Soulful rendition of songs highlight Shivaji’s ideals

NAGPUR: More than a musical programme dedicated to Shivaji Maharaj, ‘Shivkalyan Raja’, organized by Chhatrapati Seva Pratishthan and Shri Gurumandir Parivar, was a milestone event.
The programme, held at Laxmi Nagar volleyball ground on Monday evening, was helmed by music composer Hridaynath Mangeshkar. He was accompanied by daughter Radha and singer Vibhavari Joshi. Host of the evening was Babasaheb Purandare, a noted historian whose major works are based on Shivaji’s personality.
Both stalwarts, Mangeshkar and Purandare, had come together on the occasion of historian-turned-spiritual guru Vijayrao Deshmukh’s 75th birthday which falls on February 7. The audience had come in large numbers to partake in the moment, most of whom were followers of Deshmukh and Purandare.
The event celebrated the legacy of Shivaji through songs based on him and anecdotes narrated by Purandare from his own life and works. The programme began with the singing of ‘Sharda Ambe Saraswati’, sung by students of Pandit Bachharaj Vyas High School.
Mangeshkar said that the songs selected for the programme are those sung by noted singers. The three singers together began by singing Shiv aarti ‘Jay Jay Shivraya,’ written by Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
The backdrop of the stage was a design of a fort entrance illuminated in shades of fluorescent pink and yellow. Speaking of Deshmukh, Purandare joked that he was a youth who went mad, and whose contribution needs special reverence. “I don’t know how and when I met him, but I’ve known him since 60 years, and even though I am elder than him, he’s bigger than me,” he said.
Radha Mangeshkar sang the next song ‘Guni baal.’ ‘Hey Hindu shakti’, ‘Vedat marathe’, ‘Anandavanbhuwani’, ‘Rajyabhishek’ and ‘Nishchayacha mahameru’ were the other songs of the night. Vivek and Kedar Paranjpe operated the synthesizer. Rajendra Durrakar and Vishal Gandewar played tabla and dholki.
On Tuesday, Deshmukh will be feted at the hands of Purandare and in the presence of Hridaynath Mangeshkar at the volleyball ground, Laxmi Nagar, at 6.30pm. A couple of events were also conducted a few months ago to mark Deshmukh’s 75th birthday.
Quotes
Mugs:
I had earlier enjoyed a play by Babasaheb Purandare, and that pulled me here to see the event. I have studied about Shivaji Maharaj since childhood and urge today’s youth to attend such programmes
Anand Shastri | worker
Shivaji Maharaj’s ideals are relevant to social developments taking place in our society today. Unless one does not read or listen to his life story, we will not be able to truly understand him
Vilas Jugade | farmer
|I am a fan of both historians, Purandare and Deshmukh, who are noted authorities when it comes to Shivaji Maharaj’s stories. I myself helped conduct one such programme
Shaila Belwalkar | homemaker