Why Indian classical musicians like to perform in the temple space

Banaras has been a centre of the classical arts for the last few hundred years. It boasts of its own gharana (school) of tabla, has its own gharana of vocal music, is the home of the shehnai which has a pre-eminent position in auspicious festivities; and the Banarasi thumri is the most popularly sung thumri style today. Music is inextricably linked with the life of even the common man. It is not rare to see a rickshaw driver or fruit-seller amongst the audience at a Banaras classical music or dance concert.

Classical music and dance in temples in and around Banaras is, of course, not a new phenomenon; the biggest of them all, the Sankat Mochan Festival, is said to be around 90 years old; the Chintamani Ganesh Mandir two-day annual festival, Vindhyachal Mata Festival (an approximately two hours’ drive from Banaras), Shitala Mandir Mela, the Achaleshwar Mahadev annual Diwali concerts at Dala, amongst others, are all popular events. Even the annual Dhrupad Mela around Shivratri, though not held inside a temple, is
held on the banks of the holy Ganga, bringing in the spiritual link.

This pervasive cultural influence seeped into Banaras-born Sonu Jha. His father Maheshwar Jha had moved from Bihar to Banaras, around half a century ago, and as a toddler, Jha was taken under the fold of the iconic Prof. Virbhadra Mishra. Mahant of the Sankat Mochan temple and a truly beloved figure in Banaras, Mishra was well-known for his stupendous work on the Ganga, and patronage of music. Growing up in the shadow of this great visionary, Jha admits he was “overshadowed by his saintliness”. “My father used to help organise the Sankat Mochan festival, and I grew up in that mahaul. I also helped, starting by serving water and tea to the artists, and later I was promoted to receiving and dropping the artistes. It’s been 30 years now. And even though one is up day and night for six nights consecutively, I love serving the cause of the classical arts; yehi hamara dharohar hai. Though I have never learnt music, helping organise the Sankat Mochan festival every year made me realise that classical artistes are truly superior to popstars. They may bring in greater crowds, but the real worth is that of the classical artistes.”

It was interesting tracing Jha’s journey; he took on the family’s hereditary duties of being priests at the Durga Mandir, learnt astrology and Vastu and is now one of the organisers of the annual six-day classical music and dance festival at the Durga Mandir, which has hosted this festival since 1992.

Jha explains: “The Durga temple courtyard has a yantra installed at the centre, and the music festival is held here. It starts at 7.30 pm every evening and ends at 6 am next morning, and we serve sweets all through the night, be it halwa or jalebi. On the last day is a bhandara (free distribution of food) for everyone from 6 am onwards. Kasmanda Devi’s birth celebration festivities start according to the lunar calendar a few days earlier, culminating in this music and dance festival.”

Vidushi Manju Mehta, senior disciple of Pt Ravi Shankar from Ahmedabad, is always happy to revisit her beloved Banaras. “I have so many memories of Banaras; what glorious times they were! The atmosphere then was so different; we would all sit together after concerts, be in and out of each other’s houses! Girija Devi, Maharajji (Pt Kishan Maharaj), Samta Prasad, Kumarbhaiya (Pt Kumar Bose), Rajan Sajan bhaiya (Pts Rajan and Sajan Mishra) — I can’t forget those memories. Playing at the Durga Mandir is a first time for me, but Banaras is Banaras!!” Mehta recollects.

Pt Narendranath Dhar, celebrated sarodiya (sarod player) from the Senia Shahjahanpur gharana, shared that his first haazri (musical offering) at the Durga Mandir festival was around 20 years ago, when the late Pt Ishwarlal Mishra of Banaras had accompanied him on the tabla. “This time also it’s Banaras’s own Pt Ram Kumar Mishra who will accompany me. I love playing in temples — Bhagwan ke dwar mein, main kuch nahin mangta, sirf ashirwaad mangta hoon. I love playing at Shanta Durga temple in Goa. In Guwahati, the Kamakshya Devi temple used to have a festival, too; sadly that has stopped now. The Ramakrishna Mission music concerts too have a spiritual connect for me,” Dhar said.

Vidushi Malini Awasthi, who adores Banaras, agreed that “all artists love performing at temples; it’s an offering to one’s ishtdevi, and it’s part of our age-old tradition. Vindhyachal Mata is our ishtdevi and I offer my music as a tribute at the festival there every second year. Durga Mandir festival organisers have been inviting me for two years now but I was unable for some reason or another to perform. The aura in a temple is unique; the audience is special too. I have sung at the Kanak Bhawan temple in Ayodhya too; in fact I have sung at so many temples that I have literally lost count! One learns and practises for such opportunities to present oneself in these sublime venues; it’s the ultimate offering and dedication of oneself to the Supreme One. I wish more temples would revive this age-old tradition; I would love to perform in as many temples as I can. I believe its Ma Durga who gives us artistes the energy to perform.”

The festival gave a platform to young artistes as well, making it one of the more eagerly awaited music festivals in Banaras. The festival concluded on September 2, and included Pt Rajendra Prasanna, and Vidushi Geeta Chandran.

Shailaja Khanna writes on music, musicians and matters of music