Kolkata’s classical music lovers were treated to a three-day classical music conference held to commemorate the birth centenary of legendary surbahar exponent Annapurna Devi. Organised by the Annapurna Devi Foundation, the festival took place on March 6, 7 and 8 at GD Birla Sabhaghar, beginning at 6pm each evening. The conference featured instrumental and vocal performances by eminent and emerging classical musicians from across the country, presenting audiences with a musical journey through diverse forms of Indian classical music.
Sukriti Gupta Director Postal Services, Kolkata Region and noted musician Nityanand Haldipur at the special cover release ceremony at GPO Kolkata
The festival marked the birth centenary of Annapurna Devi, the daughter of legendary guru Allauddin Khan and sister of sarod maestro Ali Akbar Khan, both stalwarts of the Maihar gharana. Though born into a Muslim family, she came to be known as Annapurna, a name given to her by Maharaja Brijnath Singh of the Maihar State. A master of the surbahar, she was also an influential teacher whose disciples included celebrated musicians such as Nikhil Banerjee, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Aashish Khan, Basant Kabra and Nityanand Haldipur, among others.
Ashwini Bhide Despande
The conference saw performances by Milind Raikar (violin) and Subhra Guha (vocal) on the opening day; Shantanu Bhattacharyya (vocal) and Basant Kabra (sarod) on the second day; and Rajendra Prasanna and Ritesh Prasanna (flute), along with Ashwini Bhide Deshpande (vocal) on the concluding day.The centenary celebrations continued on till March 9, when India Post released a special cover commemorating Annapurna Devi’s birth centenary at the Kolkata General Post Office in the presence of distinguished guests. The tribute, coming just a day after International Women’s Day, added further significance to the honour being accorded to one of Indian classical music’s most revered yet reclusive maestros.
Basant Kabra
Speaking about the event, flautist and disciple Nityanand Haldipur said the organisers hoped the city’s music lovers would continue to support such initiatives celebrating India’s classical music heritage. “We hope this wonderful event receives the presence and support of classical music lovers in the city. Your presence will not only be a testament to your love for music but will also encourage the artists. This honour from India Post has added a new dimension to this initiative,” he said.
