Pandit Bhishmadev Vedi
( 1910-1984 )

A profound genius, a musicologist, an innovative and a prolific harmonium player, a high caliber vocalist ( ucch koti ke vilambit khyal gayak ), a very knowledgeable player of tabla and possessing a deep understanding of Katthak dance, Pandit Bhishmadev Vedi was a prominent and a versatile musician of his time.

Born in Delhi in 1910 Pandit Bhishmadev Vedi hailed from a highly educated and well to do family of Gaud Bhramin. His father Shri Atmaram was an Engineer who had moved from Delhi to Kolhapur on job assignment. Having just completed his High School studies, Vediji found the call of Music too compelling to resist and therefore run away from house in search of a Guru. His first destination was Moradabad. Here he came under the spell of Ustad Vazir Khan, Ustad Chhajju Khan, Ustad Nazir Khan, Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan Bulaki and learnt vocal music from them. From Pandit Laxmishankar Nagar he learnt vocal and instrumental music and dance. From Lachhi Guru of Rampur, Vediji learnt tabla vadan. However, climax in musical training came when Vidiji finally came under tutelage of Pandit Mahadev Prasad of Premdas Bhavani gharana. Besides this, Vediji had teken guidance in vocal music from Pandit. Gattu Gopal, who was one of the worthy disciples of legendary Kunwarshyam ji of Kunwarshyam gharana and thus got closely associated with Gunigandharva Pandit Laxmanprasad Jaipurwale as a gurubandhu.

In 1946, Vediji came to Nagpur and stayed at the house of the Chimote for 4-5 months. During this period, he gave some basic lessons in the harmonium playing to young Manohar Chimote. Having come to Mumbai in 1950, Pandit Bhishmadev Vedi played a very key role along with Late Shri Brjnarayan Ji ( Sangeet Das ) in founding of the historic Sur Singar Samsad. Sur Singar Samsad became a very vibrant forum that provided platform to musicians from all over India be they the junior most or the senior most and still continues to pursue its activities by annually organizing programs of Indian Classical Music and Dance. In 1951 Vedi ji was invited to become court singer ( Raj Gayak ) of princely state of Dhar. However he soon left such coveted assignment to promote the cause of music. Later on Vediji was also appointed as the Principal of International Music School, Kanpur.

One of the dimensions of multifaceted personality of Vedi ji was the keen interest he took in research work on the Indian Shruti Shashtra. In association with Acharya Kailashchandra Bhrahaspati, Vedi ji devoted lot of time and efforts on the subject of Shruti and gave many a lec-dems vocally and on the harmonium.

It is said that Vediji’s vocal music presented then was of very high caliber and was considered on level with the prominent vocalists of that era like Pandit Omkarnath Thakur, Ustad Faiyyaz Khan and Dilipchandra Vedi. His speciality was singing in slow tempo ( ati vilambit laya ) and his favourite raags were Nayaki Kanada, Yaman, Malkauns , Darbari, Marva and Shankara. Recalling one of the most memorable concerts of Vediji at Avadhbihari Mandir Sangeet Sammelan in King Edward Memorial hall in Kanpur in 1951 , his disciple late Shri Vishambhar Singh Baghela says Vediji sang a bandish in raag Shankara “ Shivshankar Har Har Mahadev, damru baje, baje, baje “ with intricate rhythm patterns and tihais. The entire rendition was scintillating and had an electrifying effect on the audience in the hall.

A special mention must be made of Bhishmadev Vedi’s contribution to development of harmonium as a solo instrument. Vedi ji introduced many novel features in the body of harmonium like the placement of harp like device on the top for better resonance, gandhar based tuning in accordance with the Shruti Shashtra, extra octave in bass ( ati mandra saptak )in key board . Similarly in the playing style of harmonium he introduced usage of the Khatkas and dwitiya, tritiya and chatushra jati paltas and jhala. All these innovations were original and unique and they differentiated his harmonium from conventional harmonium. However it was Vediji’s disciple Pandit Manohar Chimote who took upon himself the onus of vastly improvising the pioneering changes that Vediji made in harmonium with respect to its physical structure and playing techniques. Pandit Bhismadev vedi had many disciples. However, to mention but few prominent ones, they were Pandit Manohar Chimote, Pandit Anant Khemkar, Pyarelal , Kalyanji ( Music Directors ) Pandit Siyaram Tiwari, Pandit Ramsevak Tiwari and Vishwambhar Singh Baghela and Shri Manohar Rege.

Unfortunately, due to his reluctance to audition for AIR and also partly due to his indifferent disposition towards recording of his music which was so typical of the musicians of his era, his recordings are not available. But the genius of Pandit Bhishmadev Vedi ji, his versatility encompassing the three disciplines of music, namely gayan, vadan and nitrya still remains vivid in the minds of music lovers..

Vediji passed away in December 1984 leaving behind his wife and a son.

Guruvarya Guni Gandharva
Pandit Laxmanprasad Jaipurwale
( 1915 – 1977 )

Pandit Laxmanprasad Jaipurwale was one of the most popular and prominent vocalists who enthralled the classical music lovers for nearly three decades of fifties, sixties and seventies along with other stalwarts of the time like Ustad Amir Khan, Pandit Omkarnath Thakur and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Endowed with a sonorous voice, rigorous riaz, and with a style having hallmarks of the Kunwarshyam Gharana and with proficiency in both the genres – Khayal as well as thumris, Laxmanprasad’s gayaki had its unique identity .

Pandit Laxmanprasad Jaipurwale hailed from a musical family. His father was Pandit Baldevprasad ji who was a court singer in princely state Indore and was well known for his gayaki and unique tappa tans. However, Pandit Baldevprasad passed away when Laxmanprasadji was only eight years old. So Pandit Laxmanprasad came under tutelage of his uncle Pandit Murlidhar ji , his father in law Pandit Badriprasad ji and later on Pandit Ladliprasadji .

However, Pandit Laxmanprasad Jaipurwale's musical roots lay in the Goswami Kunwarshyam Gharana. The founder of this gharana was Shri Lalji Maharaj ( d,1910 ) who became well known with pan name Kunwarshyam ji . It is said that Goswami Kunwarsyamji was a saint musician who made Radha Govind Temple in Delhi his musical abode and never performed outside the temple precinct. His direct disciple was Pandit Gattu Goplalji and it was from Pandit Gattu Gopal ji. Pandit Laxmanprasadji learnt the gayaki of the Kunwarshyam gharana and became its sole torch bearer . His other two prominent gurubandhus were Late Shri Mulchand Punjabi and late Pandit Bhismadev Vedi.

The distinctive features of the Kunwarshyam Gharana are merukhand, kan, upkan, chhoot, meend and Nrutya pradhan bandishes with intricate rhythm patterns. Some of these bandishes are so appealing that they are now sung by vocalists of other gharanas and so to say have become a part of common repertoire of the Hindustani classical music.

Pandit Laxmanprasad Jaipurewale had many worthy disciples to mention but few they were Pandit Rajaram Shukla, Pandit Murli Manohar Shukla, Dr, A.V. Shenoy, Pandit Manohar Chimote, Smt. Zarin Daruwala ( Sharma ) Pandit Ronu Mazumdar, Shri Shankar ji ( Shankar- Shambhu ). From the family side, Pandit Laxmanprasad, illustrious sons and disciples Pandit Govindprasad Jaipurwale (Vocalist, and Pandit Girdharprasad Jaipurwale ( tabla player ) and his grandson Shri Bhavdeep Jaipurwale have kept the musical flame of the gharana burning. Pandit Manohar Chimote had a long and close relationship with Pandit Laxmanprasad both as a singer as well as an samvadini accompanist. He had imbibed many features of his gayaki and bandishes and made them adaptable to his Samvadini vadan and his gayaki..

Unfortunately, very few recordings of Pandit Laxmanprasad Jaipurwale are currently available in the public domain. However, the two books namely Sangeet Gnan Prakash ( Part I & II ) by Pandit Laxmanprasad Jaipurwale and edited by Pandit Girdharprasad Jaipurwale are a treasure - trove of the Kunwarshyam Gharana.