This past Tuesday most classical artistes celebrated Guru Purnima. The day is dedicated to one’s Guru – spiritual or musical. For musicians it has a special significance as it’s the day when usually you tie the “ganda” on your Guru signifying your eternal relationship with him or her. It is also a day when you dedicate yourself to the Gurus teachings .
For Pandit Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, Senia Maihar sarodiya, it’s a sad day as both his main gurus, Ustad Bahadur Khan and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan are no more. He speaks wistfully about the masters.
Excerpts:
What does Guru Purnima mean to you?
After the deaths of both my Gurus, I have started increasingly feeling Guru Purnima is really a special day. I would spend this special day every year with my Ustad, getting extra taalim. Bahadur Khan sahib was not so rigid on ceremonial as my other guru – laya Guru Pandit Anil Palit (disciple of Pandit Kishan Maharaj) for whom ritual was important – there were “coconuts, five types of fruit, flowers, sweets etc.”
I also started my taalim from my last Guru Ali Akbar Khan sahib on Guru Purnima. I did not tie “ganda” on him, as my Guru Ustad Bahadar Khan used to say “ek zindagi mein ek hi dafe ganda bandh sakte ho” and I was already his ganda-band sishya. It was the Ustad’s belief, and the belief of all old Senia musicians of that generation that one was bound by honour to impart all the musical wisdom to the ganda band shishya. That it was wrong to withhold knowledge. That’s why the ganda was tied after much deliberation and testing of the shishya. Ustad Bahadur Khan waited many years before accepting me as his ganda bandh shishya.
Tell us about your relationship with Ustad Bahadur Khan from whom you learnt for more than 18 years?
It is very difficult to describe the relationship with my Guru. I learnt not just music from him, but “uthna baithna,” how to behave with elders, everything. I spent so much time with him every day for so many years, I was like his son. He used to say, “achcha musician hone ke liye achcha insaan hona chahiye”. I have indeed been privileged to learn from him. He loved me a lot, used to scold me also as much.
He moulded my music totally – at one time I used to sound so like him! He corrected me and said, ‘you have to eventually learn to paint your own canvas – I have taught you how to paint, and given you the raga outline, but the colours you use and the detailing you give is yours.’ He never allowed me to perform in public initially; he wanted me to be ready to face a concert stage. At the age of 19, he allowed me to play in a radio programme – I recall it was raga Aiman.
He was so open musically that he insisted I hear everyone. He never criticised any musician ever; always said take what good you can from anyone. Such a child-like nature! He used to give me pointers even on stage when I used to perform behind him.
I recall once during the rainy season he gave me such rigorous training of different Malhars. It took all day and I returned home dog tired at 10 p.m. Next morning he called me at 7.30 a.m. to ask if the “antibiotic” he had given me yesterday had worked! Very few in my generation have learnt in such intensive way from the great Ustads .
What are your memories of Guru Ustad Ali Akbar Khan:
When I started learning, I had already learnt music and was starting to make a name for myself. I was nearly 30 when I first went to him.
He gave me advanced training in raga. I used to go every year and stay with him in the US twice or thrice a year. Every time I had to leave he used to say, “aur din thehar jao” Though I had scarcely any written traditions from him, (it was nearly always oral), I had to literally grab what I could while he spoke or demonstrated.
Looking back, I realise he was really a very great musician – the simplicity with which he outlined even the most complex raga had the simplicity of Ramakrishna Paramhansa. Totally amazing!
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan had a great sense of humour; I loved laughing with him. He was never harsh with me – kabhi nahin daanta mujhe.
Even now whenever I reach California and near his residence I can feel his intangible presence. I feel very close to him there and so make it a point to go every year even when I don’t have concerts there.
How are you trying to repay the debt to your Gurus?
My offering to my Gurus is through my music, but a more concrete expression is the annual Swar Samrat festival held in Calcutta for the last 4 years. Due to the blessings of my Gurus it has worked. I had been toying with the idea for ages, but I wanted to have a festival on a grand scale befitting their stature.
This year the festival is on from 10-12th December.
