Programme Highlights

“Inauguration of Chinmaya Naada Bindu”

13 September at Chinmaya Vibhooti, Kolwan.

Chinmaya Naada Bindu, a school of classical Indian music and dance, was inaugurated by Pujya Guruji, Swami Tejomayananda, on Sunday, 13th September, at Chinmaya Vibhooti. This event marks the realization of Guruji’s sankalpa of establishing a prime institution which will ensure that the rich tradition of Indian classical music and dance is transmitted to future generations in the true spirit of art. Indian culture has always looked upon all art forms as a means of awakening the latent divinity in each one of us. The vehicle for the transmission of this cultural tradition is the guru. Just as the spiritual guru is the transmitter of spiritual knowledge so also does the music or dance guru guide the disciple to transcend to that plane of consciousness from which the very first vibration of sound and movement begins. Hence the title, Swara to Iswara for the music section and Nartan to Paramatman for the dance section. Students of Chinmaya Naada Bindu will thus have an opportunity to evolve spiritually while becoming successful artists in the outer world.

The inaugural event, sponsored by Chinmaya Mission Hong Kong, was held in the newly completed state-of-the-art auditorium, Sudharma. Named after the assembly of Lord Krishna, this aesthetic, diamond shaped hall, is the work of architect Nitin Kilawala. With a seating capacity of 1008 and sound system by Bose, Sudharma was packed to full capacity for the occasion.

The programme began at 4.00 p.m. with a classical music piece composed by Shri Himanshu Nanda, rendered by Chinmaya Swaranjali to the accompaniment of Odissi dance by Ms. Sangeetha Rajan and her troupe, followed by invocation to Goddess Saraswati by Ujwala Acharya. Thereafter Guruji welcomed and honoured the Guest of Honour, Padma Vibhushan Pandit Jasraj and other distinguished guests such as Padma Vibhushan Pandit Shivkumar Sharma (accompanied by his wife Manorama), Shri Purushottamdas Jalota, Smt. Susheela Acharya and the performing artists for the evening. Welcome addresses by CCMT trustee Mr. H.K. Hinduja, Mr. Ravi Nene, CEO Chinmaya Vibhooti, and Smt. Pramodini Rao, Director Chinmaya Naada Bindu, gave the audience an insight into all that had gone into the creation of this school and what it seeks to achieve. This was followed by a brief logo launch presentation on Chinmaya Naada Bindu. A beautiful souvenir entitled Swara to Ishwara was released and the evening was creatively and tastefully anchored by classical events curator and presenter, Shyam Banerji of Delhi.

After high tea, Bharatanatyam artist Ramaa Bharadvaj and her daughter Swetha enthralled the audience with their superbly conceived programme, Aroha – the Ascent. The first part of the programme celebrated Siva as the source of all Sound, (Naada), Form (Bindu) and Manifestation (Kala) and then as Ardhanaarishwara. The last item evoked the modern concerns of equality of all men as well as the immigrant experience. Ramaa Bharadvaj, a long-time devotee of Swami Chinmayananda, has returned to her homeland after thirty one years while her daughter continues to live in the US, where she was born and brought up. Through a fusion of classical Indian dance and modern western dance, rendered with exquisite grace and finesse, the mother and daughter team portrayed growing up in a foreign culture and the striking out on its own path by the youth. Finally, an equilibrium is found through mutual sharing of cultures. This versatile mother-daughter team was equally impressive in solo mode as in duo performance.

The post-dinner concert featured the musical genius, Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar. Of him, Pandit Jasraj stated, “his every note is a perfect swara”. Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar was accompanied on the tabla by Pandit Suresh Talwalkar and Dr.Arawind Thatte on the harmonium. Vocal support was provided by his leading disciple Shri Shashank Maktedar and his son and disciple Shri Sameehan Kashalkar. The evening performance set the highest standards of excellence. Rather than just a display of virtuosity as is the case in many a concert, this experience was one of complete blending of voice and instruments in a unanimous outpouring of the soul at the feet of the Guru and God.

This occasion has been symbolic of the torch being passed to a young generation in the true guru-shishya parampara style. The name Chinmaya Naada Bindu was first used informally by Smt. Susheela Acharya, several years ago, as the name for her Bhajan Group in Chembur, Mumbai. Smt.Acharya, a gifted musician, has trained innumerable mission sevaks and sevikas. By appointing her accomplished daughter, Pramodini Rao, as director, Chinmaya Naada Bindu, Guruji has raised both the name and the concept to a new and universal level and brought fruition to the long devoted efforts of Smt.Acharya in the field of music. Ramaa Bharadvaj with her daughter Swetha, and Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar with his son Sameehan bear testimony to the fact that a young crop of outstanding dancers and musicians will hold aloft the high standards of sadhana and performance set by their illustrious parents.

The inaugural function drew a large crowd. Innumerable cars and buses arrived at Chinmaya Vibhooti in the course of the day bringing disciples and devotees and several noted artists and teachers of music and dance from Mumbai, Pune and other places. Among the many artists present were Kala Ramnath, Padmashree Geeta Chandran, Pandit Rattan Mohan Sharma, Shri Viswanath Shirodkar and Seema Shirodkar, to mention just a few.

Chinmaya Naada Bindu has already started functioning with a number of workshops planned over the next few months. The school, however, will be fully operational in 2012-2013. It will be complete with chillas or solitary riyaz rooms, dance studios, library and a state of the art recording studio. With culture and spirituality going hand in hand, this Gurukul will certainly be one of its kind in the country.

- Anita Raina Thapan