Talk:Shrikrishna Narayan Ratanjankar

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There is a virtually identical page about the same person under "Shrikrishna N. Ratanjankar".

123.237.17.205 (talk) 16:17, 17 July 2008 (UTC)

Pandit Shrikrisna Narayan Ratanjankar(Annasaheb)

                                                                         Foreword   
      Writing biography of Shrikrisna Ratanjankar is never an easy job for me. What more can you write about Pandit Shrikrisna Narayan Ratanjankar, who was and still, is written about by many stalwarts of the Indian Classical Music! What one can write without re-treading what other so many pundits of the music had written and still are writing for so many years about the greatest of all musicians. It is a challenging job doing this biography because one cannot assume that the reader is devotee of Indian Classical music. I have to, knowingly make information accessible and write about the greatest musician and his music.
         The Bhatkhande Sangeet Vidyapeeth of Indian Classical Music, Lucknow U.P. (erstwhile Marris Music College of Indian Classical Music),-- where Late Pt. S.N.Ratanjankar worked as professor and later as principal for almost 36 years,-- to  commemorate his 105th birth anniversary, inaugurated a Sabhagruha (Hall) in his name and also erected his statue on its premises on25/8/2005. 
         I bestow this biography to my beloved uncle, late Pandit Shrikrisna Narayan Ratanjankar for his remembrance and what he did, living his life in utterly simplicity and dedication to enrich Hindustani classical music in many ways. While at it I would also like to mention name of his sister Late Ku.Manikbai Narayan Ratanjankar, who, after the loss of their mother  remained spinster to take care of  Narayanrao’s, ( her father ) and her brothers’ as she was the only lady of the age of 12 left to do so. Without her, it would have been difficult for Shri Shrikrisna, (Anna Saheb) to pursue his goal. He too had accepted it.

S.G.R.

                   Pandit Shrikrisna Narayan Ratanjankar (Anna Saheb) 
                            By Siddhartha G. Ratanjankar       
                                                                   
         Born little before the mid-night of last date of the last month of 19th century in a middle-class Maharashtrian family of Mumbai that is after the midnight on 31st Dec.1899, a son named Shrikrishna to his father, Narayan Govind Ratanjankar (an officer in the police force under East India Company Raj.) who had a deep and discriminating interest in Indian classical music. Narayanrao was a sitar player. Shrikrishna, therefore, was fortunate to receive excellent training in the art under the most efficient masters available. At the age of 5, young Shrikrishna was put under the training of Pt. Krishnam Bhat of Karwar (a pupil of Kale Khan of Patiala Gharana) whose method of teaching was so thorough that in 2 years of (nothing but) scale exercises. The boy's "swar-dnyan" was perfected. His next teacher was Pt. Anant Manohar Joshi (a pupil of Balakrishna Buwa). It was about this time that Shrikrishna's father came into contact with Pt. Bhatkhandeji. The latter was so deeply overwhelmed by the boy's talent and zeal, that the Chaturpandit predicted that with proper training, he would not only become a great musician, but also a pioneer in the rejuvenation and popularization of Hindustani classical music. From 1912 onward, one after other Ratanjankar's family had to endure many misfortunes. Young Shrikrishna lost his mother.  His father, Narayanrao was transferred to Ahmadnagar. Due to tremendous pressure of work, Narayanrao became a victim of recurring heart-attacks. He had to retire prematurely from the police service on meager amount of pension. After retirement unable to meet minimum of household expenses Shrikrishna, though a teenager, began to give "mehfils" (music sittings) for which he earned few Rupees to help the family and became very popular. In 1916 Shrikrishna took part in the first All India Music conference in Baroda. With Pandit Bhatkhande's approval he became a disciple of Aftab-e-Mousiqui Ustad Faiyaz Khan then a renowned musician with the maharaja of Baroda, and remained with him for five years. The mutual affection and respect between these two was great, and the Ustad always mentioned Shrikrishna's name as one of the most eminent of his "musical heirs" and Shrikrisna proved him right. In 1917, he was given a scholarship by Baroda State for studying music. He with his younger brother Gajanan moved to Baroda. The teen-aged musician gave lessons of classical music to members of the royal family of Baroda for some time. In 1923 Ratanjankar's family returned to Bombay. In spite of the vicissitude of the family, and his all-engrossing musical training, he found time to pursue his academic studies as well, and in the year 1920 Annasaheb graduated from the Wilson College. The contact with Pandit Bhatkahandeji was always maintained, and later Annasaheb began to take classes and give performances in the Sharada Sangeet Mandal sponsored by Bhatkhande. Later on, when Pt. Bhatkhande started the Music College (Initially known as Marris Music College) in Lucknow, Ratanjankar was sent there, first as professor, and soon after, became Principal. The latter used to accompany the Chaturpandit during his visits to the various eminent musicians of the day to collect ancient compositions from various Gharanas. Thus he was able to learn an enormous number of old and traditional compositions (Dhrupads, Dhamar, Khayals, Lakashanageet and Thumri). Like Bhatkhandeji, his disciple also strove in various ways through lectures, classes, demonstrations, writings etc., to revive interest in classical music among the public.                                                                 

2 A senior music teacher of today recalls the first time he met and heard Pandit Ratanjankar. It was in the All India Music Conference organised in Lucknow in 1924. In that conference where music maestros from all important centers like Rampur Jaipur, Gwalior, Alwar, Dholpur, Indore, Baroda and Mahiyar had assembled, Shrikrishna somehow stood out like a young Abhimanyu among the revered Dronas, Bhishmas, etc of the music. Besides being a graduate and a polished musician, he was already a profound scholar in music. His voice was in excellent form and his intellect in "Sangeet Shastra" was astounding. He could render rare and difficult ragas like Deepak, Patmanjari, Natnarayan, Bhankar, etc., with as much ease as the Prachalit Ragas (current and popular) ones like Yaman, Bilawal, Todi, Bhairavi etc. 3 He knew by heart even the rare compositions published in the fifth and sixth parts of Bhatkhande's Kramik Series. We could not help wondering how and when he had managed to learn such a large number of ragas and compositions, to take his M. A. Degree, and to make such a deep study of classics like Sungeet-Ratnakar, Natya-Shashtra, Lakshya-Sangeet, Raga Tala vibodh and so on! Those who have had the good fortune to listen to "Annasaheb's" music when he was in his best form can never forget the immensity of his raga - and - songs - range, the richness of his creative imagination, the purity and exactness of his note-combinations, and overall, the beauty of his well-integrated, systematic style of performing it. Being of a shy and quiet temperament, and a genuine votive of music, Annasaheb never made any concessions to placate plebian tastes. He retired into his own quiet shell, and loosened the springs of his great and unspoilt art, only in front of the knowing and discerning few. His style, though basically of the Jaipur Gharana, bore the unmistakable impression of Ustad Faiyaz Khan's Agra or Rangeela style, while delightfully combining some of the best characteristics of the Gwalior-gharana. The resulting combination was a remarkable individual style of his own. It was a rare mixture of sweetness and dignity, artistic purity and creativeness and of swara shuddhi with Uchchaar shuddhi (purity of notes and accent). Many were fortunate to listen to innumerable sets of songs composed by Pandit Bhatkhande and that by Annasaheb when his music was at the peak of its glory. Some of his memorable performances were at the various festivals (such as Basant Rutu {Sprig}, Holi, Janmashtami and so on) functions organized in The Bhatkhande Sangeet Vishwa Vidyalaya, then known as Marris Music College, Lucknow. But it was at the annual Sangeet Dhara programmes, dedicated to Pt. Bhatkhande's memory that he really sang like one inspired, and poured out his soul in song, in honors to his guru’s "Punya Tithi” (death anniversary). Past and present students, musicians from far and near, used to flock to participate in this unbroken-musical stream which commenced at dawn on l9th of September each year, and lasted for 12 hours. The ragas like Paraj, Bhairavi, Lalit Pancham, Desh, Darbari, Sohini, and Malhar that those heard him sing in the nineteen forties still echo in their ears. Throughout the day and late into the night, Annasaheb lived in a musical world of his own, engrossed in ancient music classics, and composing new rare-combinations like Marga-Bihag, Kedar Bahar, Sawani Kedara, Rajani Kalyan, Salag Varali, Sankara Karan etc. He also experimented on new types of compositions like Varnams from Carnatic music with Hindi Sahitya and Taranas with Sanskrit verses instead of Persian ones. Well versed in English, Hindi, Sanskrit, and Marathi, all this came to him with ease. It was a joke (though a fact) among his students, that his "companions" during railway-journeys were never light magazines or novels, but heavy classics like the Samaveda, Bharata Natya Shastra, and Sangeet Ratnakara. 4 Late K.G.Ginde. S.C.R.Bhat and Dinkar Kaikini and others, all students of Bahtkhande Sangeet Vidyapeeth, residing at Vidyapeeth’s hostel rooms, just next to Annasheb’s room, always recalled that whenever, before supper time, they used to recite together whatever they leaned in the class, Annasaheb would join them, solely to help them sing it in proper way. They all would never know when it is past midnight. They all would have to have cold supper. With the passing of years, the strenuous years of music teaching, the impact of tragic personal losses, and deteriorating health-all these factors ruined his voice. Ratanjankar performed less and less frequently. He concentrated on other aspects of music-creativity. As an examiner in various universities, and as a member of the Syllabus-Committee, he wrote and published his Sangeet Shiksha in 3 parts, the Abhinava Sangeet Shiksha, the Tana Sangraha, Abhinava Sangeet Manjiri, etc. His Abhinava Sangeet (Raga) Manjari alone contains nearly 200 of his original and beautiful compositions. He never tried to publicise the fact that his compositions are being broadcast from the various stations of All India Radio almost every day. Generations of musicians will revere his memory as one of the most eminent and prolific Vagyeyakars of modern times. Only a musician-cum scholar could create such beautiful classical songs in which Swaras and Sahitya, blend so harmoniously. Annasaheb's musical philosophy was that the effect of music ought to be, and is pure artistic joy" and that the musician should be able to draw out from every raga whatever rasa or emotion he wishes to". Perhaps it was to illustrate this point that he wrote his successful musical operas-Govardhan Uddhar, Jhansi Ki Rani and Shivamangalam and an opera on Tansen, an eminent scholar and singer of Mughal King Akbar. The first of these was put out as a national programme from all stations of AIR. In all of them, he made use of an ample range of ragas to produce various rasas.

5          When the Indira Kala Sangeet University was inaugurated in Khairagarh (Madhya Pradesh), Principal Ratanjankar was persuaded to accept the Vice-Chancellorship. Leaving his humble college in Lucknow was a most painful blow to accept challenging job to see this infant University through its birth-pangs, and put it on firm foundations. In fact, a less dedicated person could not have borne this heavy responsibility. Night and day, he strove selflessly for the University. Only his closest-associates know how secretly he used to donate a large slice of his own salary back to the University whenever funds became inadequate. He did not lay down the heavy reins of this office until he had steered this institution out of troubled waters and set it sailing along calm waters. 

6 At a time when the majority of north Indian musicians ignored Karnatak music, Pt. S.N. Ratanjankar was one of the very few who studied deeply the theory and ragas of the Karnatak system, appreciated its great traditions, and adapted much from it to enrich the Hindustani system. Averse to party politics, and narrow provincialism, he remained dignified and above petty jealousies. Sangeet Kalanidhi Justice Venkatrama Iyer described Ratanjankar as "the symbol of the unity of lndian music". As a member of the expert committee of the Music Akademy, Madras, he contributed richly to "promote close mutual understanding between the two systems". 7 As chairman of the Music Auditions Board, Pt. Ratanjankar was closely associated with AIR for a number of years. He participated in many music seminars with his scholarly papers. Among his more well-known disciples may be mentioned as the late Chandrasekhar Pant, the late Chidanand Nagarkar, Chinmoy Lahiri, Late S.C.R. Bhat, and K.G. Ginde, Late V.G.Jog, Dinkar Kaikini, P.N. Chinchore, and others. While all of them have been regular broadcasters, two of them served on the staff of the AIR for many years. Most of them were teaching music. Shri Ratanjankar bejeweled many positions of honour in the world of music and was honoured with the title of "Padma Bhushan" by President Rajendra Prasad in recognition of his outstanding services to music.

.8 Musicians and musicologists from all over the country pay their homage to the memory of this rare "missionary" in music who lived a life of utter simplicity and dedication, and who enriched Hindustani music in many ways. In one of his many lovely Bhajans he used to sing, which means: "It is a precious gift to be born as a human being on this earth. Do some good work while you are here. Keep your mind and body and your entire life pure and clean. Help those in need. Make your life useful and purposeful". In fact, this describes Pt. Ratanjankar's own approach to life.

9        There is a line in his opera “Govardhan Uddhar” to be recited when in distress, (In Dehati Dhun) “Hey27.5.65.88 (talk)Shyam, Giri Jaya Rahyo  Govardhana. Nahin Samharat Hamre, Samha~re. Sharan Tiha~re Hama Saba. Krupa Karo Ab Nath, Anathan, Patit Uddharan, Kshama Kijiyo. Mahad Aparadhi, Hama Dooshta Anadi…..” Anna saheb, while returning from All India Radio Station, told me that the opera was composed at the request of members of the Maharashtra Samaj, Lucknow, as the Samaj wanted to celebrate birth anniversary of renowned freedom fighter Late Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who had asked the Indians to use everything produced in India in his well known ‘Swadeshi Movement’.

10 Anna saheb, my uncle, might not have thought when he composed this stanza that somebody who recites it with his heart in it would be really helped by the lord almighty, clearing him and his family members from all the sufferings, the difficulties. I speak this out of my own experience. 11 The 1960s, were the days, though my uncle has already returned for good to our joint family at Mumbai from his last posting as Vice Chancellor of Indira Sangeet Kala Vishva Vidyalaya, Khairagarh in Madhya Pradesh, he never spent time remaining idle till the day he breathed his last. He always used to be busy with writing, composing songs (CHIJAS) in different versions of Ragas, composing Bhajans, reading several books on Indian Classical Music, replying letters received from anybody from any part of India and abroad as well, on the subject he dedicated his life for. He was always called to various cities of India to examine the students of other schools and colleges where Indian Classical Music is taught. I used to travel whenever my uncle wanted me to accompany him on his tours. I also accompanied him for several days to All India Radio Station at Marine Lines, Mumbai, where he trained artists from music department which wanted to stage the opera Govardhan Uddhar under the direction of Anna Saheb. This how, I could learn most of the stanzas of the opera by heart. 12 There are several other incidents which I still remember while accompanying Anna sahib on tours which were conducted only in respect of the Indian Classical Music; either for examinations, organized by some Indian Classical Music colleges or to attend music conferences, or to attend classical music programs arranged and or broadcasted by All India Radio Stations (AIR) at various cities, to celebrate Birth Anniversaries of well known past maestro of the classical music like Tansen and Baiju and many others. I recall one of them was at Agra. The birth anniversary of Tansen, greatest of all of Indian Classical Music, celebrated every year by AIR, is called “Tansen Urus”. He had composed a Bandish in Bhairavi Raga, magnifying the greatness of rare talent of Tansen, just a day before. It was one of the master pieces. He had asked best of his students, S/shri K.G. Ginde and S.C.R.Bhat to present it the way it is composed. Anna Saheb got them rehearse for several times in the day. He had categorically asked them before singing the song, to read out the words of the Bandish so the audience may follow the meaning of it since the same programme was being broadcasted through AIR. Unfortunately both of them forgot to read out the words of the Bandish. Both of them, in Jugalbandi performed it well but Annasaheb was very angry. This was the first and last time I saw him getting angry with his best students.

13 The other incident, I remember was at Nagpur. We both were guest at residence of one of our family friend, a retired justice. It was evening after sun set and due to cloudy weather, the darkness fell. During our stay Annasaheb was humming Raga Megh- Mallhar tune. He later composed a Bandish in the Raga. It described that the sun-set brought cooler winds, cloud started gathering above us in the sky, little later wind started blowing rough and thundering was at its high pitch. But when it started raining it has begun with slow and nice with pleasing sound of water falling off the tree and flowing from high hills. Annasaheb sang out the Bandish to the justice and his daughter who had come to visit her father and Annasaheb. When both of them argued the version of the Bandish saying that how when it was almost like stormy weather with thundering and heavy wind, the rain was slow and steady. Annasaheb tried his level best to explain them that it is a nature and we should not expect always the situation as we think. Both of them were adamant. I can understand justice but his daughter who was an artist of Indian classical music and was employed with AIR, Nagpur, too was taking side of her father’s argument. It seemed to me that she was ignorant of the nature behavior. It is very simple that when wind blows heavy it blows away the thundering cloud far off the city sky and the mild clouds which are brought, rain the city with its kind and not nasty fall. Since both were adamant to accept the version, Annasaheb tore off the paper on which he had composed the Bandish. 14 One more incident, which I still remember, that is when I used to accompany Annasaheb during rehearsals of opera on Govardhan Uddhar at AIR studios at Mumbai. An officer and artist of the AIR, Mumbai, Mr. V.G.Jog, a well known violinist, took us to a hospital where another well known performer of Indian Classical music, Ustad Bade Gulam Ali Khan was admitted for paralyses stroke. Ustad was very happy to see Annasaeb personally came to visit him. He said Annasaheb is not only Ratanjankar. He is Ratan Jana Kar. Ratan means jewel, Jana means population, and Kar means endorse. He meant that public, listening to him while singing a Bandish of a raga, consider him as jewel of the Indian Classical music. There were many other incidents which if I narrate here; Annasaheb’s biography will be full of the incidents I happened to witness. 15 Annasaheb did not stop at just performing art of Indian classical music or teaching it in the Vidyapeeth, Lucknow, U.P. or at Indira Kala Sangeet Vishva Vidyalaya, Khairagarh, and M.P. He saw to that the Sangeet Paddhati of his guru Chatur Pandit late Shri Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande is spread every where. For this he helped his students to open Shastriya Sangeet Shiksha institutions in the cities like Mumbai, Kolkatta, Delhi, Hyderabad, etc. In Mumbai, Late Kanhayalal Munshi requested Annasaheb to have somebody to begin teaching Indian classical Music in his sponsored college, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan at Chaupati. Annasaheb therefore nominated Late Shri Chidaned Nagarkar to head the institution and to assist him late shri K.G.Ginde and Late shri S.C.R. BHat were appointed as teachers in the institution. Later, Swami Vallabhdas too wanted to have classical music faculty started in his school at Sion, Mumbai. He appointed K.G.Ginde for the classical music faculty. Swami was very much impressed of K.G.Ginde’s way and dedication of teaching the classical music and learnt that he is a student of Annasaheb, whom the swami immediately appointed on the board of director of the school. Well experienced late shri K.G.Ginde to head the institution and late shri Bhat to assist him. Similarly in Kolkata, Nani Gopal Banerjee was helped to open up an institution and in Hyderabad. Shri Dantale had started his own Classical music institution teaching the Bhatkhnde Sangeet Paddhati of Indian Classical Music. He, after his retirement, was every year invited to examine the students of Indian classical music of all these institutions. 16 One day, in the afternoon when he was sitting in an easy chair, his usual place to relax, going through his mail and replying some of them, a door bell rang. Though the main door of the house was kept always open, we both waited somebody to enter. Usually our visitors never use call bell. They simply walk in. As nobody entered I went to the door to see who it could be. I thought that it must be a Postman waiting to deliver registered postage. Well to my surprise, I saw an elderly person, either European or American and a lady at the door. He enquired whether Dr. S. N. Ratanjankar is available. For a while I was stunned to see them as never there has been anybody of western culture visited our house. I said “yes” and turned to inform my uncle “Anna, somebody from States or London is asking for you.” Anna Saheb who used to be always clad in his ‘Dhoti’ got up, put on white “kurta” and came to the door to see who they were. The gentleman introduced himself as the Dean of Music faculty of Michigan University, U.S.A. and that lady as his wife. Sitting room of the house, though very spacious, and where Annasaheb always sits in his favorite easy chair, was as usual scattered with some folding chairs, Sofas and the center table were not arranged properly. It was full of Music books and magazines. Remington typewriters were on coaches. In short it was most unacceptable as neat. There were no empty seats on sofas for the visitors to sit. The couple themselves took the chairs to sit on it. Annasaheb apologized saying “sorry’ that he could not receive them properly as he did not know that they were coming to see him. In return the couple said that they were sorry that they came without prior appointment. Annasaheb, of course pointed out that nobody need to take prior appointment. Anybody who wants know about Indian Classical Music can drop in anytime. Only that he should have been informed that person of your stature is visiting me so he could keep his things tidy and neat. The couple laughed it out and humbly asked not to worry; and that it is the case with all the scholars. The dean (I could not catch his name when he first introduced himself) said that first he had visited Lucknow since while in USA he had learnt that Annasaheb was principal of the college. Somebody guided him to Kolkata where he was told that Dr. S. N. Ratanjankar is now a V. C. of Indira Kala Sangeet Vishva Vidyalaya at Khairagarh, M. P. Nobody of Vidyalaya, however knew where Annasaheb would be. A professor of some instrument said that Dr. Raghavan, attached to Chennai, erstwhile Madras University would know about Annasaheb. The dean then pointed that Dr. Raghavan too was not sure about Annasaheb’s present assignment. He, however, let the dean have our Mumbai address and so finally he could see Annasaheb. They discussed about the music, both Indian Classical Music and the Western Classical Music. Both had agreed that the notation of the music is must to sing it in its correct form. The dean requested to see some literature on Indian Classical music. Annasaheb, not only let him see it, he presented him with all the books and magazines available with him plus the books written by himself and his Guru Late Chaturpandit V. N. Bhatkhande. It is pertinent to state here that the present popular Sitar Artist. Shri Ravi Shankar is responsible to spread the sweetness and greatness of the Indian Classical music through his performance and whenever he was asked any literature on it he would mention Anna Saheb’s name. When Anna saheb was told about it He personally attended a music festival where Ravi Shankar was performing. Anna Saheb made him a present of all his books and magazines for Yahudi Menuhin, who is a great violinist and who asked for it.

                                                                                                                                 17  Anna Saheb, though was bejeweled with many positions of honour in the world of Hindustani Classical Music and was awarded the title of ‘Padma Bhushan’ by the then president of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad and also though was adorned by Sangeet Natak Academy of India in recognition of his outstanding services to the Hindustani classical music, lived a life of true ‘Karma Yogi’, a selfless and ascetic simplicity. His dedication to and personal sacrifices to the progressive proliferation of the Hindustani Classical music and indifference to publicity and money was rather an extraordinary personality in the era when the mainstream of proficients yearn for fame and wealth. The responsibility of his guru Chaturpandit Bhatkhandeji could not have laid on worthier shoulders. Anna Saheb was a dedicated soul and was devoted to his music. He sought consolation for his heart by plunging deeper into the art of his music which gave him a confidence while tragedies occurred in his personal life.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 27.5.65.88 (talk) 08:23, 20 July 2012 (UTC)