By Sukant Deepak

January 31, 2023 (IANSlife) Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today announced a grant of Rs 21 lakhs to ‘Pandit Jasraj Cultural Foundation’ besides naming two entry gates to the maestro’s village Pili Mandori in the state. “We will also build a bhawan, two volleyball nurseries,  clean the pond and beautify the area in the village and name an Oxyvan in the name of Panditji in Panchkula. 

“The word sangeet itself is so powerful, it has so many dimensions and meanings if we dissect it carefully.  In Haryana, music is seeped deep in society, and people from all walks of life are immersed in music.", he said while addressing a function in Chandigarh to mark the 93 birth anniversary and the first anniversary of Pandit Jasraj Cultural Foundation, launched in 2022, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A world-renowned vocalist and the first Indian classical musician to be honored by ‘The International Astronomical Union’, with a planet named after him for his extraordinary contribution to the field of music. The musician was born in Pilli Mandori, a small village in Haryana. 

The late maestro’s disciples Pt Rattan Mohan Sharma and Lokesh Anand (Shehnai) began the special afternoon with shlokas from the Bhagwad Gita.

“This is a special moment, as we share with a larger audience, the cultural renaissance we hope to bring in Haryana, at a global level. Our plan is also to curate a global-level traditional music festival featuring some of the biggest names in the field.” shared Durga Jasraj.

For more than two decades now, Durga, and Neeraj have been spearheading 'Art and Artists', an organization in Mumbai, which is dedicated to curating music events, in both India and abroad and television productions in the field of music. The need for a Foundation, remarked Neeraj, was felt to fill the many gaps in the ecosystem of the world of music and address several issues of artistes. 

“The focus of our not-for-profit is the promotion of music across genres and the practitioners of music. From infrastructure to creative involvement, economic aspects to music education, sustainable livelihoods to skill development, the Foundation strives to work in a systematic manner in various cities over a long period of time. We have been able to generate a sustainable model in cities where Pandit ji had a deep connection, like Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Haryana, his birthplace. Going beyond only events, the Foundation will blend entertainment with substance to generate a keen interest in music for people from various walks of life and chart a journey,” said Durga and Neeraj.

She also spoke about plans for the development of Pili Mandori, to upgrade educational and sports facilities, the existing Pandit Motiram Pustakalay, and other works contributing to responsible biodiversity in the area.

(This article is website exclusive and cannot be reproduced without the permission of IANSlife)

IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in