Saadhana Samvid: A Celebration of Musical Tradition
By Sasi Raghavan
HOUSTON: The awareness and love for Hindustani Classical Music and its deep- rooted tradition has become widespread across the Greater Houston Area, thanks to the selfless efforts of the celebrated Maestro of Mewati Gharana, Pandit Suman Ghosh. Saadhana Samvid is one such effort conceptualized and conducted by himGuruji Pandit Ghosh in which over 80 disciples of his Gurukul Pandit Ghosh and Smt. Shashikala Ghosh took the stage with solo performances. This event is unique to the Saadhana Pariwar, a Gurukul steeped in the age-old tradition of Hindustani Music, in that no other Music Gurukul is known to have almost all of its disciple perform solo on a grand stage.
This marathon musical event that spanned 9 sessions on consecutive Saturdays from April 9 to April 30 in various locations in Greater Houston Area – Sugar Land, West University and The Woodlands – was organized and presented impeccably by the Center for Indian Classical Music of Houston (CICMH), an organization founded by Pandit Suman Ghosh himself.
There was laughter and then there were tears. There was pin-drop silence and then there was applause. There was anticipation and then there was surprise. There was expression and then there was experience. This is just a glimpse of the gamut of emotions that were felt at Saadhana Samvid 2016. The musical immersion throughout these 9 sessions was fantastic. It was a journey of musical meditation in search of the ultimate for the disciples of Pandit Ghosh and Smt. Shashikala Ghosh. It was an enthralling experience for the audience. The ambience was perfect; the décor was a reflection of the Gurukul’s tradition. Simply put, one was left with a feeling that the Samvid sessions should keep on going, every week, every month through the rest of the year.
There were disciples aged between 5 and 70, presenting a wide variety of raags with various degrees of complexity as well as uplifting bhajans and shlokas. Their hard work and the rigorous taalim that they received from Pandit Ghosh their Gurus was evident. Even the younger disciples, who have just begun their journey and were presented in a group, were a bundle of joy, full of energy and enthusiasm. It was obvious that they were on their way to bigger and better achievements.
To anyone who has been following this Saadhana Samvid series year after year, each and every one of the disciples’ progress in this journey was apparent. The countless hours that Pandit Ghosh has invested in training these disciples and in planning the month long series spoke for itself in the very high level of performances. Pandit Ghosh himself fondly introduced each and every one of his disciples and conducted their presentations from the stage itself – something unheard of in the musical world, especially from someone of his stature. Houston is blessed to have Guruji Pandit Suman Ghosh and Guruma Shashikala Ghosh who selflessly devote themselves toith selfless effort in promoting and cultivating this beautiful art and the age old tradition.
We eagerly await CICMH’s upcomingnext flagship event Saadhana Unmesh on October 15. The website for Pandit Ghosh/CICMH www.panditsumanghosh.com, which will be launched in June, carries more information on the holistic effort by Pandit Ghosh and CICMH which culminates inis events such as this. and other unique events organized by Pandit Ghosh and CICMH.