Pt Jasraj’s ashes laid to rest alongside parents in Hyd

Hyderabad, Sep 2 (IANS) The ashes of the doyen of Indian classical music Pandit Jasraj was laid to rest on Wednesday alongside his parents at the Amberpet cremation groundhere.

His son Shaarangdev and daughter Durga Jasraj performed the ‘asthi sthapna’ puja on the occasion. Also present were disciples Tripti Mukherjee, Ratan Mohan Sharma and several of his ardent fans and music lovers from Hyderabad.

Pandit Jasraj had passed away at the age of 90 following a cardiac arrest in New Jersey in the US on August 17. He was cremated with state honours in Mumbai on August 20.

Pandit Jasraj had an enduring association with Hyderabad, the city where he spent several years as a child and youth.

Despite having a hectic schedule through the year, he always yearned to be in Hyderabad and visited the Amberpet shamshan ghat religiously for the last 47 years to offer his prayers to his parents and host the Pt. Motiram Pt. Maniram Sangeet Samaroh every year in the month of November.

The festival is held in the memory of Pandit Jasraj’s gurus, father Sangeet Ratna Pandit Motiram and his elder brother Sangeet Mahamahopadhyay Pandit Maniram.

Pandit Motiram passed away a few hours before Sangeet Ratna Pandit Motiram was to be honoured as the royal singer in the court of the Nizam (today known as the Chowmahalla Palace). At that time, Pandit Jasraj was only 4 years old.

As a musical tribute to his gurus, Pandit Jasraj began this festival in 1972 and never has he accepted any kind of sponsorship or sold tickets for organising the event, which was absolutely free for all the music lovers.

–IANS

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