Facebook Twitter Instagram
    India Art Review
    • Dance
    • Music
    • Art
    • Heritage
    • Theatre
    • Books
    • Films
    • Team
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    India Art Review
    Home»Music»A Tribute to Musician Pandit Bimalendu Mukherjee: The Colossus
    Music

    A Tribute to Musician Pandit Bimalendu Mukherjee: The Colossus

    C S SarvamangalaBy C S SarvamangalaFebruary 8, 2025
    Pandit Bimalendu Mukherjee
    Share
    WhatsApp Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Telegram

    The two-day Acharya Devo Bhava festival (January 11–12) marked the birth centenary of Pandit Bimalendu Mukherjee, doyen of the Imdadkhani gharana, honouring his life and work.

    Conceptualised and organised by sitarist Vidushi Anupama Bhagwat in collaboration with Kailas Sangeet Trust, the festival held at Bangalore brought together an array of vocalists and instrumentalists in a fitting tribute to a guru she describes as “a highly principled, saintly musician.” Every detail, from the thoughtfully curated performances to the stage design, reflected her deep reverence and devotion, making the festival an offering of love and humility.

    The highlight of the two-day event was a powerful performance by Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee, son and disciple of the late maestro. A torchbearer of his father’s musical and ethical ideals, Pandit Budhaditya was a natural choice for the grand finale. Accompanied by tabla virtuoso Soumen Nandy, he presented a masterful recital that encapsulated the depth, intricacies, and exquisite nuances of the Imdadkhani gharana.

    During his Riyaaz

    The liberal teacher Bimalendu was known for his openness and generosity in imparting knowledge with no forbidding tendencies. Anupama describes his teaching as ‘compassionate’, a quality that his son Budhaditya also endorses, simultaneously admiring his foresight, belief in himself, and ‘belief in me’, then a five-year old child.  

    Mastering multiple strings

    As a complete musician- performer, teacher and organiser, Pandit Bimalendu Mukherjee became a renaissance figure who converted the industrial town Bhilai, now part of  Chhattisgarh, into an oasis of Hindustani music, where legendary musicians converged for performance and creative interaction.  Stalwarts like Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Amir Khan, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Pandit Ravishankar and many more visited Bimalendu’s home, which became a centre for intellectual dialogue and debate. Disciples came to Bhilai from Italy, France, Japan and the rest of India. 

    Bimalendu teaching his son Budhaditya Mukherjee

    Bimalendu’s engagement with multiple string instruments- surbahar, sarangi, sarod, surshringar, and Bobbili veena is reminiscent of the saintly musician of the Maihar-Senia gharana, the multi-instrumentalist Baba Allauddin Khan. Bimalendu always had a sitar and sarod by his side. His constant engagement with the hardware of music and his experiential research resulted in Aditya Veena and Bijoya Veena, lovingly named after his son and grandson respectively. His informed experimentation across these instruments focussing on their tonal variety surely added to his aesthetic exploration on the sitar, his primary delight.

    Three generations of musicians

    Anupama once recalled that he would sometimes employ the sarangi or surshringar while teaching sitar. Being a fine vocalist, often he also sang to evoke the gayaki elements. While translating a vocal music composition on to an instrument, Bimalendu paid careful attention to the sahitya in order to transport the bhava of the lyric, also employing the necessary stroke patterns. He had an amazing flair for articulating the technical aspects of sitar-baaj, particularly the gayaki-ang.

    The ‘Tappa’ identity  

    Backed by such a training, exploring the gayaki-ang through tappa, the challenging folk form of the Punjab-Sindh region, has become a distinct mark of identity for the Imdadkhani- Bimalendu stream. Pandit Budhaditya’s mastery of this semi-classical form marked by rolling movements at a fast pace, showcasing individual notes all through, needs special mention.

    Bimalendu Mukherjee’s amazing personality combined multiple assets and faculties. A brilliant geologist, he served the Nehruvian dream of democratic industrial development.  He prospected the mines and gave the projection for the Bhilai Steel Plant, which was okayed by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. That he administered 19000 people as the General Manager of the BSP, and brought mammoth profits by his commitment and acumen is a well-known fact. 

    Anupama with her guru

    Bimalendu’s understanding of music and humility towards the art form and life in general, were woven into his personality. Post-retirement, he served two terms as the Vice-Chancellor of Indira Kala Sangit Vishwavidyalaya at Khairagarh. He trained about 400 students. They could walk into his home and stay with the rest of the family, with no cost whatsoever. At Khairagarh University, he took up a comparative study of music-education in Western and Indian universities. That he travelled to Canada and USA at his own cost to pursue the project, speaks of his remarkable honesty and integrity.

    Acharya Devo Bhava music festival Evolution of sitar playing Hindustani classical music maestros Hindustani music teachers Imdadkhani gharana sitar Indian classical music legends Influence of Baba Allauddin Khan Khairagarh music university Legacy of Indian classical musicians Multi-instrumentalists in India Pandit Bimalendu Mukherjee biography Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee sitar Sitar masters of India Tappa in Hindustani music
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Telegram WhatsApp
    Previous ArticleThe Interview That Never Happened
    Next Article Mastering the Bansuri
    C S Sarvamangala
    C S Sarvamangala

      Sarvamangala is a sitar player, writer, teacher and translator.

      Related Posts

      Gayaki style

      When the Violin Sings: TKV Ramanujacharyulu on the Gayaki Style of Violin in Carnatic Music

      June 21, 2025

      Moa Subong: The Maestro Who Hums Heritage into Harmony

      June 16, 2025
      Aaru

      Aaru: Showcasing Tamil Nadu’s rivers in six minutes

      May 19, 2025

      Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

      Author In Focus VK Karthika

      Pathaan

      Pathaan: A Triumph of Love Over Hate

      V K KarthikaMarch 31, 2023

      Pathaan breaks the typical stereotype of Islamic Terrorism.

      Avatar

      Eastern Ethos Lifts up Cameron’s Avatar Sequel

      V K KarthikaJanuary 31, 2023

      Eastern ethos and laws of the nature are set to get a new tech-driven meaning as Cameron is planning two more sequels.

      Yazh

      Reviving Yazh, the Indian Harp

      V K KarthikaNovember 28, 2022

      Without Tharun, Yazh, an ancient instrument would not have taken birth in modern times

      Tholppavakoothu

      Girl Power up in Puppetry

      V K KarthikaSeptember 30, 2022

      Rajitha Ramachandra Pulavar and her team gave a new meaning to Tholppavakkooth and the body politics went in for a change in 2021

      Nanjiyamma tribal singer of Attappady

      Why the National Award for Tribal Singer Nanjiyamma Matters

      V K KarthikaAugust 27, 2022

      India witnessed a debate on the ‘purity of music’ when tribal singer Nanjiyamma won the National Award.

      EVENTS

      Nangiyarkoothu

      Celebrating 60 Years of Dance Excellence

      India Art ReviewMay 23, 2025

      Swara-dhi: A Soulful Summer Camp for Music Connoisseurs

      India Art ReviewMay 23, 2025
      Sooryakanthi festival

      Sooryakanthi Dance Festival From Nov 28- Dec 1

      India Art ReviewNovember 25, 2024

      Memorial Awards and Dance Performances in Chennai

      India Art ReviewNovember 25, 2024

      Have You Read These?

      Youth

      The Fountain of Youth

      Vineeth AbrahamMay 16, 2023

      What will happen when a bookworm set out to clean his library? One of the…

      The Elephant Whisperers

      Poetics of Fostering the Animal: The Elephant Whisperers

      Babu Rajan P PMay 1, 2023

      With the decline of natural habitats, human-elephant conflict has seen a surge, often leaving the majestic creatures as unwitting participants. “The Elephant Whisperers” documentary pays homage to the conservation endeavors aimed at preserving these habitats and raising awareness among communities about the perils of anthropocentrism.

      1899 and the Virtual Studio: Futuristic Filmmaking

      IAR DeskMarch 12, 2023

      1899, the new web series from the creators of German masterpiece Dark, will be filmed entirely in a virtual studio. Here’s all you wanted to know about ‘Volume’ and why it matters to futuristic filmmaking.

      Yazh

      Reviving Yazh, the Indian Harp

      V K KarthikaNovember 28, 2022

      Without Tharun, Yazh, an ancient instrument would not have taken birth in modern times

      A ‘Lyrical Dance’ Tribute to Edassery’s Poem

      G S PaulNovember 8, 2022

      Choreographic ingenuity of Vinitha Nedungadi created alluring visuals of the sublime poetic imagination of Edassery in Anthithiri.

      vijayakumar menon

      Vijayakumar Menon Taught Kerala How to Appreciate Art

      Renu RamanathNovember 3, 2022

      The only wealth Menon amassed during his solitary journey was that of art. When Vijayakumar…

      About
      About

      India Art Review is a dedicated digital journal of art and culture, based in Chennai and with representatives in Kerala, Delhi, the UAE, Canada and the US.

      We're social, connect with us:

      Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Telegram
      People in Art
      Kalamandalam Sugandhi: The Versatile and Vivacious Mohiniyattam Guru

      Kalamandalam Sugandhi: The Versatile and Vivacious Mohiniyattam Guru

      December 2, 2020
      Kavalam Narayana Panicker

      Kavalam Narayana Panicker: A Legend of His Times

      June 26, 2021
      Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma: The Only Matriarch of Mohiniyattam

      Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma: The Only Matriarch of Mohiniyattam

      May 12, 2021
      Thank You, Jeeves by PG Wodehouse

      PG Wodehouse: The Maestro of Mirth

      November 1, 2021
      Must Reads
      Mangad Natesan

      Remembering Carnatic Musician Mangad Natesan

      May 3, 2024
      P K G Nambiar

      PKG Nambiar(1930-2023): The Man who Redefined the Role of Vidooshaka

      May 10, 2023
      Kanak Rele

      Dr. Kanak Rele (1937-2023): A Revolutionary in Dance 

      February 22, 2023
      Pandit Shivkumar Sharma

      Adieu, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma

      May 10, 2022
      Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube RSS
      • Home
      • About
      Copyright © 2022. India Art Review

      Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.