Sitarist Anoushka Shankar honours Pandit Ravi Shankar’s legacy with a three-day music festival

Anoushka Shankar honours Pandit Ravi Shankar

• Ravi Shankar Centre in Delhi held its annual music festival
• Anoushka Shankar led an ensemble to honor her father's legacy
• Festival showcased six renowned classical musicians

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Indian classical music has gained international recognition because of the sitar master Pandit Ravi Shankar. The Ravi Shankar Centre in Delhi held its yearly festival at its Chanakyapuri location in remembrance of his legacy. The three-day outdoor extravaganza brought Pandit Ravi Shankar's modest home, the Center, to life for the invited guests.

The musical group, which was assembled by Pt. Ravi Shankar's wife, Sukanya, daughter Anoushka Shankar, and senior teacher Pt. Shubhendra Rao, was the festival's high point. Six musicians made up the group: flautist Ravichandra Kollur, violinist Padma Shankar, sarodist Aayush Mohan, sitarist Shubhendra, and mridangist B.C. Manjunath and Anubrata Chatterji, a tabla artist.

A recording of the sitarist performing the Sanskrit Shloka, "Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu," in Raag Bhupali, opened the 90-minute performance.

Talking about the same, Anoushka recalled, “Whenever Dad picked up his sitar, I would keep aside all of my work and would simply sit beside him and just be.”

She added, “Honouring and celebrating Dad’s legacy with this ensemble is an emotionally fulfilling journey to me. It brought back fond memories from the good old days!”

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The evening evolved into a vibrant exchange of classical music, starting with the presentation of pieces on Ganesha in raag Aiman, followed by violin and flute solo segments, the classic composition Jaane kaise sapno mein from the 1960 film Anuradha, Fire Night, and ending with the composition Spring, which was based on raag bahar from Pandit Ravi Shankar's dance drama Ghanshayam.

For the unversed, legendary sitar maestro Ravi Shankar passed away on December 11, 2012, in San Diego, California. He was 92. The cause of death was complications following heart-valve replacement surgery, which he underwent after suffering from chronic respiratory and heart issues.