Gurmat Sangeet and Hindustani Classical Vocal Seminar for the college students of Nav Sadhana Kala Kendra was organized on 10Jan 2015 in the Milan Hall. A Very Prominent professor Dr.Alankar Singh, professor, Punjabi University, Patiala,Punjab was invited for it by the Principal of the college. He explained true meaning of Sangeet. He expatiated how swar, laya, bhava,and nitrya are interconnected. If one of these was to be missed, the real Sangeet is incomplete. He presented beautifully the Raag Gujari Todi, its bada khyal in ekk taal and it chota kyal in three taal.

These are the following bada kyal lines of the Raag.

“ sagun vicharon re baamana,

kab ghar aave moraa piya …

piya ke aavan ki baat niharu,

un bin thadape moraa giya”

The Chotta Kyal began like this

“Jaa re jaa re balma, dekhi tihari preet ki reetJaa re jaa re balma…..”

Everyone was amazed the way the professor had presented with his simple explanation. He also explained that how a particular Raag is inter connected to the other Raagas. In some of the Raagas though the ascending and ascending of swars may be the same yet the difference is brought out by the particular way of singing the same swars, which makes it distinguished from other Raagas. The Raagas are recongnized with its Vaadi Swar, Samvaadi Swar and Mukada and it is sung in a unique way. It means that the particular Swar is repeated again and again in a style    that is supposed to be sung, in other words sustaining on the same Vaadi Swar for a little longer period. This is very important for Hindustan Classical students to learn it for their life in this classical field. This is how the classification of Raagas done by the unique way of singing. Therefore it is clear that the writing of swars and singing of swars are entirely different. The group of Swars is called Mukada in Hindustani Classical Music. Thus One is able to recognize the name of a particular Raag by its Mukada and the unique way it is supposed to be sung. That is how the originality of a particular Raag is maintained.

So on the whole the seminar was enriching for the vocal students. At the end the Prof. Dr.Alankar Singh taught the college students a Raag and made the students to sing Gurmat Sangeet by teaching “ Shri vaahe Guru satnaam….” The students had interactive seminar and they were not tired of listening, learning and discussing with the Professor for three hours. Fr.Dr.V.Sebastian,the Principal of the NSKK thanked and honored the guest vocalist and other accompanists: Shri.Jayadep Mukharjee in Tabla and Shri Isher Singh in Taar Shahnai. Ms Shweta Singh thanked all at the end.      Thus the seminar was an educative one for the college students.