Today, while on a call with my dad, I got to know that my Guitar guruji from my childhood had left for his heavenly abode. I had not been in touch with him for many years now but the news shocked me and left me with sadness.
I had been really young when I started learning Guitar, probably in Std5. He was the senior Guruji who came from Ranchi few days a week to take few classes. I just remember that he loved from from the first day. He would question us on taals(beats) and lay(rhythms) and I was always the first to answer (I had the added advantage of having that knowledge from my dance classes that my mother took). It also worked in my favor that I was the youngest in class, where there were studests even from college. But the best part was, I loved math and he made taal and lay feel like math problems, which I loved to resolve. He would teach us various raagas and favourite part was the 'jhaala'. I remember our whole group used to play so well that it often used to rain when we played the raaga 'Malhar'.
He promoted us to many out-of-state competitions and functions. Learning from him was an amazing experience. I remember we used to touch our Guruji's feet for his blessings at the beginning and end of every class. It actually used to feel like being in a temple of learning.
After many years , even when I could not continue my guitar lessons, he used to come as a judge for my dance examinations. I heard later that he used to say he loved watching my dance. Coming from him, that was a big compliment.
Today on hearing this news, I feel sad. Dance and music have always been as close to me as my existence. And today I lost a teacher from my childhood years. This is a loss to all who survived him, but I have these memories to cherish my teacher.
I had been really young when I started learning Guitar, probably in Std5. He was the senior Guruji who came from Ranchi few days a week to take few classes. I just remember that he loved from from the first day. He would question us on taals(beats) and lay(rhythms) and I was always the first to answer (I had the added advantage of having that knowledge from my dance classes that my mother took). It also worked in my favor that I was the youngest in class, where there were studests even from college. But the best part was, I loved math and he made taal and lay feel like math problems, which I loved to resolve. He would teach us various raagas and favourite part was the 'jhaala'. I remember our whole group used to play so well that it often used to rain when we played the raaga 'Malhar'.
He promoted us to many out-of-state competitions and functions. Learning from him was an amazing experience. I remember we used to touch our Guruji's feet for his blessings at the beginning and end of every class. It actually used to feel like being in a temple of learning.
After many years , even when I could not continue my guitar lessons, he used to come as a judge for my dance examinations. I heard later that he used to say he loved watching my dance. Coming from him, that was a big compliment.
Today on hearing this news, I feel sad. Dance and music have always been as close to me as my existence. And today I lost a teacher from my childhood years. This is a loss to all who survived him, but I have these memories to cherish my teacher.
