Tabla,Kathak degrees draw foreign students to city

Shubhangi Bahulikar,head of the Centre for Performing Arts,said that owing to this growing awareness of Indian classical music,the department is thinking of entering into collaborations with more foreign universities. “Over the years,we have had many students here from across the globe. We have had students coming to learn tabla from places like Chile and Mauritius. However,now many are coming here for special credit courses in Hindustani classical which is a very positive trend.”

The department will enter into collaborations with the California-based Tabla Niketan and the universities of Italy,Boston and Canada. “We have had students from places like Mauritius,Greece,Chile and even Dar Es Salaam to learn music and there has been an increase in number. Many of our faculty members are people who perform across the globe. It was owing to the response they got at those places that we thought that people,especially youngsters,were really liking the Indian form of music and showing a lot of interest in the nuances of the art. We will be coming up with exchange programmes for both the gurus as well as students. Our gurus will go and teach there and the students will get credits at the university level,” added Bahulikar.

The centre at UoP teaches music in the ancient gurukul form. Speaking of his experience,Pablo Marshal,a student from Chile pursing a BA in Tabla from the centre says,“The most beautiful part of the course is that we are taught in the gurukul process. Every morning and evening,we have to go to our guru’s house for our lessons. Then we have to come back to the campus for our lectures. We get undivided attention of our gurus,thereby learning a lot more than we otherwise would have. Also,after every semester,we perform in front of the faculty and students. It is a great learning experience.” Talks on collaborations with universities abroad are on. They will come into effect from the next academic year.