Vilas Khani Tori. He was accompanied on the tabla by Mr.Rajshekhar of the Music Department of the school. A talented percussionist of the Delhi, Farukhabad and Ajrara gharana,Mr. Rajshekhar regularly accompanies many artists of international acclaim. Ustad Aashish Khan concluded his rendition with a jugalbandi Kaushiki Bhairavi. The audience remained mesmerized, wanting for more. In the interactive session the artiste gratified the audience by answering a plethora of queries ranging from his experiences with his illustrious grandfather to his personal achievements to the nuances of ragas and music. In his speech the Principal Mr. B .Vinod thanked the maestro profusely and presented him a memento as a token of gratitude. The crowd dispersed, reaffirming their faith in the eternal appeal of India classical music. The programme left an everlasting effect on their hearts which would bloom into beautiful memories and serve as‘bliss of solitude’ amidst the complexities of life. The success of the programme was a concerted endeavor of teachers and students.