BHOPAL: The demise of Pandit Jasraj was a deep shock for the artist community of the city. The 90-year-old legendary classical vocalist , who passed away in the US on Monday evening, had a long and deep association with Bhopal and Madhya Pradesh. The doyen of Indian classical music had headed the Bharat Bhavan Trust for five years and had performed many times in the city and in other parts of the state. The founder of Mewati Gharana, to which he belonged, was also from Bhopal. The state government had conferred Kalidas Samman on him in 1997. Besides Bharat Bhawan and Ravindra Bhawan, he had performed at Indira Gandhi Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal in 2015. He had also performed in Mahakumbh at Ujjain in 2016.
In conversation with Free Press, local artistes and others recalled Panditji’s rare brilliance, his personal qualities and his dedication to music.
Industrialist and social activist Rajendra Kothari had a 48-year-long personal association with Pandit Jasraj, “I am not a classical music aficionado. We had a personal bond. Since 1973, he used to stay at my place whenever he visited Bhopal. I had also helped organise three, 15-day camps of musicians of Mewati Gharana, to which he belonged, in Bhopal,” Kothari said. He said that Panditji wanted to establish a training school of Mewati Gharana in Bhopal but it could not materialise.
Vocalist Ramakant Gundecha said Pandit Jasraj had a deep and abiding association with Bhopal. The Mazar of Khudabaksh, who was the founder of Mewati Gharana, is in Bhopal. “He always encouraged and motivated singers like us. I had visited Mumbai to take part in the celebrations of his 80th birthday. Last year, when my brother and I had travelled to the US, we had called on him at his New Jersey home,” he said. Gundecha said that Pandit Jasraj had given a new dimension to Khayal singing. “He was a phenomenon. Today is a black day for Indian classical music,” he said.
Bharat Bhavan’s administrative officer Prem Shankar Shukla said Panditji was the chairman of the Bharat Bhavan Trust from 2008-14 and he had visited Bhopal on many occasions during that period. Bharat Bhavan had organised a festival centred on him. It was called ‘Jasrangi’. Panditji had also performed at the fest. He always wanted Bharat Bhavan to become an international center of excellence. He wanted that the Bhavan should be run by artistes, writers and poets. “His Guru, whose name I do not remember correctly, also lives in Madhya Pradesh,” he said. The Madhya Pradesh Government had conferred Kalidas Samman on him. “We at Bharat Bhavan are very saddened by his death. We pay rich tributes to him,” he said.
Pandit Jasraj’s disciple Nilajana Vashistha said that she does not have words to express her grief. “He was a titan of the field of music. His passing away is an irreparable loss,” she said. Nilanjana had stayed at Pandit Jasraj’s home in Mumbai for eight years as his disciple. “No fee was charged from us students and the stay and food was free. He was a great human being, besides being an artist par excellence,” she said. Nilanjana said that he was a stern but a very loving teacher. He treated us like his own children. We have learned from him to remain calm and composed. “He was very punctual and he did not like to be late by even a minute to concerts,” she said.
Sunil Mishra, in-charge assistant director, culture said the state government felicitated him with the highest cultural award of the state - Kalidas Samman- in 1997. He was in love with Madhya Pradesh, Mishra said.
