The aroma of history and heritage is still present in the home at 4 Ramesh Mitra Road in Bhawanipur. It is still a temple of melody, where generations have gathered to study, perform and uphold the tradition of Indian classical music, having once been the home of musical pioneers.
Bhawanipur Sangeet Sammilani is a cultural organisation that has worked as a teacher and a torchbearer for countless music enthusiasts, is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. What started out as a small endeavour in 1900 has grown into a significant representation of Bengal's rich musical legacy, which continues to resonate well beyond national boundaries.
It was during the height of British rule that eleven culturally minded individuals came together with a vision to bring Indian ragas out of the royal courts and into the public stage of Kolkata. These founders were Yadav Krishna Basu, Keshab Chandra Mitra, Bholanath Das, Gyanendra Prasanna Mukhopadhyay, Lachhmi Prasad Mishra, Suresh Chandra Mishra, Rajanikanta Bhattacharya, Promothanath Bandopadhyay, Bholanath Dutta, Radhakrishna Sarkar and Kaliprasad Sarkar.
A musical journey of 125 years
Over the years, the Sammilani’s presidency has been graced by stalwarts like Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee, Jyotirindranath Tagore and Justice Chandramadhab Ghosh.
Legends who have performed on its stage include Radhikaprasad Goswami, Girijashankar Chakraborty, Enayet Khan, Amir Khan (sarod), Dabir Khan, and Durlabhchandra Bhattacharya — artists who illuminated Bengal’s classical music scene across the world.
The 125th anniversary celebration began with lamp lighting by Gautam Nag, followed by a presentation by Shaileshwar Chakraborty and Rana Basu on the institution’s glorious history. Vocalist Sudip Pal opened the evening, accompanied by Supriya Patra on pakhawaj and Sagarchandra Ghosh on harmonium. He was followed by sarod maestro Amlan Dutta, who performed raga Kafi Kanada.
The second day began with a violin recital by Dr. Sudipendranath Chattopadhyay in raga Hansadhwani, followed by khayal by Abira Mukhopadhyay. The evening concluded with a mesmerizing sitar recital by Pandit Asim Choudhury of the Imdadkhani Gharana, with Krishnendu Pal on tabla.
