Atul Purohit
Atul Purohit: A living legend when it comes to gujarati folk music and garba.
Atul Purohit is a Classical Singer, most famous as a Gujarati Folk (Garba) Singer. Atul Purohit is also very famous for Sunderkand, Bhajans, Ghazals and devotional songs. People love him for his bejeweled talents and melodious songs like TARA VINA SHYAM, VHALAM NI VAAT KAI, JAMUNA NE KANTHE, KE HOVE HOVE, TAHUKA KARTO JAAY etc.
Atul Purohit was born to a middle class family in a small village called “DHOLAR” near Dabhoi on February 27, 1955. His father was a FARMER AND PRIEST (PUJARI) and mother a home maker. Being a traditional Hindu family, Bhajans and lokgeet were sung in the family periodically at home in the presence of neighbors. Their love for music and Singing implanted which later become passion. He got his first harmonium at a very young age of 10 years and started learning on his own. He graduated in arts from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in 1975 WITH MAJOR DRAMATICS, but his heart was with music so to follow his heart, he started performing in the streets of Baroda with like-minded people for free to gauge the local mood. Grasping the traditional touch on the folk, he started to explore in sugam sangeet and devotional music as well. Trained under many masters "Ustads", he gradually mastered the art of stage performance and began giving live performances. We have a vast heritage of classical music and ancient Garbi is the pride of Gujarat. Atul Purohit’s music types are Garba, Sugam Sangeet, Bhajans and his influences are Folk, Hindustani classical, Sugam sangeet, bhajan and sufi.
He became very worried when it came to his notice that now a days major garba performers are having their Garba based on popular Bollywood songs which leads to an end of our vast heritage of traditional garba and gujarati folk music. In order to preserve our vast heritage, In year 1983 he established the group known “Rishabh” with his 5 friends. His natural talent coupled with proper training, hard work and intention for a noble cause of preserving heritage he tried old garba in such way that it became popular amongst young generations. He never took base of Bollywood songs as others do. His bejeweled talent made history by “Tara Vina Shyam”. His album “Tara Vina Shyam” made him world famous garba singer. In year 1992 he established another group “The Rutumbara Group”. He has been associated with United Way of Baroda, a worldwide NGO, for annual garba festival and which made Vadodara Famous world wide .This association is successfully organising Garba for last 29 years consecutively, and about 50000 to 60000 young at heart persons take part in it and put Vadodara on World map.
Gujarat Government have identified Atul Purohit`s efforts for preserving traditional garba and awarded GUJARAT GAURAV PURASKAR in 2014-15. His talent is also appreciated worldwide and gets recognition wherever he goes for performance. Our people staying overseas have now made regular celebrations of Navratri celebration. He performs at USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, UK, etc.
References
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