The music school will follow the guru-shishya tradition.
Gangubai Hangal, the doyenne of Hindustani music, dreamt of a school of music modelled on the gurukuls of old. One where students would do riyaz under the guidance of gurus and which would produce not just musicians, but “performing artistes,” in her words. Nearly one-and-half-years after her death on July 21, 2009, her dream has taken shape in the form of a gurukul in Hubli, Karnataka.
Construction of the school, named after her, is almost complete and the administration is busy trying to get President Pratibha Patil for the inauguration. The school is likely to be functional from the first week of March and students will be trained according to the ancient “guru-shishya parampara” and receive free boarding as well as a stipend.
“The objective is to make the gurukul a centre of excellence of Hindustani music and attract students from across the country. We have already shortlisted the gurus. We are planning to start with 30 students,” says Dharwad Deputy Commissioner Darpan Jain, who is monitoring the progress of work.
The Karnataka government’s Nirmiti Kendra was entrusted with the construction, and emphasis was laid on making the gurukul a source of inspiration for both the teachers and the taught. The state government has spent Rs 6 crore on the school, built on a five-acre plot away from the hustle and bustle of the city, with the serene Nruptunga hill in the background. The peaceful environment is intended to help shishyas concentrate better during riyaz
“The shishyas will not only have lessons in music from their gurus but also will learn from the life of the gurus.
They will learn the values of life, sincerity, hardwork and dedication,” says Jain. The houses on the campus are built in such a way that each has different levels for the students to do riyaz. Secretary to the department of Kannada and culture, Ramesh Zalki, visited the construction site on Saturday and expressed his satisfaction over the quality and the pace of work.
He has instructed officials to ensure that the gurukul is ready on March 5, which happens to be the 98th birth anniversary of Gangubai.
Gangubai, one of the major pillars of the kirana Gharana, had felt universities teach music but do not produce performing artistes. “For this, one needs to do riyaz (practice) under the guidance of gurus. In this gurukul, we will also teach them how to perform on stage,” she had said.
It was her dream to initiate a centre for classical music in this land of legends like Mallikarjun Mansoor, Bhimsen Joshi and Rehmat Khan. Gangubai’s grandson, Manoj Hangal, who is the president of Dr Gangubai Hangal Music Foundation, says it was his grandmother’s wish that the aim of the institute should be to produce performing artistes rather than handing out degrees or diplomas to students.
