Imagine a dark, rainy, enchanting evening spent listening to one of the greatest Indian maestros of the flute, perform a recital dedicated to the moon just when the glowing orb begins to peek through the clouds in the sky. An ecstatic experience you may say, and that is what most of the people gathered in the MCHV auditorium at IIM Calcutta felt, when they were treated to an outstanding performance by Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, one of the greatest living exponents of the North Indian flute.

Pandit Chaurasia was performing at IIM Calcutta at an introductory concert which marked the revival of the dormant SPICMACAY chapter at IIMC. SPICMACAY (Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amonst Youth), a voluntary youth organization, seeks to conserve and promote the rich cultural heritage of India amongst its youth through focus on the classical arts and to facilitate an awareness of their deeper and subtler values. It has had a long association with IIM Calcutta, since 1987.

This performance by Pandit Chaurasia was part of SPICMACAY’s annual series of activities and events, VIRASAT 2005.

After a welcome address, when the director of the institute Professor Shekhar Chaudhuri welcomed the esteemed performer and his accompanying artistes, Panditjee began with an introductory session with the audience. He remarked that it was after eight years he was coming back to this campus, and he was surprised and delighted at the beautiful MCHV auditorium with its calm, meditative environment. He asked the audience to suggest any particular raga that they were keen on hearing. The response of the audience though, was very hushed, as it comprised students and staff whose musical repertoire seemed to be limited. But again, it may have been that even the connoisseurs of classical music were too awed in the presence of the maestro to be free.

Panditjee then first performed Raga Yaman (also known as Kalyani Raaga in South India) in two parts – first in Madhya-laya Jhap Taal and then the second one in Drut Teen-taal. This Raaga, he explained was a prayer welcoming the moon, and was apt for the occasion. Next he played Raga Marwa in Madhya-laya Teen-taal. In both of these he was ably accompanied by Vijay Ghate on the Tabla and Sunil Avchat on the Flute. Ghate especially helped the audience with his eloquent expressions of appreciation whenever the maestro performed a particularly complicated part!

Though most of the audience was probably uninitiated in the realm of Indian classical music, they remained spellbound and lost themselves in the aura of peace and unhurried calm that the melody created. What was a lesson for most of us through this recital of classical music was the patience and concentration that goes into the exploration and fine-tuning of a single alaap, over and over again.

It was a very interactive session and Panditjee tried to engage the surprisingly quiet students by declaring a prize for the student who would be able to identify and sing a tune he played for a minute, correctly. But though one or two students tried naming it, none would venture forth to sing it. May be this was a wake up call for us to remind ourselves that there is more to life than just books and the pursuit of wealth and fame.

It was a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of a rigorous academic life.