The Monsoon Charter

What followed was a series of cultural events in the fields of theatre,music and dance,the first concert being a sitar recital by late Ustad Vilayat Khan. Several noted artistes such as Ustad Bismillah Khan,Kumar Gandharva,Ustad Vilayat Khan,Kishori Amonkar,Bhimsen Joshi and Begum Parveen Sultana have graced INT’s stage. The much- loved three-day annual Sangeet Sammelan held in October has become a permanent feature on Chandigarh’s cultural calendar.

As the Society gets ready to present its annual monsoon programme — this time with an Odissi dance recital by Daksha Mashruwala,disciple of Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra and her troupe — the members look back at the four-decade journey.

Navjeevan Khosla has been heading the executive team for the last 34 years,with the mission to promote Hindustani music and reach out to the younger audience. “It’s a challenging job,as we are a non-profit organisation and work with limited funds and grants. As one of the oldest art and music societies of the city,the collective effort is to motivate the youth to get involved and make them aware of our culture. We are one big family and continue to artistically link people together,’’ says vocalist Vinita Gupta,who is part of INT. Gupta holds music appreciation classes to help connect to new audiences. The aim is to give music lovers an insight into the world of Indian classical music and raise their level of enjoyment. Held over four sessions,each features a skilled expert in the field of music,demonstrating the basics of the art. “I have heard many people say that they don’t understand classical music. These classes are aimed to get people closer to classical music,’’ says Gupta,who adds that the challenge to hold live concerts is getting harder. Looking forward to the annual music sammelan this October,Gupta says that it will be an ideal blend of vocal and instrumental music,“We not only get celebrated names on stage,but also promote new talent. I hope many will connect with the sound of music and feel the sukoon it offers,” concludes Gupta.