Vishnu Digambar Paluskar
Encyclopedia
Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar (August 18, 1872 – August 21, 1931) was a Hindustani musician. He sung the original version of the bhajan Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram.
, a small town falling under the Deccan division of Bombay Presidency
during British rule, presently in Maharashtra
. His father, Digambar Gopal Paluskar, was a singer of Kirtan
—a religious song.
He went to a local school in Kurundwad for primary education. But tragedy struck Paluskar at an early age. During a Hindu festival called Datta Jayanti, a fire-cracker burst near his face damaging both his eyes. Being a small town, there was no immediate treatment available and Paluskar lost his eyesight.
The king of Miraj
recognising the talent in the boy put him under the guidance of Balakrishnabuwa Ichalkaranjikar
, a learned musician. Paluskar trained under him for 12 years till in 1896 the relations between the teacher and student became strained.
and Gwalior, well known for their patronage of musicians. But he broke a long standing tradition of Indian music by giving a public concert in Saurashtra and charging a nominal fee. Till then, concerts were given only in palaces or temples. He studied Brijbhasha, a dialect of Hindi
, spoken at Mathura. Vishnu Digambar met Pandit Chandan Chaube and learnt Dhrupad
music from him. In 1901, he reached Lahore
, where he decided to establish a music school.
In September 1908, Paluskar went to Bombay
(now Mumbai) to establish another branch of the School. As the work-load increased, he shifted the school from Lahore to Bombay. To accommodate all the students, he took loans, built a new building for the school and hostel as well. To settle debts, he gave several public concerts. But while on a concert tour in 1924, Paluskar's creditors attached his properties and auctioned off the school.
and sing his own composition of Vande Mataram
, the national song of India, in Raga
Kafi. Paluskar was a master at setting old religious songs to classical tunes - the famous being Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram. This was Gandhi's favourite Bhajan
and was sung daily by the satyagrahis
during the famous Dandi March. He also composed a variation of the patriotic song Saare Jahan Se Achcha
. Such was his fame that when King George V
came to India, Paluskar was asked to perform at the Royal Garden of Lahore.
paid homage to Pandit Paluskar by releasing a commemorative stamp. Today Paluskar is seen as the musician who brought respect to the profession of classical musicians and took Hindustani classical music out from the traditional Gharana
system to the masses. He has written a book on music called Sangeet Bal Prakash in three volumes, and 18 volumes on ragas as well. His disciples—famously Vinayakrao Patwardhan, Omkarnath Thakur
, Narayanrao Vyas
, Shankarrao Vyas, and B.R. Deodhar—became renowned classical singers and teachers. His son Dattatreya Vishnu Paluskar was also trained in classical music and carried on his father's mission. In 2000, the India Today
magazine named Pandit Paluskar to be one of the 100 people who shaped India.
Early life and background
Vishnu Digambar Paluskar was born in KurundwadKuruntwad
Kurundwad is a small town on the banks of the Panchganga river in Kolhapur district; it lies in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra....
, a small town falling under the Deccan division of Bombay Presidency
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its greatest...
during British rule, presently in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. His father, Digambar Gopal Paluskar, was a singer of Kirtan
Bhajan
A Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
—a religious song.
He went to a local school in Kurundwad for primary education. But tragedy struck Paluskar at an early age. During a Hindu festival called Datta Jayanti, a fire-cracker burst near his face damaging both his eyes. Being a small town, there was no immediate treatment available and Paluskar lost his eyesight.
The king of Miraj
Miraj
Miraj , is an historic town in southern Maharashtra, India. The history of the town dates back to the early 10th century, and the town is known for its rich tradition of Hindustani classical music and for religious harmony. It served as a stronghold and a strategic bastion because of its location...
recognising the talent in the boy put him under the guidance of Balakrishnabuwa Ichalkaranjikar
Balakrishnabuwa Ichalkaranjikar
Balakrishnabuwa Ichalkaranjikar was an Indian vocalist of khayal singing.-Early life and background:Balakrishnabuwa Ichalkaranjikar was born in Maharashtra....
, a learned musician. Paluskar trained under him for 12 years till in 1896 the relations between the teacher and student became strained.
Musical Journey
After that Paluskar began touring the country and studied the musical traditions in each part of Northern India. He went from place to place and visited many royal families in cities like BarodaVadodara
Vadodara formerly known as Baroda is the third most populated city in the Indian State of Gujarat . It is one of the four cities with the population of over 1 million...
and Gwalior, well known for their patronage of musicians. But he broke a long standing tradition of Indian music by giving a public concert in Saurashtra and charging a nominal fee. Till then, concerts were given only in palaces or temples. He studied Brijbhasha, a dialect of Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, spoken at Mathura. Vishnu Digambar met Pandit Chandan Chaube and learnt Dhrupad
Dhrupad
Dhrupad is a vocal genre in Hindustani classical music, said to be the oldest still in use in that musical tradition. Its name is derived from the words "dhruva" and "pada"...
music from him. In 1901, he reached Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, where he decided to establish a music school.
Gandharva Mahavidyalaya
On May 5, 1901 Paluskar founded the Gandharva Mahavidyala, a School to impart formal training in Indian classical music. This was a school open to all and one of the first in India to run on public support and donations, rather than royal patronage. It was a challenge to the traditional method where a student lived under the teacher's roof. Many students from the School's early batches became respected musicians and teachers in North India. This brought respect to musicians, who were treated with disdain earlier.In September 1908, Paluskar went to Bombay
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
(now Mumbai) to establish another branch of the School. As the work-load increased, he shifted the school from Lahore to Bombay. To accommodate all the students, he took loans, built a new building for the school and hostel as well. To settle debts, he gave several public concerts. But while on a concert tour in 1924, Paluskar's creditors attached his properties and auctioned off the school.
Independence struggle
As much as he wanted to liberate classical music from dogmatic chains, Paluskar was interested in India's independence movement. When the brave Lala Lajpat Rai was arrested in 1907, he sang a composition of the famous song Pagree Sambhal Jatta. Paluskar used to attend the conventions of the Indian National CongressIndian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
and sing his own composition of Vande Mataram
Vande Mataram
Vande Mataram is a poem from the famed novel Anandamath which was written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1882. It was written in Bengali and Sanskrit....
, the national song of India, in Raga
Raga
A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
Kafi. Paluskar was a master at setting old religious songs to classical tunes - the famous being Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram. This was Gandhi's favourite Bhajan
Bhajan
A Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
and was sung daily by the satyagrahis
Satyagraha
Satyagraha , loosely translated as "insistence on truth satya agraha soul force" or "truth force" is a particular philosophy and practice within the broader overall category generally known as nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. The term "satyagraha" was conceived and developed by Mahatma...
during the famous Dandi March. He also composed a variation of the patriotic song Saare Jahan Se Achcha
Saare Jahan Se Achcha
Saare Jahan Se Achchha , formal name: Tarana-e-Hindi , is one of the enduring patriotic poems of the Urdu language...
. Such was his fame that when King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
came to India, Paluskar was asked to perform at the Royal Garden of Lahore.
Death and legacy
Paluskar died on August 21, 1931. On 21 July 1973, the Posts and Telegraph Department, Government of IndiaGovernment of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
paid homage to Pandit Paluskar by releasing a commemorative stamp. Today Paluskar is seen as the musician who brought respect to the profession of classical musicians and took Hindustani classical music out from the traditional Gharana
Gharana
In Hindustani music, a gharānā is a system of social organization linking musicians or dancers by lineage or apprenticeship, and by adherence to a particular musical style. A gharana also indicates a comprehensive musicological ideology. This ideology sometimes changes substantially from one...
system to the masses. He has written a book on music called Sangeet Bal Prakash in three volumes, and 18 volumes on ragas as well. His disciples—famously Vinayakrao Patwardhan, Omkarnath Thakur
Omkarnath Thakur
Omkarnath Thakur was an Indian educator, musicologist, and Hindustani classical singer. He is famously known as "Pranav Rang", his pen-name.Thakur was born 1897 in a village in the Princely State of Baroda into a poor military family...
, Narayanrao Vyas
Narayanrao Vyas
Narayanrao Vyas was a Hindustani Musician of Gwalior Gharana. He was a disciple of Vishnu Digambar Paluskar. He cut several 78 rpm discs, classical khayals and semi-classical bhajans and thumris, around 1930 which became very famous. His father and uncle were well-known musicians in Kolhapur...
, Shankarrao Vyas, and B.R. Deodhar—became renowned classical singers and teachers. His son Dattatreya Vishnu Paluskar was also trained in classical music and carried on his father's mission. In 2000, the India Today
India Today
India Today is an Indian weekly news magazine published by Living Media India Limited, in publication since 1975 based in Mumbai. India Today is also the name of its sister-publication in Hindi...
magazine named Pandit Paluskar to be one of the 100 people who shaped India.