PUNE: Punekar’s were left spellbound with the magic created by legendary and young promising artists from the world of Hindustani Classical Music at the 10th Edition of Gaanasaraswati Mahotsav. This year’s festival was held from 23rd to 25th February at Mahalaxmi Lawns, Karve Nagar, near Rajaram Bridge. Organized by Natya Sampada Pratishthan, the festival is held as a tribute to Gaanasaraswati Padma Vibhushan Kishori Amonkar’s immense contribution to the field of Indian Classical Music.
Day one saw the captivating performances by the young trio – Abhay Nayampally on Carnatic Guitar, Manas Kumar on Violin, and Ishaan Ghosh on Tabla followed by an exhilarating performance by Kaushiki Chakraborty. The day concluded with the soulful performance of flutist Pt. Ronu Majumdar. Day one also witnessed the felicitation of Abhay Nayampally, Manas Kumar, and Ishaan Ghosh with the ‘Gaanasaraswati Kishori Amonkar Yuva Puraskar’ The award format was a cash of ₹15000/- each along with a memento and a citation.
Day two saw some enthralling performances of Vidushi Aarti Ankalikar Tikekar, Saurabh Kadgaonkar along with an electrifying performance of Niladri Kumar on Sitar. On the second day Pt. Nana Mule from Mumbai and Pt. Ranga Pai from Manipal were honored with the ‘Gaanasaraswati Kishori Amonkar Sangatkar Award’. It comprised a cash award of ₹25,000 along with a memento and a citation.
Day three was split into two sessions. The morning session captivated the audience with the vocal rendition of Jashan Bhumkar, the mesmerizing dual violin notes of Pt Milind Raikar and Yadnesh Raikar, and the vocals of Pt. Jayateerth Mevundi. The final session of the festival began with well-known Santoor player Dr Shantanu Gokhale followed by the mystical Kathak dance recital by Sharvari Jamenis.
The evening also witnessed the ‘Gaanatapaswini Mogubai Kurdikar Award’ which was presented to Padma Bhushan Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt for his continuous and commendable musical service. The award consisted of a cash prize of ₹51,000/- along with a memento and citation.
On the occasion Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt performed on his own creation, the Mohan Veena along with his disciple and son Pt Salil Bhatt, who accompanied him on Satvik Veena, also a creation of Pt. Mohan Bhatt. The 10th Gaanasaraswati Mahotsav concluded with the regal rendition of Pt Raghunandan Panshikar.
The compering on all three days was jointly done by Milind Kulkarni and Vighnesh Joshi.
