Posted on 5 May 2026:
A Solo Musical Journey on the Shatatantri Veena — Tansen Parampara
Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Memorial Society in Delhi’s cultural heart, Chittaranjan Park, hosted recently, an evocative recital titled “A Solo Musical Journey on the Shatatantri Veena of the Tansen Parampara” by the renowned Pandit Dishari Chakraborty. Accompanied by tabla maestro Pandit Ramkumar Mishra of the Benaras gharana and tanpura supported by Dreamy Nice, the evening unfolded as a rare confluence of tradition and virtuosity.
The concert opened with Raga Hemant, a cherished creation of Baba Allauddin Khan. Pandit Chakraborty’s exposition illuminated its dhrupad ang lineage, weaving sthayi, antara, sanchari and abhog into a majestic alapa. As the jor progressed, Pandit Mishra’s tabla resonated in pakhawaj ang, leading into dazzling jhala variations—“thok jhala of the surshringar, lari jhala of the sarod, sidha jhala of the sitar, and ulti jhala of the surbahar”—that left the audience spellbound.
Raga Rasiya, composed by Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar, followed with lyrical grace. The nuanced use of komal nishad as a vivadi swara lent the performance a rare aesthetic richness. Returning to Baba Allauddin Khan’s legacy, Pandit Chakraborty presented Raga Durgeshwari in ati-vilambit laya, moving seamlessly into Allauddin Khani gat with intricate sawal-jawab and jhala passages.
The finale, a dhun in Raga Mand set to dadra taal, composed by Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, was interwoven with a kirtan melody by Baba Allauddin Khan—one that had inspired Rabindranath Tagore’s immortal “Bhalobese Sokhi Nibhrite Jotone…”.
Anchored gracefully by Smt. Susmita Chakraborty, the two-hour recital drew an illustrious audience including Prof. Dr. Aparna Sopori, spouse of Padma Shri awardee Pandit Bhajan Sopori (honored as “The Saint of Santoor”), journalist Jayanta Ray Chaudhuri, and eminent musicians including Debashish Dhar, Prof. Debjani Bakshi Patra, Pandit Arup Ratan Mukherjee, Pandit Ajay P. Jha, and Pandit Rajkumar Majumdar.
A luminous celebration of Tansen’s timeless parampara.
