Vijaya Parrikar Library

Rasiklal Andharia

Rasiklal Andharia

Rasiklal Andharia
(1931-1984)

♫ Raga Hamsadhwani

♫ Raga Pratapavarali

♫ Raga Nand

 

About Rasiklal Andharia

[This account is written by Shilpa Andharia (daughter of Rasiklal Andharia) and translated by Kumud Bhatt of Bhavnagar. My thanks to Professor Kumar Bhatt for following up and making this sketch available. – RP]

Author: Shilpa Andharia
Translation by: Kumud Bhatt

Rasiklal Andharia was born on October 13, 1931, in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. His mother was Narmada ben, and his father Shri Govind ji bhai was a station master in the Bhavnagar State Railway. Govind ji’s father, Rasiklal’s grandfather Maganlal ji, was a musician in the court of Maharaja Bhavsingh ji of Bhavnagar, a connoisseur of music. Maganlal ji’s presentation of the raga Malhar was so impressive that he was called Maganlal Malhariya!

Rasiklal received his musical training from his elder brother Shree Babulal Andharia. He received his ‘Alankaar’ degree from AKHIL BHARTIYA GANDHRVA MAHAVIDYALAY of Mumbai. He was a gifted child and presented his first solo classical music program when he was only thirteen years old. Since then his musical abilities continued to flower.

Rasiklal was impressed by the Kirana Gharana gayaki of Ustad Amir khan and adopted it. The characteristic of this gayaki is its ‘badhat ang’ with a systematic unfolding of the swaras of a raga in an ascending order.

Rasiklal could touch the hearts of his listeners and stir their minds by the characteristic style of expounding the sa, re, ga, ma variations, the sweetness of his cultured voice, an intuitive understanding of the inner beauty of music and the clarity of the words of the bandish. Presenting rarely sung ragas was his forte.

The main ragas he presented were Lalit, Gorakh Kalyan, Marwa, Darbari, Megh, Jayant Malhar, Kalavati, Yaman, Chandraprabha, Chandrakauns, Odav Bageshree, Bhinn Rageshree, Malkauns, Bairagi, Jogiya, Mangal Bhairav, Bhatiyar, Sohini Bhatiyar, Maaru Bihag, Durga, Hansa Dhvani, Kirvani, Shivranjani, Dhani, Adana, Madhusvaravali and Prataap Varali.

Some of his favorite ragas were, Malkauns, Darbari, Rageshree kauns, Maru Basant Shyaam Desh and Salag Varali.

[Good recordings of most of these raagas on privately but professionally made audio cassettes were once available].

Rasiklal was an A+ Grade artist on AKAASKVAANI. Later he also became a National Artist. His concerts have been recorded at the Akashvaani Stations such as Rajkot, Ahemedabad, Vadodara, Mumbai, Lakhnaw, Delhi and Kolkata etc. Some of these programs are broadcast from time to time. He presented ragas Champakali and Madhusvaravali on DOOR DARSHAN – Delhi station. This program is also rebroadcast.

HONORS and AWARDS

1. Best Vocal Artist Award from Meerut Music Circle
2. Best Vocal Artist Award from Svar Saadhna Samiti.
3. SURMANI award from Sur Shrungaar Parishad, Mumbai.
4. GAURAV PURASKAAR from Gujraat Government
5. Felicitation from the GOVERNER of Delhi.

PRESENTATIONS IN MUSIC FESTIVALS

1. MAMA SAHEB MAJMUDAR Amrut Mahotsav,
2. TANARIRI FESTIVAL
3. BAIJU SHASHTRIYA SANGEET SAMAROH
4. Rasik lal ji participated many times in the SWAMI HARIDAS SANGEET SAMAROH, generally considered to be the best Classical Music Festival of the country.

CONCERTS

Rasiklal presented many concerts in various cities such as KOLKATA, CHENNAI, BENGALURU, HYDERABAD, BHOPAL, JAIPUR, DELHI, PATNA, LUCKNOW, VADODARA, AHMEDABAD, RAJKOT, BHAVNAGAR etc.

RECORDINGS

Apart from his many non-commercial audio cassettes mentioned above –

H.M.V published two LP records of Rasiklal. He presented ragas Lalit and Gorakh Kalyan on one, and Marwa and Darbari on the other one. The recordings were released to the public by Shree Madhav Singh Solanki who was the Chief Minister of Gujarat at that time.

SERVICE

1. Rasiklal served as a member of the executive committee of ‘Bruhad Gujarat Sangit Samiti’.
2. He was a member of the Gujarat Rajya Sangit Natak Akademy and also a member of the advisory committee of the ‘YUVA SEVA and CULTURAL ACTIVITIES’

STUDENTS

Among his students are: SARALA TRIVEDI, MANHAR SANGHVI, DIVYA SANGHVI, VARSHA TRIVEDI, REKHA TRIVEDI, PRADIPTA GANGULI and HEMAANGINI NANAVATI [DESAI] who is a prominent Sugam Sangeet artiste of Gujarat.

LAST CONCERTS

Rasiklal was invited to give concerts in England in 1984. He presented different ragas in each of his baithaks. The audiences everywhere loved his music. He was suffering from heart problems. It became necessary to perform a bypass surgery. It did not work. He passed away in London on July 19, 1984.