Songs of the lord

With Gokulashtami coming up on August 21, attend a Haveli Sangeet concert by the Gundecha brothers, who will sing Kirtans composed by eight poets, including Surdas

Songs of the lord

With Gokulashtami coming up on August 21, attend a Haveli Sangeet concert by the Gundecha brothers, who will sing Kirtans composed by eight poets, including Surdas

The birth of Lord Krishna or Janmashtami is celebrated by re-enacting legends associated with him, whether it's his divine dance with the Gopis (Raas Lila) or the breaking of pots filled with butter (Dahi Handi). It's also an apt occasion to listen to Haveli Sangeet, or devotional music originally performed in Vaishnava temples across Rajasthan and Gujarat.

(From left to right) Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha

The National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) has organised a Pushtimargiya Kirtan concert featuring Bhopal-based singers, Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha, also known as the Gundecha brothers. The 1.5 hour long concert will feature several padas (poetry set to music) based on the Dhrupad style of classical singing, known for its four rhyming verse pattern.

"The ragas are based on a time cycle and the seasons; so there are songs sung when the deity is woken up in the morning, offered food at noon, or made to rest at night. There are variations in Dhrupad including the Haveli Sangeet tradition and the Dagar Gharana tradition. We belong to the latter and this will be the first time we will perform Haveli Sangeet," admits Umakant Gundecha. The brothers, who took to singing from the age of 10, have been performing together for the past two decades.

The compositions are believed to have been created in a state of samadhi (trance) by the Ashta Chaap poets of Vraj or eight poet associates of Lord Krishna. It includes Surdas, Krushnadas, Paramanand, Kumbhandas, Chatrabhujadas, Nandadas, Chhitswami and Govindadas. These saints were associated with Lord Krishna through various incidents such as Lord Krishna offering Surdas water when he was thirsty, throwing pebbles at Govindadas or stealing butter from Chatrabhujadas. Thus blessed these poets started worshipping him as a supreme deity and offered the padas as oral offerings. Since they were part of the Pushtimargiya sect or the path of grace advocated by Sant Vallabhacharya, these kirtans came to be known as Pushtimargiya Kirtans.

The songs have been set to tune by Acharya Goswami Mukundraiji Maharaj and talk of Krishna as a parent, friend and lover. Interestingly, it is believed that Srinathji or Lord Krishna is himself present among the audience members when such songs are performed as he is overcome by the bhava or devotion.

While the Gundechas are Jain by religion, Umakant admits that this has been a very unique spiritual experience for them. "We are looking forward to this concert and have been rehearsing for over a year for this
performance," he concludes.

From 7 pm onwards
At Tata Theatre, NCPA,
Nariman Point.
call 22824567 / 66223724