Ragas & rhythms unite at night of musical bliss

VARANASI: The curtains rose on the second night of the six-day Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh, unveiling a mesmerizing array of musical virtuosos who enthralled the audience with their sublime performances.The first presentation showcased a grand confluence of melody and rhythm featuring Pt U Rajesh on mandolin, PtShivmani on drums, and Mahant Prof Vishwambharnath Mishra on pakhawaj.The evening’s second presentation featured a captivating jugalbandi by Pt Vishwamohan Bhatt on ‘Mohan Veena’ and ‘Salil Bhatt’ on ‘Satvik Veena’. The duo’s soulful rendition began with an evocative ‘aalap’ in ‘Raag Vishwaranjani’, segueing into intricate ‘gatkari’ in ‘madhya laya’ and ‘drut laya’ in ‘teen taal’, before culminating in a sublime ‘Ramdhun’. The tabla virtuosity of Pt Ramkumar Mishra and the accompaniment of Kaushik Kunwar added depth to the performance.The third act saw Jargam Akram Khan and Shri Khurram Ali Niyazi playing a tabla solo. Mohit Sahni accompanied them on ‘sanvadini’ and Aman Khan provided ‘lehra’ on sarangi. They were followed by Ustad Gulam Abbas Khan, who came from Mumbai. He delighted the audience with his vocal performance. He first sang a ‘bada khayal’ in ‘Raag Bihag’, followed by a brief pause with a ‘chhota khayal’ in ‘teen taal’. He concluded with the bandish "Aiso Kanhai Manat Nahin," set in ‘teen taal’ in ‘Raag Sohini’. Ustad Akram Khan on tabla, Pt Dharmnath Mishra on sanvadini, and Vinayak Sahay on sarangi providedaccompaniment.In the fifth presentation, Pt Shubh Maharaj enthralled the audience with the resonance of his tabla. He was accompanied by Vinayak Sahay on sarangi and Mohit Sahni on sanvadini.This was followed by renowned sitar player Pt Kushal Das, who came from Kolkata, unleashing a stream of notes. He performed ‘alapchari’ in ‘Raag Parameshwari’ on sitar, followed by ‘gatkari’ in ‘Raag Lalit’ in ‘teen taal’. Pt Sanju Sahay on tabla providedaccompaniment.The second night’s finale featured Pt Ratan Mohan Sharma, a disciple of the legendary Pt Jasraj Ji, who was joined by his son Swar Sharma for a captivating vocal performance. The duo’s soulful rendition began with ‘Raag Bhairav’, followed by a selection of morning ‘ragas’, showcasing their mastery over the genre. The presentation was enriched by the skilled accompaniment of Pt Ramkumar Mishra on tabla and Pt Dharmnath Mishra on ‘sanvadini’.