SUDHAMURTY TheBhavan 4aCastletownRoad WestKensington LondonW149HE 02073813086/4608 www.bhavan.net BharatiyaVidyaBhavanLtd RegisteredCharityNo.312879 CompanyRegistrationNo.1090630 NEWSLETTER March2023 Stepinsideanddiscoverthebeauty ofIndia’sartandculture FEATUREDSTORY RepublicDayCelebrations Readthefullstoryonpage2… TheBhavan Lond o n 05 Y a rs o f CreatingCulturalLegacies
EDITORIAL
Fromour Executive Director...
Dearmembersandfriends, Wearebackafteralonggapwithinformationon ourpastevents.Duringthepast4-5monthslotsof changeshavetakenplacehereatTheBhavan.
NowmostofourclassesareheldatTheBhavanas thesubjectswe teach,likemusicanddance,are moresuitedtolearnunderthewatchfuleyeofa teacher.Thoughwehadmovedallourclassesto onlineclassesduetoCovidandtheinevitabilityit brought,nowwearehappythatmostclassesare beingheldatTheBhavan.Someclassescontinue tobeheldonline.
Allourprogrammesarebacktoalmostnormal,and wearethankfultoourfriendsandmembersfor comingandsupportingtheseliveactivitiesin person.
Webringyousomeofthemajoreventsthathave takenplaceduringthepastfewmonthsinthis issue,mainlythroughphotographs.
Editorial2
Image Gallery6-15
Chairman
MrSubhanuSaxena
Joint Chairman
MrShantoo Ruparell MBE
Editor
DrMN Nandakumara
Photographs by Sharad Raval,FelipeDiehl,RajTakhar photo@sharadraval.com
CoverPhoto: PoornakumbhSwagat toH.E.Vikram
DoraiswamibyDrNandakumaraandSubhanuSaxena
Letnoblethoughts cometous fromeveryside - Rgveda1-89-
Sat18March6pm
SitarbyKushalDas
TablabyPt.RajkumarMisra
Sun19March|6pm
ViolinduetbyTheMysoreBrothers
AccompaniedbydoubleMridangam-SriM Balachandar&BangalorePrakash
Sat25March|6pm
HindustaniVocalbySanjeevAbhyankar TablabyPt.RajkumarMisra,Harmoniumby AbhishekGShinkar
Sun26March|6pm
KarnaticVocalbyPUnnikrishnan
ViolinbySriBaluRaguraman
MridangambySriMBalachandar
Ticketsforeachshow:£25,£20,£15 (UsingonlinediscountcodeBHAVAN50)
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CONTENTS
Featured Story3 Report4-5
SangeetUtsav
ForthcomingEventsforBhavan50
FEATURED STORY
RepublicDayCelebrations
TheBhavanorganisedacelebrationofIndia’s RepublicDayon9th February2023.
WewerehonouredtohaveHisExcellencySriVikram Doraiswami,HighCommissionerofIndiaasour ChiefGuestofhonour.
TheeventbeganwithatraditionalSanskritprayer byExecutiveDirectorDr.MNNandakumara,after whichTheChairmanSriSubhanuSaxenagavethe welcomeaddress.Hespokeabouttheimportance andqualityofleadershipintoday’sworld.He stressedonleadershipthatunites.Healsospoke abouthowIndianClassicalArtscreateandnurture thesevaluesandhelpinbringingcommunities together.Hehighlightedthepartnershipwiththe highcommissionerandrequestedhimtobecomea patronofTheBhavan,whichtheHCgracefully accepted.Subhanujialsothankedthecouncillorsof Hammersmith.
ThiswasfollowedbyLordDholakiaOBEPC(Deputy leaderoftheLiberalDemocratsandPatronofThe Bhavan),whospokeaboutthehistoryofThe Bhavan,andhowitwasoneofthefirstinstitutesin theUKthatidentifiedourculture.Hepraisedthe powerandthecontributionsthattheNRIshave madetothiscountryandtoIndia.India,hesaid,has
grownanddevelopedleapsandboundssince becomingarepublicandnowmakesglobal contributions.Likealltheotherspeakers,healso echoedhisunendingloveforIndia.
MrVirendraSharmaMPinhisspeechthrewlighton theIndianconstitution,andhowthecountryhas respecteditoverthedecadessinceitwasfirst writtenwhilesharingafewlinesfromit.He proceededtohighlightthebeautyofIndianculture andteachingsandtheessenceofourancient Paramparawhichholdsstrongtilltoday.
CllrDarylBrown(DeputyMayorofHammersmith andFulham)sharedherdelightinthecontinued friendshipoftheHammersmithandFulham boroughwithTheBhavanandpromisedtocontinue supportingTheBhavan’sactivitiesinitsincredible workofspreadingIndiancultureintheUK.
Themainaddressoftheeveningwasdeliveredby theChiefGuestofHonourHisExcellencySriVikram Doraiswami.Hebeganbyspeakingaboutthe importanceoftheRepublicDayandthe constitution,andthenemphasisedontheburdens andtherightsofbeingacitizen.
(contd.overleaf)
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LtoR: SubhanuSaxena,LordDholakia,JoginderSanger,CllrDarylBrown,Speaking:H.E.VikramDoraiswami
Triveni-3dayYouthFestival
DuringthetimethatIndiagainedindependenceand becameaRepublic,theaveragelongevitywas32 years,literacyratewasat23%,andvariousdiseases werecommon.ItwasassumedthatIndiawastoolarge andtoocomplicatedacountrytosurvive.TheRepublic Dayissignificantbecauseitisthenthatwegave ourselvestherighttogovernourselves,andwehave madegreatstridessincethen.Thedayestablished whowieldedtruepowerinIndia–itscitizens.Indiahas madetremendousprogressinvariousfieldsincluding Tech,medicine,Arts,etc.Healsospokebrieflyabout theMagnaCartaintheUK.
HisExcellencyspokeaboutthemainqualitiesofbeing agoodcitizen-truthfulness,justice,equality,respect, andactiveparticipationinsociety.Thevalueof ‘VasudhaivaKutumbakam’isembeddedintheIndian tradition,anditincludesnotjustthepeoplebutalso oureffortstosafeguardtheenvironment.WeinIndia strikeabeautifulbalancebetweenthedifferent aspectsoflifeandtheworld.
While32millionIndiansinUKareproudcitizensofthe UK,theyarealsoproudoftheirheritageandtheir roots.
HequotedashlokafromRigVeda-‘Ekamsatvipraa bahudhaavadanti’–whichmeanstheoneultimate truthcanbearrivedatthroughdifferentpathsof understanding.Humanitycanreachahighstateof loveandunderstanding,andwemustconstantlythink ofhowwecanhelptomaketheworldabetter place.HealsocongratulatedTheBhavanonbeingthe representativeofIndiancultureintheUK.
TheVoteofThankswasgivenbyDr.SurekhaMehta (Vice-ChairofTheBhavan).Shespokeonthe incredibleachievementsofIndiaovertheyears–the remarkabledevelopmentsinTechandbecomingthe largestdigitalmarketoftheworld,deliveringthe largestcovidvaccine,andthecontinualimportance giventodiversityandrepresentationofvarious sectionsofthesociety.SpeakingaboutTheBhavan, sheexpressedprideinitbeingthelargestsuch institutionoutsideIndia.
WewerepleasedtohaveMrGopiHindujaofthe Hindujagroup’BrigadierVikramjitSinghGill(Defence &MilitaryAdviserattheHighCommissionofIndia), andMurliRamadossofChellaramFoundationamong others.
Thespeecheswerefollowedbyculturalperformances byTheBhavanmusicanddancestudents.Theevent concludedwithourNationalAnthem.
‘TRIVENI’TheBhavanYouthFestivalofIndian ClassicalDanceandMusictookplaceovertwo weekendsofFebruary2023.ThiswasaThreeday Triplebilleventandtheveryfirstinstalmentofa uniquefestivalcentredontheyouthartists currentlytrainingatTheBhavan.
TheBhavan’sresidentteachersinvarious subjectspresentedtheirdisciples,showcasing theintensivetrainingtheyreceiveinIndian ClassicalArtgenres.
ThefirstdaysawstudentsofHindustaniVocal, Tabla,andSitar.Theseconddayshowcased studentsofKarnaticvocal,Veena,andKarnatic Violin,andthefinaldaysawadance extravaganzafeaturingupcomingtalentsof Odissi,Kathak,andBharatanatyam.
Allthreedaysprovedtobesuccessful,andthe audiencewerethrilledwiththequalityofthe performances.Thestudentsweregratefulto havetheopportunitytopresenttheirtalentsin aneventwhichwasspeciallycuratedforthem.
Throughthisfestivalweaimtogiveaplatform toourupcomingstudentswhohavealready achievedacertainlevelofproficiencyandare forgingaheadintheirpath,andpotentiallyenter theworldoftheperformingartsasstrong artists.
Wehopetohostthisfestivaleveryyearand encourageandshowcasetheemergingtalents oftheIndianclassicalgenreswhomweproudly deemasthefuturetorchbearersofourArts.
4 REPORT
REPORT
Kathak
Founder’sDay2023
WecelebratedourannualFounder’sDayonJanuary 28and29.Theweekendprovedtobeavisualand artistictreat.BeingthelargestorganisationforIndian classicalArtsintheUK,TheBhavan,boastsofover 700studentswhocometotrainwithourresident teachersinover16coursesacrossmusic,danceand languagesinayear;andtheeventshowcasedthevery bestineachdepartment.
Studentsfromallcoursesperformedonstageand presentedtheirtrainingandtalent.Theaudiencewas treatedtoavarietyofperformances,whichgavea glimpsenotonlyintothedepthandbreadthof ClassicalIndianArts,butalsotherigoroustraining thatTheBhavaninvestsintoproducethefuture torchbearersofourartforms.Studentsalsoreceived theircertificatesforsuccessfullycompletingtheir diplomasandpostdiplomas.
OnSaturdaywewerehonouredwiththepresenceof ShriNikhilRajan,(Manager,LondonAirport,AirIndia) asourchiefguestwhospokeabouttheimportanceof inculcatingArtsinourlivesanditstherapeuticeffects. Healsospokeaboutthecontinuedsupport, partnershipandfriendshipwithAirIndia.OnSunday, MrsCandidaConnolly,ChairofTheBhavan’s EducationCommitteewasourChiefGuestandspoke brieflyaboutthehistoryofTheBhavanandthe importantworkithasbeendoingtopropagateIndian ArtsintheUK,whilegivingequalimportanceto qualityoftrainingandperformances.
ParvatiNairanchoredtheeventonbothdays.The VoteofthankswasproposedbyAnviPrabhuand ShantiVenkateshonSaturdayandSunday respectively.Aswecontinuetocelebrate50yearsof beinginLondon,theFounder’sDayproveda successfulstarttothisyear’scalendar.
REPORT
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Hindustanivocal
Bharatanatyam
Violin
KarnaticvocalandMridangam
SitarandTabla
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IMAGEGALLERY DiwaliGala2022
Nandaji,JoginderjiandVirendraSharmaMP
MrVijaySharma,BaronessUshaPrashar,MrJoginderSangerandMr VirendraSharmaMP
Dr&MrsGurumurthy,Mr&MrsKrishnanGurumurthy,MrSubhanuSaxena andGeetaGurumurthy
H.E.&MrsDoraiswami,Mr&MrsSubhanuSaxena,DrSurekhaMehta,Dr NandakumaraandShashiVekaria
H.E.VikramDoraiswamispeakingattheDiwaliGala
LordandLadyLoombawithH.E.VikramDoraiswami
Dr&MrsNandakumara,DrSurekhaMehtaandMr&MrsSubhanuSaxena
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Odissi,KathakandBharatanatyam
Parvati,Shanti,Anvi,MeeraandHina
MrSubhanuSaxena,TheBhavan’sChairmanspeaking
MBalachandar,DhanrajandThanujen
H.E.&MrsSangeetaDoraiswamiwithAsmaSuterwallaandfriends
JoginderSanger,DrNandakumara,VirendraSharmaMP,VinodThakrar,SubhanuSaxena,H.E.VikramDoraiswami,JanakiNandakumara,DrSurekhaMehtaand MrsSangeetaDoraiswami
BaronessPrasharwithH.E.VikramDoraiswamiandAmishTripathi
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LordDholakiawithH.E.VikramDoraiswami
H.E.VikramDoraiswamiandMrsSangeetaDoraiswamiwithTheBhavanstaff
Mr&MrsVinodThakrar
DrSurekhaMehta,Vice-ChairofTheBhavanspeaking
RaghuNandakumaraaddressingtheGala
RubyBunker,MrsandMrGurumurthy
MrRajniMehta,KrishnanGurumurthy,DrSurekhaMehta,SubhanuSaxena andMrsGurumurthy
9 IMAGEGALLERY ChristmasCelebrations2022
DrNandakumara payingtributetothelateMrsWendyMarrandDrJohnMarr JamesMarrconductingtheChristmasChoirwithTheBhavan’sstudents CandidaConnollypayingtributetothelateMrsWendyMarrandDrJohnMarr
MrsMeghnaSinghandRanjanSingh StellaSubbiahspeaking CandidaConnollyandMrEdwardPictonTurbeville Mr&MrsJoginderSanger
