When maestros left Benaras spell bound

VARANASI: Though the district administration and police had diverted traffic from the temple road, hundreds of two-wheelers parked haphazardly in the vicinity of the temple were sufficient to hint at the large number of admirers gathered there to listen to the maestros.
After Ghulam Ali left the dais, Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan sent his sons Amaan and Ayaan to perform.
Earlier, Ghulam Ali reached the Sankat Mochan temple when Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia’s performance was in progress. An emotional moment was witnessed when Ghulam Ali entered the temple’s guest house and found legendary classical vocalist Pt Jasraj waiting to greet him. Ghulam Ali immediately touched the feet of Pt Jasraj to seek his blessings. They also spent a few minutes chatting.
Wishing that he could be present at the festival, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is a Member of Parliament from Varanasi, had regretted that he was unable to attend the event due to his busy schedule and was hopeful that he will be among the audience in the future.
"I do wish I get the opportunity to attend such a programme in the future where so many well known artistes will be enchanting the audience," Modi had said in a series of tweets on Tuesday. "I must share that I have heard Ghulam Ali Sahab in the past & that too in person," he said.
The five-day-long festival between April 8 and 12 has been extended for one more day as more musicians have expressed desire to perform at the Sankat Mochan temple premises, said temple mahant (head priest) Vishwambhar Nath Mishra. The Mahant said it was a historic event aimed at promoting the Indian classical music worldwide. The music festival is organized annually at the Sankat Mochan temple founded by Goswami Tulsidas.