It was a quarter century ago that I began my journey with Lalithji, who opened up a whole new world for me. Music had been a hobby until then, but the moment she held my hand and led me into the depths of this vast ocean through her intensive taalim, it became my calling.
Lalithji was an institution in herself, with abundant knowledge and remarkable clarity on every aspect of music. Every class was an experience. She would make each raag emerge like a beautiful painting — bold in its strokes yet delicate in its hues — offering a vivid sense of the Agra gayaki she so cherished and took pride in.
“The throw of the voice,” she would say, “should have a three-dimensional effect, with emotions that touch the listener, only then will there be a spark in your singing.” Always supportive and encouraging, she consistently emphasised open-throated singing, one of the defining attributes of the Agra gayaki.
“I will teach you, but I don’t take any gurudakshina. You should practise and sing well, that will be a tribute to my gurus,” she said before accepting me as her disciple; those words continue to ring in my ears.
It was in 2000 that Lalithji moved to Bengaluru with her husband, Jayavanth Rao. At the peak of her performing career, she lost her voice due to sinusitis. She also became selective about accepting students. Fortunately, I was part of a small group of sishyas who were not only taught but also cared for by Lalithji and Jayavanthji.
“Close the book,” she would say whenever we referred to the written bandish. “Repeat it a hundred and eight times so that you will never forget it. Your creative mind will not be available to you if you keep referring to the book.”
It was a great learning experience to travel with her for concerts and lec-dems. Her remarkable stage presence, rapport with the accompanying artistes, respect for the organisers and instant connect with the audience made it all memorable.
Punctuality meant a lot to her. Lalithji and Jayavanthji organised concerts in memory of her guru, Ustad Khadim Hussain Khan, in Bengaluru and ensured that the event began on time, even if there were only 10 or 15 people in the audience. Knowing this, audiences would arrive early. A perfectionist that she was, everything needed for the venue was packed immaculately — home-made herbal tea for the artistes, hot water, cups, biscuits, a lamp, oil, wicks, matchboxes and trays. Artistes coming from other cities would be lovingly hosted at their house.
Lalithji would also organise baithaks and lec-dems. We, her students, have had the good fortune of listening to the likes of Pt. SCR Bhat, Pt. Dinkar Kaikini, vidushi Neela Bhagwat, vidushi Meera Savoor and Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar.
It is hard to find a guru who never missed being part of important occasions in our lives, visited us when we were unwell and even shared her room to ensure our comfort during trips. Beyond music, what we imbibed from her were the values of humility, honesty and affection. You could never separate the artiste from the fine human being she was — and that, I feel, is the greatest takeaway for us in today’s times.
Our journey of learning under her was a path studded with precious gems, with a series of brilliant thematic presentations that she conceived and directed such as ‘Bhairav to Bhairavi’, ‘Raag rang samay yatra’, ‘Agra gharana ek vatavriksh’, ‘Panchrangi raagon ka ek guldasta’, ‘Naman sajan piya’ on Ustad Khadim Hussain Khan, ‘Namananjali (for Pt. SCR Bhat’s centenary) and ‘Guru Smaranaanjali’ (for Pt. Rama Rao V Naik’s centenary).
When working on these presentations, she would always be open to ideas from anyone, and if that was incorporated, she would never miss to acknowledge that person in public. Her sole aim was to constantly enhance the quality of the productions.
Each of these presentations featured her evocative narration, interspersed with our renditions of khayal, dhrupad, dhamar, thumri, tarana, dadra, hori and kajri — in solos, duets and chorus. They required extensive rehearsals, for which she would bring us together with enthusiasm. After every such session, her dining table would be laid out with a generous spread.
Ustad Khadim Hussain Khan saab was remembered in almost every other class, and Jayavanthji would often join in, sharing anecdotes in his inimitable style. At times, she would grow emotional while recalling her guru.
Lalithji with her students at a performance.
| Photo Credit:
Courtesy: Bharathi Prathap
Like Khan saab, who encouraged her to attend concerts of both young and established artistes, she would also generously share live recordings of renowned musicians from different gharanas for us to imbibe and incorporate into our singing. This is how each of us developed an individual style, rooted firmly in the Agra gayaki that Lalithji taught us, without becoming mere replicas of her.
While we were blissfully immersed in this journey, little did we realise that she was moulding us into performing artistes. And when we got opportunities to perform on stage, seeing Lalithji and Jayavanthji seated in the front row, we felt reassured and drew immense strength to give our best.
The Agra-Atrauli gharana has a huge repertoire of raags and compositions. Through her teaching, she made us realise the depth and vastness of this hallowed tradition.
Even in her last days, she remained immersed in music. She would listen to recordings of various raags from her vast collection and make notes, highlighting aspects she felt we could imbibe. Such was her dedication. “Come and sing so that I may be distracted from the discomfort of my illness,” she would say.
We cherish and treasure every moment spent with our guru. She continues to live on in every note we sing and in the resonant strings of our tanpura.
A diligent student, a fabulous performer, a great guru, a loving wife, a caring mother and grandmother, and a friend, philosopher and guide to many — Lalithji embodied each role with grace, love and perfection. She will remain our enduring role model.
As her blessed disciples, spread across different parts of the world — Manohar Patwardhan, Susheela Mehta, Tara Kini, Vir Das Mahapatra, Lalitha Ramesh, Shanti Subbaraman, Niketa Kanitkar, Kailash Kulkarni, Pratima Bellave Ganesh, Deepa Hattangadi Karnad, Mallika Kilpadi, Vandana Pandit and Nishant Panicker — we will continue to do our bit, with sincerity and dedication, to uphold and spread the grandeur of the Agra gayaki.
Dedicated archivist
Lalith J. Rao was a meticulous documenter, who readily engaged with institutions interested in preserving the Agra gharana tradition. Her archival work included projects with the Ford Foundation at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, the Ethnomusicology Department at the University of Washington, Ahmedabad-based Rukvipa Trust and the National Centre for the Performing Arts.
To continue the tradition of archiving, the exponent encouraged her students to record several prakars of raags such as Bihag, Kanhada and Nat, along with their compositions and elaborations in the authentic Agra style. This included defining aspects of the gharana such as layakari, nom-tom alap, bol-bant, bol-banav, bol-taan and jod-taan. Her project for AIR, Raagantaranga, was a 13-episode series that explored four samaprakriti raags in each episode.
The writer is a senior disciple of the legendary musician.
