As an eight-year-old, Ravindra Katoti visited harmonium artiste Rambhau Bijapure with his parents. When he heard Bijapure’s mesmerizing music, Katoti decided he had found his calling.

“My brother used to learn the flute from him (Bijapure). It all began with a casual conversation. While we were at his house in Belagavi, he asked me what I would like to learn. And, just like that, I said, ‘Harmonium,’ ” recalls Katoti.

Now, 38 years later, Katoti contributes to popularising harmonium solo concerts through the Harmonium Habba in Bengaluru. Its ninth edition, held on June 28, saw a Hindustani solo (on the harmonium) by Sudhir Yardi, while R Paramasivan played Carnatic compositions and old songs from the Gubbi Veeranna drama company. The event ended with Colours of Harmonium, an exploration of Hindustani classical, light classical and devotional genres by Ravindra Katoti.

The annual fest is organised by the Bijapure Harmonium Foundation, set up by Katoti, as are a few more concerts and lecture demonstrations round the year. BHF has also brought out audio recordings of the harmonium, a DVD titled Learn to Play Harmonium, aimed at beginners, and a documentary on the maestro it is named after.

The foundation’s efforts to project the harmonium as an independent instrument have paid off. “Earlier, people would be astonished if you mentioned a harmonium concert, even though the violin, sarangi and many other instruments have featured as the main ones in concerts for ages. Now, at least, people are aware,’’ says Katoti.

Before he shifted base from Belagavi to Bengaluru, he found that Bengalureans were largely unacquainted with the instrument. “When I was called, performances where the harmonium took centre-stage were few and far between,” he says.

But he has witnessed people gradually develop a taste for it. “It has been 13 years since I started the foundation, and slowly I find them supporting my cause,” shares Katoti. Solo performances even have dedicated listeners these days, he says, adding, “This is an instrument that originated in France and is thriving in India,” he says.

Harmonium is a global instrument, Katoti declares. It lends itself to many genres: Hindustani, Carnatic, devotional, light-classical and even Western.

An A-grade All India Radio and Doordarshan artiste, Katoti has played in venues across India and the globe. “In places like Pune, Mumbai and Kolkata, people come from a rich cultural background and it’s always a pleasure to perform in these cities,” he says.

Concerts abroad—Europe, US and the Middle East—are another question altogether. People patronise a variety of arts, and the audiences there are far more disciplined. “Unlike in India, they listen to the concert rapt in attention and complete silence,” he says. But this makes it harder for artistes like him to gauge their response.

Scholarships and awards have punctuated Katoti’s musical journey. He was awarded a three-year scholarship by the Karnataka Sangeet NrityaAcademy in 1986. In 1993, following his brilliant performance at South Central Zone Cultural Centre’s Yuva Sangeetotsav held at Ujjain, the then Maharashtra governor P C Alexander honoured him for his top-notch performance. The following year, he was conferred the title of Sur Ratna by Bhatkande Lalitkala Academy, Raipur. He also has a doctorate in commerce from Karnataka University, Dharwar.

On the question of how he wants to further his guru’s legacy—who passed on five years ago—he says he wants to “continue doing what he is doing: teaching and performing”.

This apart, he wants to mark Bijapure’s birth centenary year, 2017, with harmonium concerts across the country. He remembers his guru as, “someone who taught me the gist of music, with harmonium as the medium”.

Though known for his gaayaki style of rendition, where the musician uses the instrument to achieve a human voice-like quality with the music, he has also shared the stage with the greats of Hindustani music, including Gangubai Hangal, Bhimsen Joshi and Pandit Jasraj.

Ask him how different playing independently and accompaniment are, and he responds with, “When you accompany someone else you follow the other artiste’s thoughts; when you perform solo, you play out your own thoughts.”

And the art of accompaniment cannot be taught, he believes. “You can teach them how to play, but accompaniment is their prerogative. It has to be habituated.”

Katoti has also composed his own music, for bhav geets and devotional songs, besides two raga maalikas. This is an entirely different ball game, for “you have to keep in mind the lyrics and the musicians who will sing or play it.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Magazine / by Chetana Divya Vasudev / August 08th, 2015

Echo of Rajasthan hc order

Mysuru :

Over 2,000 members of Jain community comprising all the four sub-sects — Sthanakvasi, Moortipujak, Terapanth and Digambar Jain Samaj — took out a huge rally in the city here today to protest against the Aug. 10 ruling of the Rajasthan High Court that Sallekhana or Santhara, a religious practice of Jains, is illegal and a punishable offence.

The agitating members said that the order had deeply hurt the religious sentiments of the entire Jain community and it should be reconsidered. They noted that the Sallekhana could not be termed as an act of suicide nor it can be construed as ‘death by willingness.’ Sallekhana was a vow which was accepted by mendicants or householders according to their own wish as per the strength of the body and in tune with religious scriptures. It was a practice that was being followed since time immemorial.

Leaders of Jain community stated that as per Article 25 of the Constitution, to accept any religion, to profess it and or to propagate, is the fundamental right of any Indian citizen. Hence, the act of performing Sallekhana should be accepted as Fundamental Right of Jains.

Earlier in the morning, the members of the Jain community — men dressed in white and women representing various Mahila Mandalis attired in different hues — assembled at the Mysore Palace North Gate from where the rally commenced. Later, it passed through Ashoka Road, Mahaveer Circle, Gandhi Square, Shivarampet, D. Devaraj Urs Road and reached Deputy Commissioner’s Office to present a memorandum.

In the memorandum, they urged the Deputy Commissioner to apprise the authorities concerned to see that the Jains were not barred from following their religious rights.

The Terapanth Jain Muni Gyanendramuniji Maharaj said in his discourse that members of the Jain community would not commit violence on themselves or on others by taking recourse to Sallekhana. It was a practice to purify one’s soul and for destroying the ‘karmas.’ Prohibiting it would amount to denial of the fundamental rights allowed in the Constitution.

Calling upon the members of the community to unite on this score, he said the community would challenge it legally. Munishree Sujethakumar Maharaj was also present.

Jains regard Sallekhana or Santhara to be the highest form of passage or death and in a way not the same as suicide. It is done in full consciousness and in peace and it does require that the practitioner fast unto death. Jain texts say it is the ultimate route to attaining Moksha and breaking free from the whirlpool of life and death. The vow of Sallekhana or Santhara is taken when one feels that one’s life has served its purpose. The rationale behind Sallekhana comes from the Jain belief in karma, rebirth, asceticism and spiritual purification.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Thursday – August 27th, 2015