Gwalior is a district in Madhya Pradesh. The city celebrates a national level music festival called Tansen. The festival is held in memory of Tansen’s great contribution to Indian music.
Gwalior is the city in North India that lies 76 km from Agra. The city occupies a special position in Indian music history. It is one of the places that saw through the tremendous developments in the Hindustani Classical Music genre. Gwalior is also the home of the famous Indian musician, Miyan Tansen.
The death of Tansen is the birth of Gwalior’s Music Festival. It is also known as The Tansen Sangeeth Sammelan. It is held in memory of Miyan Tansen. The festival is celebrated yearly during November and December, within a span of five nights.
Miyan Tansen was a famous musician in India and was admired by the King. He became one of the nine jewels at Akbar’s court of the Mughal era. Emperor Akbar was believed to be the father of music. Miyan Tansen’s fame spread when he joined Raja Ramachandra Baghela’s court.
Tansen died in 1589, right when he was at the peak of his popularity. He was then buried in Gwalior. His tomb serves as a great venue for his contribution to Indian music. His memorial is part of Gwalior’s living cultural heritage. It was built in an early Mughal architectural technique.
The Gujarat government also decided to bring up a two day music festival in memory of Riri and Tana. They are the two sisters who rendered Raag Meghmalhar, bringing help to Tansen’s illness. Legend says that Tana and Riri had an interpretation of the song Megamaldhar that cured Miyan Tansen. The king was pleased and the court musician Tansen decided to search for the two girls.
The King asked the two girls to sing at Akbar’s court but they ended their lives in a well rather than to refuse him. Riri and Tana did not want to cause war within their town. From then on, the government gave importance to the two sisters in a form of a concert, particularly starting last 2003. From then on, it was held yearly, becoming part of a tradition, to commemorate their death anniversary.
Festival Highlights
Tansen Music Festival is the gathering of musicians and singers performing through five long nights of classical ragas. Inspiring musical numbers are sung by renowned classical and folk song singers like Asif Zeriya, Nidhi Dholakiya, Gargi Vora, Harikant Sevak and Arunkant Sevak. Loksangeet is delivered by Bihari Hemu Gadhvi and Yashwant Gadhvi.
Other attractions in the event are seminars about classical music, a heritage walk and an exhibition of traditional instruments. The five ancient gates are also a tourist interest. These are the Nandiol, Eithodi, Arajanbari, Amthor Darwaza and the Ghaskot Darwaza. The Sharmistha Talav pond is also enlightened with thousands of lamps.
The Tansen Samman award is presented to deserving musicians in the field of classical music. Maestro Ustad Abdul Haleem Jaffar Khan is this year’s awardee.
Dignatories of the government are also witnesses to the program. They are the Revenue Minister Kaushik Patel, Mangaldas Patel (Assembly Speaker), Anandiben Patel (Education Minister), C D Patel (Tourism Minister), Anil Patel (Industry Minister) and ministers from the Mehsana district.
The grand performances attract the young and the old, especially music lovers. Attending the festival is an easy access to all the main cities of India. Places to stay in include Hotel Gwalio Regency, Usha Kiran Place and Hotel Tansen.
These five mesmerizing nights are truly memorable cultural experiences that bring joy to many people. Tansen Music Festival is truly a musical congregation that showcases the incomparable contribution of Tansen, bringing charm to Hindustani music.
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