(By Hitangshu Chatterjee and
Kalpana Chatterjee)
Late Trailokya Shumsher Jung
Bahadur Rana, popularly known as
T.L.Rana, hailed from Kathmandu , Nepal , was a scion in the Rana Region
of Nepal .
He was fondly called ‘Hari Raja’ by his parents and relatives in his boyhood.
His father, His Excellency ‘Dhana Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana’ being a General
in the Nepalese Army, wanted to divert his mind (T.L.Rana) in the army warfare
and as such awarded him a title of ‘Colonel’ and put him in discipline.
However, his mind had never been in such attachment but was confined in the
subtle beauties of ‘Sur and Laya’. In his boyhood many a famous musicians from India and
abroad from different disciplines used to visit to Rana Durbar on invitation and
rendered their skills which drag his mind to listen and observe their
performances but this restricted him because of the culture of Rana family. He
then used to listen them from behind and
grasped many ‘Ragas and Bandishes’ which he demonstrated to his ‘Gurumas’ when
he could avail the opportunity secretly. The ‘Gurumas’ were very much charmed
to see the talent of such small boy and voluntarily coached him some beautiful
Ragas and Bandishes which he could easily pick up and render. Noticing the
aptitudes of his musical art his elders arranged for training under some famous
musicians of different ‘Gharanas’ and thus he could able to quench his thrust
for Vocal Music, Tal Badya and Kathak Dance. He received extensive training as
under :-
1)DHRUPADA : ‘Khandarbani’- In
the tradition of Lachmandasji
and Ramsevak Misraji.
: ‘ Nouharbani’- Ustad Ghulam Hussain
‘Dhrupadia’.
: ‘Gouharbani’ – Ustad Taj Khan.
2)KHEYAL : In the tradition
of Ustad Inayet Hossain Khan and
Ustad Rahamat Khan of ‘ Gwalior Gharana’.
3) SADRA : Ustad Kala Nazir Khan of Muradabad, U.P.
4) SITAR, SAMGAN, VED GAN
AND MUSICOLOGY : In the tradition of Ustad
Niamatullah Khan of
Sharma of
‘ Seni Gharana’, Jaipur.
5) TABLA : Biru Misraji of
‘Benaras Gharana’
6) KATHAK DANCE : From
Pandit Achhan Maharaj of ‘ Lucknow
Gharana’ and Pandit Jaylal of ‘ Jaipur
Gharana’
Thus it is seen that he was a
great Maestro in the art of music. He also obtained the B.A. Degree from the Benaras University
As a performing artist both in
Dhrupad and Kheyal his mastery knew no bounds. There are many instances of
rendering his vocal recitals with top class accompanists where his degree of
knowledge established supreme. His many recitals in the conferences at Kolkata
like Tansen Sangit Sammelan, Surdas Sangit Sammelan, Dhrupad Mela at Benaras and
Vrindavan, established his proficiency in the art.
He was the founder director of
Rana Sangit Samsad at Kolkata in the year 1952-53. Under his patronage many top
class musicians received talim in theory and practical e.g. Prof Sisirkana Dhar
Chowdhury ( Violin), Pt. Buddhadev Das Gupta (Sarod), Sri E.S. Perera (Sarod),
Pt Swapan Chowdhury (Tabla), Pt Gour Goswamy (Flute) and many vocalists like
Smt. Haimanty Sukla, Smt. Shephali Ghosh, Smt. Kalpana Chatterjee, Smt. Jayanti
Biswas and in Kathak dance – Smt.
Sumitra Mitra, Smt. Sulekha Mukherjee and Dr. Malabika Mitra etc. He had
extreme competence both in theory and practical Angya in the art and as a
result many students from different corners came under his tutelage for
appearing in B.Muse, Music examinations of different universities. He was also
examiner and guide in Doctorate degrees
of different universities. He was examiner and paper setter of higher in
different universities.
He left for his heavenly abode in
1983. After his sad demise his nearest students and well wishers established a
university type music institution naming TRAILOKYA SANGIT PARISHAD to
commemorate him throughout ages. Sri Hitangshu Chatterjee, Smt. Kalpana Chatterjee,
Prof Sisirkana Dhor Chowdhury, Deb Kishore Ghosh and others are the founders of
the institution. It has presently 60 to 70 centers at different corners of West Bengal and outside states. It confers Diploma and
Degree certificates every year and holds music conferences inviting artists
from different places.
posted by HITANGSHU CHATTERJEE @ 21:48
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