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Shree Baba Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan is one of those congregations where artists belonging to Indian classical music feel honoured to perform. It has become a kind of mecca for these artists as well as music lovers, irrespective of caste, creed and religion. The 128th Shree Baba Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan, is going to be held from December 24-26, 2004 at its usual venue, Devi Talab, Jalandhar.
This time, two artists from Pakistan – Tafoo Khan,tabla player and Hussain Baksh,vocalist are also participating in the Sammelan. It is almost after 25 years that artists from Pakistan are coming here to perform. Master Rohan Bhogal, a tabla player from Canada is also coming to participate as a young artist. Other Indian artists who would perform in this august Sammelan include Ustad Ali Ahmed Khan & Party (shehnai), Uday Bhavalkar (dhrupad), Ustad Shahid Pervez (sitar), Romu Maumdar (flute), Prateek Choudhary (sitar), Gajendra Narayan Mojumdar (Sarod) and vocalists - Meeta Pandit, Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Pt. Ajay Chakraborty, Anjana Nath, Madhav Gudi and Vasundhara and Kalabini Konkali, wife and daughter of Kumar Gandharva, respectively. While from Doordarshan, Jallandhar, Manu Seen (Sitar) and Dr. S. K. Nahar (Violin) would perform jugalbandi.
From now on morning sessions are going to be the added feature in the Sammelan for the people who enjoy morning ragas.
Historical Significance
The history of the congregation dates back to 1875 when it was held for the first time at the temple of Devi Talab in Jaladhar, Punjab. Since then, it has grown from strength to strength, attracting artists and audience from across the country. But at that time, it was not known by its present name and was, in fact, organized by Baba Harivallabh himself to pay homage to his great guru Baba Tuljagiri through music, on his first death anniversary.
Baba Harivallabh, was born in the latter part of the 18th century in a small historical village Bajwara, named after the great singer of the country Baiju Bawra, in district Hoshiarpur, Punjab. After losing parents at an early age, he was brought to Jalandhar by his maternal grandfather, Pandit Jwand Lal Jyoti. The grandfather’s proximity with Swami Tuljagiri, a Sanskrit scholar and a great exponent of dhrupad style of classical music left a deep impact on his mind. Instead of playing with other children of his age, he would sing bhajans (devotional songs) for hours on the steps of Devi Talab temple.
One day Baba Tuljagiri also the mahant (religious leader) of Baba Hemgiri’s Gaddi (seat) found Harivallabh sitting on the steps of Devi Talab in deep meditation. As he opened his eyes, he found Baba Tuljagiri standing before him. This was the moment when the enlightened Guru found a devoted disciple. He initiated his disciple into the learning of the Holy scriptures, Sanskrit and classical music. There upon Pandit Duni Chand was engaged to give him formal lessons in music.
The young Harivallabh decided to renounce the world to serve his guru with his remarkably melodious voice and soon touched great heights in the classical music. He used to sing bhajans in dhrupad style. Such was the pull of these bhajans that even the furies of the Nature could not stop the people from assembling at Devi Talab to listen to him. It is said that during the rainy season when the surrounding areas used to submerge in water, people would often swim across to reach Devi Talab to sit at the feet of Baba Tuljagiri and Baba Harivallabh. Recognising the extraordinary qualities in his disciple, Baba Tuljagiri named his disciple as his successor. Thus he became Baba Harivallabh. In 1874 to pay homage to Baba Tuljagiri, he invited saints and holy men to sing devotional compositions at his memorial.
Over a period of time such congregations became a regular feature to pay homage to Baba Tuljagiri every year. Although the fame of such a music congregation had spread far and wide yet only holy men were invited to sing.
Expansion
Baba Harivallabh left the mortal world in 1885 and Pandit Tolo ram succeeded him and kept the tradition alive. He, however, made some innovations by also inviting other singers from the region along the holy men. At that time those who attended the Sammelan included Pt. Dwarka Dass, Mohammed Hussain of village Hariana, Mian Amed Khan of Phillaur, Shri Puran Chand of Hadiabad (Phagwara), Mian Udo Khan of Rampur and many others. As the gathering at the Sammelan kept on growing year after year, the fame of Jalandhar as a seat of great classical music in Northern India grew far and wide. It was a great honour and testimony of merit for a musician to present his art from the rostrum of the Shree Baba Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan.
Pt. Vishnu Digamber’s visit added new dimensions to the music congregation. He suggested Pandit Tolo Ram to invite artists from all over the world. Participation of stalwarts of that time like Sarvshri Bhaskar Rao, Ram Krishan Shankar, Pandit Bala Guru, Pandit Omkar Nath Thakur, Bade Gulam Ali Khan, Imdad Khan, Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Wilait Hussain Khan added grandeur to the Sammelan.
Till the last breath, Pandit Tolo Ram tirelessly worked with devotion and dedication. He endowed the Sammelan with sobriety and sanctity. The long and glorious life of Pandit Tolo Ram came to an end in 1938. He was succeeded by his great devotee and disciple Pandit Dwarka Das who carried on the tradition till he breathed his last in 1952. However, about six years after the death of Pt. Tolo Ram, Pt. Dwarka Das nominated Seth Hukam Chand and Shri Ashwini Kumar as Trustees of Baba Harivallabh Sangeet Mahasabha Trust. After the death of Seth Hukum Chand in 1954, Shri Ashwini Kumar, I.P.S, Former Director General, Border Security Force and Punjab and Himachal Police, is the sole trustee.
While keeping the old traditions intact, he brought forth the transformations in the Sammelan. One such transformation was to invite great female artists. Earlier, female artists were neither allowed to perform on the Harivallabh stage nor allowed to sit amongst the audience.
The popularity of the Sammelan can be gauged from the fact that Baba Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan enjoyed the patronage of the Maharajas (rulers) of Kapurthala, Patiala and Kashmir. Maharaja of Kapurthala always make it a point to attend the Sammelan.
Earlier, only vocal artists used to participate in the Sammelan upto the year 1929, musical instruments were added later. Vichitter Veena was introduced on the stage by Mian Abdul Aziz of Patiala Gharana. Sitar by Pt. Ravi Shankar, Sarod by Amjad Ali Khan and Flute by Panna Lal Ghosh.
Thus the Sammelan has been successfully engaged in cultivating the taste of common audience in classical music as well as providing a reputed platform for musicians and vocal artists. Despite wide and far reaching influence of radio and television, it has not lost its sheen and relevance among music lovers.
*Information Assistant, PIB, Jalandhar
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