Told by	Gurudas Ghosh
Obtained by	Aloke Narayan Mitra
Date	29 January, 2015
Place	Santragachhi, Howrah
On Gurudas Ghosh	Well-known Pakhawaj Player.
Key-words	Hari Shankar Ghosh, Mridanga, Durlabh Chandra Bhattacharya, Collapsible Howrah Bridge, zamindar, rich people, baithak, yatra style, jatra style, male singer in female voice, 1885-86, 1890’s, Pyari Mohan Das,
Language	Bengali

Gurudas Ghosh speaks:

Verbatim:

?????? ????? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????????? ???????? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ?????????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ?????????????? ?????? ?????? ???????????? ??????? ???? ??? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ???????  ?? ?????? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ??????? ??????? ???????? ???? ???? ??????, ????? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????? ??? ?????? ??????? ??????? ????? ?? ??????? ??????? ?????? ??? ???? ????????? ????? ????? ????? ????? ?? ?????? ?? ?????? ????? ????????? ?? ???????? ???? ???? ??? ???? ???????? ???? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???????? ??-??? ???? ????? ???? ???? ????? ??, ???? ????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ??????? ??????? ????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ???????? ???? ????? ????? ????  ??? ??? ???? ???? ???, ??? ????? ??? ???? ????? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ????????? ???? ????? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???? ??? ??? ??????? ???? ????????????? ?? ?????? ??????, ???? ??????? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???? ????? ??? ?? ??? ???? ???? ????

???? ????? ??????? ?? ????? ??? ?????  ??, ?????? ??? ???? ???????? ??? ??? ??? ??????? ??? ?????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ???? ????????? ??? ???? ??????? ???????? ??? ????? ??, ?????? ???? ????????? ???? ????? ??? ????? ???, ????? ??? ???? ???????? ????????? ??? ?? ???? ??? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ??? ??????? ???? ?????? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ????????? ??? ???? ????? ???, Actually ???? ???? ????? ???? ?? ?????, ?????? ??? ???? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ????????? ???????? ???, ???? ??? ??? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ????? ???? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ????????? ?????? ??????? ???? ??????? ?????? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ?????? ??????? ???? ??????? ??? ??, ????????? ???, ????? ??? ???? ????? ???, ???????? ???????? ??? ???? ??????? ??????? ??? ???? ??????? ??? ???????? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ?????? ???? ??????? ????? ?????? ??????, ??? ???????? ????? ?????? ????? ??? ?? ?? ????? ??????? ??? ??, ??????? ??????? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ????? ?????

??? ?? ???? ??? ??????

?? ??????

????? ?? ?????…?

?? ??, ??? ???? ????? ??? ??? ???? ????? ???? ???? – ?? ??? ???? ???? – ?? ? ??? ????? ???? ??? ???, ????? ?? ?????? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ?? ???? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ??????? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ???? ??????? ??? ?? ??? ????? ???? ??? ??????? ????? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ??????? ????? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ?????? ??? ??? ????? ??? ???  ?????? ???? ?????? ???? ?????? ????? ?? ?????? ????? ??? ?? – ‘??? ??? ????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??? ??? ???’? ????? ????? ??? ??????

????? ?????? ???? ?????? ????????????-?? ???? ?????? ????? ??? ??? ??? ?????????? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ???????? ??? ???? ?????? ???, ??? ???????? ?????? ?????? ????? ??????, ?????? ????????? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ??? ?? ????? ???? ???? ????? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ?????????, ???? ???? ???? ???? ?? ??????, ??????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ????? ????? ????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???? ????? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ??????? ?? ???? ??? ??????? ???, ????????

??? ??? ???? ???? ??????????

?????? ????????????-?? ?????? ????? ?????????? ????

???? ????? ?? ??? ?? ??? ???? ???? ??????? ???????? ?? ?? ???? ???? ????? ????? ???? ??????? ??? ??????? ???? ??? ???? ????? ?? ??? ??????? ???????? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ?? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ?????? ?? ??? ?????? ???????????? ????? ??? ??? ?????? ?????????????? ???? ????? ?? –‘??? ???? ????? ?????, ?????????? ???? ??? ?? ?? ????? ????? ??, ??? ?? ?????

??? ?????? ???????????? ???? ???? ?? ???? ??? ???????? ??? ????? – ‘???? ???? ???? ???, ??? ????? ??????? ??????? ???? ?????? ????????????-?? ???? ??? ??? ??????? ???? ????? ??? ??????????? ??? ??????????? ???? ?????? ???? ?????? ???? ????? ??????, ??? ????????????? ????, ???? ??? ???? ?? ??????? ??????? ?????????? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ?????????????? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ??? ??????? ????? ???? ????? ??????? ??? ???? ? ??? ?????? ??????? ???? ????? ? ?????? ???? ??????? ?

??? ????? ????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ?????????? ???, ??? ?????????? ????? ????? ??????? ????????? ?????, ???? ?????????, ??? ????? ????? ??????? ???????? ??? ??? ??????? ?????????? ????? ?????????? ????, ???????? ?????? ?? ????, ???? ?????? ????? ????? ????? ??? ??????? ????? ?????? ????? ???????? ?????? ??? ?????? ???? ?????? ??????? ?????? ?? ?? ?????? ??? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ????? ???? ??? ??? ??? ???, ???? ?????? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ???? ???? ???????? ?????, ?????? ????? ???????? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ???, ?? ?????? ??? ?? ??? ???, ???????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??? ??? ???? ????? ?? ???? ??????, ??? ???? ??????? ??? ???, ?????? ????? ??? ??? ????? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ??????? ???? ??????, ???? ???? ????? ??? ??????????? ????? ??? ????? ????? ????

??? ??? ???? ??????? ?????????? ?????, ?????? ?????????????? ????? ????????? ??? ??? ??? ??????????? ???????????? ???? ???? ??????? ???????? ?????? ??????????? ??????????? ?????? ??????????????  ??????? ??? ???? ?????? ??????? ???????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ??? ??????????? ?????????????? ????? ???? ?????? ????? ??????? ???? ??? ?????? ????? ??? ????? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ??? ????? ????? ????? ???? ??? ??? ?? ???? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????- ????? ????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?? ???? ??? ???? ????  ?????? ?????????????? ?? ??????? ?????, ????? ????? ??? ?????, ??? ????? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ???????????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ?? ??????? ??? ?????? ?????? ???? ?? ??? ??????????

 Verbatim by: Dr. Suranjita Paul

Translation:

Our Howrah district is on either side of the Ganges. My grandfather Harishankar Ghosh was an important mridanga player. He trained under the well-known mridangacharya Durlabh Chandra Bhattacharya for almost twenty years. At that time, the only thing connecting Howrah and Kolkata was the old Rabindra Setu, on that side of the Howrah Station. But the people from Howrah to Kolkata could only cross at a particular time and same was the case for those who were travelling in the opposite direction because, unline the concrete bridge that exists today, this bridge, I’ve heard my grandfather say, was a floating bridge. Such a bridge still exists at the Kidderpore docks. This bridge is opened to let ships pass, and then closed again. This bridge would open after 11pm and let the ships pass. Then it would close again early in the morning at around 4 or 5. So, the music-lovers who went to Kolkata from Howrah would have to return by a particular hour, or else they’d get stuck.

It is my belief that the music scene in Kolkata was not like this before. Earlier, a programme would be organised every week at the house of some rich zamindar. Many talented persons would come to hear. In such programmes, the performer sat in the middle, and the audience sat around the performer – an arrangement similar to the jatra. My grandfather (I called him dadu although this term is usually reserved for the maternal grandfather, but I am used to calling my paternal grandfather Harishankar Ghosh by this term) had been attracted to this music from a very young age. He was associated with an ameteur jatra troupe since he was a boy. In those days, at the beginning of every play, there would be a song by bibek (the conscience). A Pakhwaj, then some on the tabla, and kirtan if need be. My grandfather played female characters in the plays when he was fourteen or fifteen years old. In those days, the men would play the part of the female characters because women couldn’t participate in such performances themselves.

How long ago was this?

The year?

Yes, which year?

Well, my grandfather was around twelve or fourteen. 1885-86 maybe. 1315-16 BS. Anyway, grandfather developed an interest in music through his participation in these plays. He didn’t learn the tabla, but he was fascinated by the instrument. If he ever got the opportunity, he could play along with some other member of the troupe, but he was not trained. The leader of the troupe advised my grandfather, “You have a good sense of rhythm. You learn the tabla. It’ll do you good.” Grandfather liked what he said.

One of the main disciples of Durlabh Bhattacharya was Pyareemohan Das. He was a timber merchant in Posta. Even now if you go in that direction, you’ll see timer merchants all in a row. Anyway, my grandfather got in touch with him and began to train. After training for some time, the master said, :Our gharana doesn’t use the tabla for too long, we have the pakhwaj.

Who did he learn from?

From Pyareemohan Das – the main disciple of Durlabh Bhattacharya. After that, he trained under him for ten years to learn the pakhwaj. After that, he passed away. Before that, grandfatherhad trained for ten years. But he felt like he had a lot left to learn. Durlabh Bhattacharya was still there. So he went to Durlabh Bhattacharya and said, “I was a student of Pyareemohan Das. Now, I have no one to train under. What will I do? Durlabh Bhattacharya was very impressed with my grandfather. He said, “You come to me. I will teach you.” Grandgfather trained under him for twenty years – for as long as he was alive. After passing his Entrance Examination, my grandfather also worked at several companies in Kolkata. He went to learn after work. That is why, he developed a close relationship with Kolkata and began to attend different programmes and hear performances.

When grandfather’s first guru Pyareemohan Das was still alive, he would go to many programmes with Pyareemohan Das. The latter would perform, and he would sit and listen. At that time, there would be arrangement of food not only for those who performed, but also for the audience in all the private performances. Grandfather used to be there. But he also had to keep in mind that he’d have to reach Howrah Station before 11, although the train was at 11:30, because the bridge was to open for the ships to pass. It happened many a times that he slept all night on what is now known as Jagannath Ghat (where there is a wholesale flower market). Sometimes, if he was accompanied by a friend, the friend would go with him.

At that time, there was another famous mridanga player, a contemporary of Durlabh Bhattacharya. His name was Nagendranath Mukhopadhyay. He was a famous ‘pakhwaji’. He could be called the ‘guru bhai’ of Durlabh Bhattacharya. However, his style was slightly different. Anyway, his daughter lived in Shibpur. So he often returned with grandfather. And if by chance the bridge would open, then the two of them would spend time chatting. He used to say to grandfather, “You play well, you should learn a bol or two from me.” Grandfather respected Durlabh Bhattacharya, revered him, but was also afraid of him. He was afraid that if he took the bol without Durlabh Bhattacharya’s permission, he would get angry and refuse to teach him. But he loved grandfather very much.

Translated by: Sarbajaya Bhattacharya

Picture courtesy: Google

http://umeandfilms.blogspot.com/2014/07/july-blind-spot-jalsagharthe-music-room.html

http://nishaantsingh.blogspot.com/

Edited & Designed: Dr. Suranjita Paul

Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University