Tolly Club remembers Girija Devi

It was an evening remembering a legend. Saturday night at the Tollygunge Club was in the memory of Benaras gharana vocalist,

Padma Vibhushan

Girija Devi. The Pt Ravi Kichlu Foundation organised an event called Yaadein, where the legendary flautist, Pt Hariprasad Chau-
rasia, performed along with a

Kathak

performance by Vishal Krishna and a santoor recital by Girija Devi’s great-grandson, Abhigyan Dutta.
Many dignitaries attended the event. Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim and Joint Commissioner of Police, Sujay Chanda, were the guests of honour. Industrialist Harsh Neotia, Sanjay Budhia and MLA Debashree Roy were also part of the event. “I don’t listen to

classical music

regularly. But an event like this helps us understand the roots of our rich culture,” said Firhad Hakim. Harsh Neotia, who used to refer to Girija Devi as ‘Appaji’, said, “This is a family event. When I was a kid my mother wanted me to learn how to sing and Pt Ravi Kichlu was my guru.”
A kathak performance by Vishal Krishna was followed by a performance by Pt Harip-
rasad Chaurasia. “Whenever we had any programme, Appaji made it a point to be with us. Her simplicity is beyond comprehension,” said Sanjay Budhia on

Girija Devi

.
Meritorious students from underprivileged backgrounds were also awarded at the event.