The Guava Tree

Rasoolan Bai was a renowned Hindustani Classical musician. She was known for the romantic Purab Ang of “Thumri Sangeet” and belonged to Benaras Gharana.  In the gruesome Hindu-Muslim Gujarat riots in 1969, her house was burnt down, and she was forced to return to Uttar Pradesh. She started a life in Allahabad, depending only on her small stall near the AIR building until she died an unnoticed death in 1974.  

Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar established several branches of a music school by the name of “Gandharv Vidyalay” Spreading knowledge about music had become the sole mission of his life. 

This is the story of a young boy who ran away from home at the age of ten, and joined a Jatra (vernacular theatre) group. Thereafter, he went to Calcutta and became a disciple of Nulu Gopalji till he passed away. He then became a disciple of Amritlal Dutt, with a burning desire to become an instrumentalist, and learned to play many indigenous and foreign musical instruments like sitar, flute, piccolo, mandolin, banjo, etc. Subsequently, he became a disciple of Ustad Wazir Khan who helped him acquire all the nuances of the sarod. This young man who then became the court musician for the Maharaja of Maihar is none other than Ustad Allauddin Khan.

Janaki Bai Allahabad was seldom known by her real name. Her voice was as melodious as a nightingale and she was known by the name “Chappan Churi” 

Ustaad Faiaaz Khan was an esteemed and big singer and had an even bigger heart. He used music as an instrument to spread happiness. 

After being struck by a financial crisis, Ustaad Ramzan was left with no choice but to mortgage his “Todi Raagini” and stop singing it in musical gatherings. On hearing about this incident, the Maharaja of Tanjore freed “Todi Raagini” from the moneylender thus allowing Ustaad Ramzaan to start singing it again.  

Niyamat Khan wanted Indians to adopt a modern outlook on Indian classical music instead of the old school “Dhrupad Sangeet”. He wanted Indian musicians and listeners to tap into their imagination and was instrumental in forming a new style of music composition known as ‘Khayal’ gayan.

Haideri Khan, otherwise known as Siri Nawab, was an excellent singer who used to sing outside a shop in Golaganj. The Nawab of Awadh invited him to his darbar for musical performance. Siri Nawab realized that for him, performing at his regular spot in front of the shop at Golaganj was more rewarding than performing at the majestic darbar. 

Rishi Swati wanted to make an instrument that could be played when Lord Shiva performed his Tandav dance. There was no instrument in this world that could match his unlimited speed. So one day he called Vishvakarma, who was a great artist for the Gods, to build an instrument which whenever played would enthrall the audience. Vishvakarma then picked up some mud from the tulsi plant of the ashram and made a round longish musical instrument which had 'animal hide' at both ends, which he named ‘Pushkar’. He also said that as the instrument was made from the ashram's Mrida (Mitti) so it will be known as ‘Mridangam’ in the world of music.

Meer Munshi Ghananand was part of the Durbar of Mughal Badshah Muhammad Shah and had extensive knowledge about music. Due to some indifferences, Badshah banished Munshi Ghananand from Delhi, however, his lover Sujan refused to accompany him. Henceforth, he started singing and wandering about in different temples of Vrindavan and came to be known as ‘Pagla Baba’