Those involved in Hindustani music regard Guru Purnima as a day for felicitating the guru or master as a vital and irreplaceable component in the guru-shishya or master-disciple pedagogical structure that forms the backbone of an essentially oral tradition.
In a sense, September 5, the birthdate of India’s second President, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, which is celebrated as Teacher’s Day in India, does not hold the same significance in the realm of Hindustani music.
However, it would not be out of place to remember on this day, the role of Allauddin Khan, revered sarod player, multi-instrumentalist, founder of the Maihar-Senia gharana, and a guru to a host of musicians, many of who have been regarded as pathbreakers. Having spent long years learning from several gurus, Allauddin Khan was a repository of traditional knowledge, which he imparted selflessly to disciples in Maihar, then a small principality in Central India.
Here is a documentary film on Allauddin Khan sponsored by the Sangeet Natak Akademi that showcases his role as a guru. This film was directed by the renowned film-maker Ritwik Ghatak, although his name does not appear in the credits.
The film includes short clips of performances by Allauddin Khan’s senior disciples like his son sarod maestro Ali Akbar Khan, daughter Annapurna Devi, sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, his nephew sarod player Bahadur Khan, and younger disciples like his grandsons Aashish Khan and Dhyanesh Khan, both sarod players, and sitar players Nikhil Bannerjee and Indranil Bhattacharya. The film ends with a performance by the Maihar Band, also a creation of Allauddin Khan.
We welcome your comments at
letters@scroll.in.
In a sense, September 5, the birthdate of India’s second President, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, which is celebrated as Teacher’s Day in India, does not hold the same significance in the realm of Hindustani music.
However, it would not be out of place to remember on this day, the role of Allauddin Khan, revered sarod player, multi-instrumentalist, founder of the Maihar-Senia gharana, and a guru to a host of musicians, many of who have been regarded as pathbreakers. Having spent long years learning from several gurus, Allauddin Khan was a repository of traditional knowledge, which he imparted selflessly to disciples in Maihar, then a small principality in Central India.
Here is a documentary film on Allauddin Khan sponsored by the Sangeet Natak Akademi that showcases his role as a guru. This film was directed by the renowned film-maker Ritwik Ghatak, although his name does not appear in the credits.
The film includes short clips of performances by Allauddin Khan’s senior disciples like his son sarod maestro Ali Akbar Khan, daughter Annapurna Devi, sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, his nephew sarod player Bahadur Khan, and younger disciples like his grandsons Aashish Khan and Dhyanesh Khan, both sarod players, and sitar players Nikhil Bannerjee and Indranil Bhattacharya. The film ends with a performance by the Maihar Band, also a creation of Allauddin Khan.
Ghatak's documentary on Allauddin Khan
