Harballabh Fair
Encyclopedia
Shree Baba Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan is a festival
of Indian classical music
, held every year on the last weekend in December, in Jalandhar City
.
The festival, which was first held in 1875 at the Sidh Peeth Shri Devi Talab Mandir, in Jalandhar, is named after Baba Harballabh who is considered a saint
and an exponent of Hindustani classical music
in northern India
.
The 3 day long festival hosts 15-20 artists every year. Prominent artists of Hindustani Classical Music from India
and Pakistan
have performed at the festival at one time or the other during the history of the festival, which attracts thousands of music lovers from all over India and other countries.
There is no admission fee. The money for organizing the festival comes from various donation
s and grant
s, both public and private.
There are three categories for competition, namely: Vocal
, Instrumental
(Non-Percussion) and Instrumental (Percussion
) with two age groups in each category: Juniors (Yuva Varg - between 13 to 19 years) and Seniors (Varishth Varg - 19 to 25 years) and three prizes in each category: First, Second and Third.
The winners from the Senior age group are initiated
and given an opportunity to perform as 'Performing Artists' during the next Sammelan.
Two to three artists are invited during these Utsavs to give their performance during a 4-5 hour program on the scheduled evenings.
During the Utsavs, preference is given to the upcoming artist
s in the field of Hindustani classical music so as to give them appropriate exposure in music
circles.
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
of Indian classical music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
, held every year on the last weekend in December, in Jalandhar City
Jalandhar
Jalandhar is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. It is located 144 km northwest of the state capital, Chandigarh...
.
The festival, which was first held in 1875 at the Sidh Peeth Shri Devi Talab Mandir, in Jalandhar, is named after Baba Harballabh who is considered a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
and an exponent of Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
in northern India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
.
The 3 day long festival hosts 15-20 artists every year. Prominent artists of Hindustani Classical Music from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
have performed at the festival at one time or the other during the history of the festival, which attracts thousands of music lovers from all over India and other countries.
There is no admission fee. The money for organizing the festival comes from various donation
Donation
A donation is a gift given by physical or legal persons, typically for charitable purposes and/or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including cash, services, new or used goods including clothing, toys, food, and vehicles...
s and grant
Grant (money)
Grants are funds disbursed by one party , often a Government Department, Corporation, Foundation or Trust, to a recipient, often a nonprofit entity, educational institution, business or an individual. In order to receive a grant, some form of "Grant Writing" often referred to as either a proposal...
s, both public and private.
Shree Baba Harballabh Sangeet Pratiyogita
To encourage the young to appreciate and improve themselves in the field of Hindustani classical music and to bring out the best amongst the competitors, an open competition in Hindustani Classical Music is organized by the Mahasabha every year for 3 days prior to the annual Sangeet Sammelan.There are three categories for competition, namely: Vocal
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, Instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
(Non-Percussion) and Instrumental (Percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
) with two age groups in each category: Juniors (Yuva Varg - between 13 to 19 years) and Seniors (Varishth Varg - 19 to 25 years) and three prizes in each category: First, Second and Third.
The winners from the Senior age group are initiated
Initiation
Initiation is a rite of passage ceremony marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components...
and given an opportunity to perform as 'Performing Artists' during the next Sammelan.
Shree Baba Harballabh Sangeet Utsavs
Vasant Utsav, Malhar Utsav and Hemant Utsav are organized in the months of February, August and October every year.Two to three artists are invited during these Utsavs to give their performance during a 4-5 hour program on the scheduled evenings.
During the Utsavs, preference is given to the upcoming artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
s in the field of Hindustani classical music so as to give them appropriate exposure in music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
circles.