In my last column , which discussed the Interpretation Centres that were set up in Varanasi after 2014 ostensibly to highlight the life and...
In my last column, which discussed the Interpretation Centres that were set up in Varanasi after 2014 ostensibly to highlight the life and work of eminent artists from the city, I had mentioned that there are no detailed reports available for the activities undertaken by these hubs set up by the Sangeet Natak Akademi. As a result, we are not able to evaluate their work or to judge if their activities were truly in sync with the original mandate.
In today’s column, I would like to focus on an Interpretation Centre that was established in Varanasi at the Shri Harishchandra Balika Intermediate College in memory of the renowned Banaras gharana exponent Siddheshwari Devi by the Varanasi Regional Centre of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. Fortunately, there is some information available about this centre. But oddly, some of the activities run here seem to have little to do with Siddheshwari Devi or her music.
According to the information provided by the IGNCA, the wide-ranging activities of the Interpretation Centre were to include events focusing on the life and work of Siddheshwari Devi and also those that encouraged young creative talent and featured performers from the vocalist’s tradition. It is difficult to ascertain whether the...
