It was the prestigious Savai Gandharva Music Festival in 1992 and it seemed that the singer on stage had a sore throat. His daughter and two disciples who were sitting next to him for vocal support were anxious. And his sentiments were being shared by the large audience present especially to hear him. But Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki was a man with a fighting spirit. He started the alap of him with “Anant Hari Narayan…” and slowly, note by note, as Raga advanced, he regained control. “Nahin hi mo mein gun aiso aaj jo piya aave more mandirva” (Today I have no such virtue in me that would attract my beloved to my abode) – the bandit in Raga Anand Bhairav ​​​​was aptly expressing his feelings. He soon began to move effortlessly in all three octaves and began regaling the audience with complex taan and beautiful phrases. The overwhelmed audience praised him when he sang the fastest composition. “Ae man moorakh jaan” in Teental. After Anand Bhairav, she presented Raga Mala, a garland of up to 18 Ragas. The listeners were captivated as if they were watching a rainbow of Ragas. An alap in one Raga and suddenly taans in another, the audience was certainly in for a joyride. She concluded this memorable program with Kabir Bhajan-“Rahana Nahin Des Birana Hai” in Raga Bhairavi.

Born in 1929 into a priestly family traditionally attached to the Mangeshi shrine of Lord Shiva in Goa, proficiency in Sanskrit and Marathi came naturally to Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki. His father, Balwantrao Abhisheki, who was also a kirtan singer, taught him the basics of Hindustani classical music. After earning a degree in Sanskrit literature, he came to Mumbai in 1954 and joined All India Radio (AIR). Although this was a short association, it was very fruitful. During this period he not only came into contact with various musicians, but also expressed his talent by composing many pieces for radio programs. During the same period, he received a government scholarship for advanced training in Hindustani classical music with Khansaheb Ustad Azmat Hussain Khan of Agra Gharana. He was also privileged to receive training from Pandit Jagannathbuwa Joshi of Gwalior Gharana, Ustad Azizuddin of Jaipur Gharana and Gulubhai Jasdanwala. But Panditji was no ordinary student and he was able to absorb the best elements of these different schools of Indian classical music to create his own style of singing. In 1969 he received the Homi Bhabha scholarship and went to the US to teach at the music school run by renowned sitar master Pandit Ravi Shankar.

Pandit Abhisheki will always be remembered as one of the greatest classical vocalists and a composer and music director of the highest order. His contribution to Marathi Natya Sangeet is unparalleled. He was responsible for the revival of Marathi theater music during the 1960s. He composed background and vocal scores for many Marathi plays and remained the most sought after composer and music director for decades. For this contribution he was duly awarded Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar (1990), Balgandharva Puraskar (1995), Master Dinanath Smriti Puraskar (1996) and Balgandharva Puraskar (Natyaparishad) (1997).

Although Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki presented bhajans, thumri and other semi-classical forms of music with equal fluency, his repertoire of classical ragas was the richest. At every concert he came up with something new, often complex and previously unpublished raga compositions. Whether it was Shivmat Bhairav, Amrit Varshini or the popular but very demanding Raga Marwa, he always felt comfortable. From the first note he captivated the listeners with his Nom-Tom-style meditative clap and carried out the Raga according to a definite plan. But at the same time he would devote equal space to spontaneity to take his audience to unknown planes of bliss. Throughout his life his approach to music was that of a researcher. The Indian government awarded him Padmashree in 1988 and in 1989 came the coveted Sangeet Natak Academy Award. The master spent his last years teaching music in Pune and trained many disciples before passing away on November 7, 1998 in the same decade that Indian music lost two of its greatest vocalists: Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur and Pandit Kumar Gandharva. .

Legacy of Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki

The special relationship between Guru and Shishya has always been central to the continued excellence in the field of Indian classical music. It is the lifeblood of a rich and vibrant musical culture built over hundreds of years, based on the commitment of the expert guru combined with the unwavering dedication and devotion of the shishya or disciple. A true guru strives to nurture the innate talent of the student so that it may one day flourish and adorn the rich tapestry that is Indian classical music. Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki was not only one of the most talented classical vocalist but also a great teacher. In addition to his Shounak Abhisheki, Abhisheki’s best known musical disciples include Asha Khadilkar, Devaki Pandit, Shubha Mudgal, Ajit Kadkade, Raja Kale, Prabhakar Karekar, Hemant Pendse, Dr Mohankumar Darekar, Vijay Koparkar, Mahesh Kale, Makarand Hingne and Sudhakar. Gopal Deoley. .

Recently raga ranga has released an audio CD with the title “Bowsing: A Unique Homage to Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki”. This recording features a collection of splendid compositions performed by Devaki Pandit, Sanjeev Abhyankar and Shounak Abhisheki, who bring their own inimitable styles to this unique tribute to Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki. All the bandishes and taranas are made up of Pt. Hemant Pendse, a disciple of Panditji. The album features tunes including Ahir Bhairav, Parmeshwari, Ahir Lalit, Miyan Malhar, Malkuans, Kaushik Ranjani, Shiva Abhogi and Yaman. Kaushik Ranjani is a rarely heard but highly aesthetic raga that carries overtones of more familiar ragas like Kaushi Kanada and Chandrakauns. Parmeshwari is a contemporary creation of sitar genius Ravi Shankar, while Shiva Abhogi was conceived by CR Vyas, one of the most influential Mahahastra vocalists of the late 20th century.

Mahesh Kale, another disciple of Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, is currently actively teaching music in the San Francisco Bay Area (USA). He has also voiced the songs sung by the character of “Sadashiv” (played by Subodh Bhave) in the Marathi film “Katyar Kaljat Ghusali” which was released on 12th November 2015. For his song “Aruni Kirani Dharani Gagan Chamke” in the film, Mahesh received the National Film Award for Best Playback Singer (Male) 2015.