Shakuntalaraje Jadhav
Script error: No such module "AfC submission catcheck". Smt. Shakuntalaraje Rajaram Jadhav(1923-2004) was a khayal vocalist of 'Hindustani Shastriya Sangeet' of the Kirana gharana vocal tradition she was an adept vocalist-performer-pedagogue in her own rights. She was a foremost disciple of Pandit R. V. Jadhav and also had the privelege of being a disciple of Pandit Vishwanathbuwa Jadhav for a few years in Kolhapur and Mumbai.
Smt. Shakuntalaraje Rajaram Jadhav | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Smt. Shakuntalaraje Ganpatrao-II Patwardhan |
| Born | 21 October 1923 Belgaum,(Belagavi Karnatka State Belgaum district, Bombay Presidency, British India |
| Died | {{Death 29|07|2004 Nashik, Maharashtra, India |
| Genres | Indian classical music |
| Occupation(s) | Classical Khayal Vocalist-Performer-Pedagogue |
| Years active | 1943-2004 |
| Website | http://www.proudhgandharva.in/ |
| Members | Current member:- Shri Ajit Rajaram Jadhav |
| Past members | Father's Name:- Shrimant Rajasaheb Ganpatrao-II Madhavrao Patwardhan
Mother's Name:- Shrimant Ranisaheb Ramabai Ganpatrao-II Patwardhan Sister's Name:- Shrimant Padmavatiraje Balkrishna Sulakhe Brothers' Names:- 1)Shrimant Rajasaheb Raghunathrao-II Ganpatrao-II Patwardhan 2)Shrimant Gajananrao Ganpatrao-II Patwardhan Husband's Name:- Pandit Rajaram Vishwanathbuwa Jadhav Daughter's Name:- Miss Mangala Rajaram Jadhav Son's Name :- Shri Sunil Rajaram Jadhav |
Early Life[edit]
Shrimant Rajkumari Shakuntalaraje Patwardhan (b. 21st October, 1923) was the elder daughter of Shrimant Raja Ganpatrao-II Madhavrao (‘Bapusaheb’) Patwardhan ruler of Kurundwad State and Rani Ramabaisaheb. Besides academics, Shakuntalaraje took active part in extra-curricular activities like fencing, shooting, horse-riding and several other athletic-sports events, notably tennis and badminton in which she excelled She represented the Belgaum Club in many national tournaments and won them Rajkumari Shakuntalaraje often won trophies in badminton and tennis. Shakuntalaraje was selected to play in the mixed doubles tennis event at the Wimbledom Tournament.
Raja Ganpatrao-II always encouraged his children in their all- round development. Princess Shakuntalaraje received the best of education under erudite scholars at the Sardar’s High School and later the “Lingraj College” in Belgaum. At an early age, Princess Shakuntlaraje displayed a flair for learning Indian classical music. The Rajasaheb in particular wanted her to learn Indian classical music in the traditional way.
Musical Training[edit]
Princess Shakuntalaraje showed great patience and devotion in learning Indian classical music from Pandit R. V. Jadhav. She was quick in grasping the rudiments of ‘khayal gayaki’ in the style of the Kirana musical tradition. During the span of four years Shakuntalaraje simply enamoured by Pandit R. V. Jadhav’s charismatic personality, handsome looks and mellifluous singing devoted greater attention to her ‘taleem-riyaz’ and became an adept singer in the ‘Kirana gharandaj khayal gayaki’. Besides music Shakuntalaraje completed her schooling (matriculation) from Sardar’s High School and later joined the K. L. E. Society’s Lingraj College, Belgaum (founded in 1933) through which she obtained her B. A. (Hons.) degree of Mumbai University.
After the sudden demise of Rajasaheb Ganpatrao-II of Kurundwad. In 1943, Pandit R. V. Jadhav, left the services of the Kurundwad State. R. V. came to Mumbai and took up an assignment of teaching the family members of industrialist Ruia. Shrimant Ranisaheb Rambai passed away in 1944. Before leaving the mortal world she had given her consent to Rajaram’s proposal to marry her daughter. The marriage took place in Kolhapur.
During her stay in Kolhapur, Shakuntalaraje was fortunate to take lessons in ‘khayal gayaki’ from her esteemed father-in law, Pandit Vishwanathbuwa Jadhav. In earlier days, a ‘guru’, ‘ustad’ did not consider it honourable for a disciple to seek knowledge from her own father-in-law. Shakuntalaraje, however, being a woman of strong convictions, did not bind herself to such age old traditions which had no place in a changing society where women were provided equal opportunities in every field of education. Women had started to excel in learning and teaching of all the fine arts. Shakuntalaraje was not an exception to this trend. After staying in Kolhapur for almost a year Rajaram and Shakuntalaraje returned to Mumbai where Rajaram resumed his services at the “Ruia House” in Parel.
Career[edit]
On 21st October, 1946, (incidentally the birthdate of Shakuntalaraje) Pandit R. V. Jadhav & Smt. Shakuntalaraje R. Jadhav started at their home the “Swar- Mandir” (‘Kirana Sangeet Vidyalaya”), Mumbai as a branch of the “Swar -Mandir” (Kirana Sangeet Vidyalaya’) established by his father in Kolhapur, in 1920. On this occasion Pandit R.V. Jadhav received the blessings and best wishes of his family members Pandit Vishwanathbuwa Jadhav, Pandit B.V. Jadhav, Pandit P. V. Jadhav, Pandit Pannalal Ghosh, Smt. Parul Ghosh, Pandit Nikhil Ghosh. Shri R. M. Kumtakar, Shri Vasant Patkar and Shri Manohar Otavkar were the resident students present at the opening of the school.
Determind to carve a niche in Mumbai’s music world Pandit R.V. Jadhav kept up a daily ‘riyaz’ for several hours of the day. As it was difficult initially for the Jadhav couple to make both ends meet. Shakuntalaraje on the strength of her strong family background and educational qualifications took up a job at the AG’s Office at Churchgate in Mumbai leaving her baby Mangala in the care of her husband and a trusted male attendant named Maruti. On 26th October1949, Shakuntalaraje gave birth to her second child son Sunil. By then the students of Swar-Mandir were on thr rise and by the time of the birth of her third child, son Ajit on 7th July, 1951, Pandit R. V. Jadhav was well-entrenched and financially well placed. Shakuntalaraje soon left her job to give personal attention to the upbringing of her children as well as to assist her husband in his ‘music school’.
A concert to mark the “Golden Jubilee of Swar Mandir”- (‘Kirana Sangeet Vidyalaya’, Kolhapur) and the “Silver Jubilee” of the suburban Kirana music school “Swar-Mandir”, Bandra (W), Mumbai was held on Sunday, 10 th May, 1970 at the “Indian Merchants’ Chamber Hall”, Churchgate, Mumbai. The noted English writer and senior disciple of “Swar- Mandir” Smt. Maniben N. Sahukar at the outset, highlighted the contribution of “Swar Mandir” in the propagation of ‘Hindustani shastriya sangeet’ in the Mumbai metropolis for an unbroken continuous duration of twenty-five years, an incredible achievement in the field of Indian classical music. She complimented Pandit B. V. Jadhav , Pandit R. V. Jadhav and Smt. Shakuntalaraje R. Jadhav for having persevered painstakingly and lived up to the pledge taken before their father Pandit Vishwanathbuwa Jadhav and their mentor Ustad Abdul Karim Khan.
Legacy[edit]
Smt. Shakuntalaraje, the extraordinary music vocalist-performer-pedagogue, took over most of the advanced students of her husband Pandit R. V. Jadhav after his death in 1976. Many aspiring students of Indian classical music desired to learn from her.
One can never really master Indian classical music unless one practices it regularly and also learns to improvise it through correct ‘taleem’ and ‘riyaz’ under a performer-pedagogue. Mere formal education was not adequate and it was necessary to develop the subtle taste for music by listening intently to the live recordings of great professional masters. This exposure to their music was what really mattered. Personally Shakuntalaraje preferred performing in ‘baithaks’ and informal private ‘mehfils’ rather than public concerts in large gatherings, concert halls with sophisticated amplification and acoustic systems which marred the natural ambience of a classical music performance.
Being a direct disciple of both her father-in-law Pandit Vishwanathbuwa Jadhav and her husband Pandit R. V. Jadhav throughout, Shakuntalaraje was an accomplished vocalist of the ‘Kirana gayaki’. She was known for her meticulous and melodious singing. To be a good teacher one has to be a good performer. Again to be a good teacher, one has to be a good student and even then, teaching is an art in itself. It requires not only a high standard of musicianship, but also a strong cultural and educational background and a familiarity with the methods of teaching.
As age was fast catching up, Shakuntalaraje finally decided to stay frequently with her children at Nashik and concentrate on the activities of the “Swar- Mandir” Academy & Research Centre of Performing Arts and Sciences”, Nashik which was set up in 1994. For a performing art like “Hindustani shastriya sangeet” institutionalized methods of scholastic training are stereotyped and seldom inspire true talent to be nurtured. Students remain inhibited in an environment that affords little scope to evolve artistic individuality. Shakuntalaraje therefore initiated workshops at the “Swar-Mandir”, Nashik to give students a thorough insight into the performance and ‘bandish’-oriented training based on the ‘guru-shishya parampara’ model with advanced’ taleem-riyaz’ sessions in a systematic manner.
So fascinated were her students with her musical training that some of Smt. Jadhav’s students who had settled abroad wanted Smt. Jadhav to visit their homes so that they could continue their music training abroad. However, due to her extremely busy schedule in India she could not oblige her students. It is a great pity that the beautiful relationship between the ‘guru’ and ‘shishya’ is fast disappearing. There was that rare joy and zeal on the part of the ‘guru’ in giving time and energy to the teaching of the sacred traditions to his beloved disciples, and on the part of the ‘shishya’ there was devotion to the ‘guru’, and dedication of his life to pleasing the ‘guru’ with his ‘sadhana’ and his service.
Sakuntalaraje often performed in several ‘mehfils’ and gave lecture demonstrations of ‘ragadari sangeet’ on Doordarshan, A. I. R. Mumbai, Nashik and Sangli stations. Her tenure as a vocalist performer- pedagogue of the Kirana vocal tradition extended for almost six decades.
------- “Proudh Gandharva” Sammelans, Nashik
The “Pandit Vishwanathbuwa Jadhav Memorial Committee” (registered in Nashik in 1993), was located at “Shivranjani”, Plot No. D/80, D’ Sousa Shivgiri Colony, L.N. D’Sousa Marg, Nashik. Smt. Shakuntalaraje R. Jadhav and Shri Atma Ram (Managing Director of M/s. Natraj Studios Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai and President of IMPPA-Indian Motion Pictures Producers’ Association) were the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the Committee respectively. The Committee was set up to hold “Proudh Gandharva Sammelan” as an annual event to commemorate Pandit Vishwanathbuwa Jadhav on his death anniversary.
The “Proudh Gandharva Samelan”-1994 was inaugurated by “Parambhagwat Anant Shree Viblushit” Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Hon’ble Swami Vidyanand Saraswati of “Kailas Math”, Nashik by igniting the customary lamp (‘deepprajvalan’) at the Mahakavi Kalidas Kalamandir in Nashik. The accomplished “Vedshastra Pandit” Lakshmikantji Dikshit Maharaj recited the ‘vaidik mantras’ and performed the “Saraswati Puja”. Dr. (Smt) Ramadevi D. Dadhich felicitated the Chief Guest, Swami Vidyanand Saraswati and guest of honour Pandit” Lakshmikantji Dikshit. This event continued to be held successfully under the chairmanship of Shhakuntalaraje R. Jadhav till 1999.
Shakuntalaraje suddenly expired on 29th July 2004, so much so that her disciples and family members found it difficult to believe that they had lost their beloved mother and ‘guru’.
Discography[edit]
Smt. S. R. Jadhav
| Sr. No. | Raga | Tal | Cheez | Duration |
| 1 | Jog Kauns (Video) | Vilambit-Ektal, Drut-Trital | "Sugarbhar payo", "Peer parayi jane nahi balamva" | 25 Min. 30 Sec. |
| 2 | Maru Bihag | Vilambit-Ektal, Drut- Trital | "Rasiya avo na ", "Naina lagaye maine" | 25 Min. 48 Sec. |
References[edit]
http://proudhgandharva.in/discography/smt-shakuntalaraje-r-jadhav-patwardhan/
Suburban Echo -18-24th, 1986 Womens world- by Sunanda Gandhi
गावकरी-१९९४ संगीत अध्यापनातील मानदंड- प्रध्याकर देशपांडे
गावकरी रविवार, २१ मार्च १९९९
Further Reading[edit]
Pannalal Ghosh by Vishvas Kulkarni - Sanskar Prakashan
KURUNDWAD Jnr (Princely State)
Raja Shrimant Ganpatrao alias ... - History of Kurundwad
External[edit]
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