Pashupati Arya during a performance. Telegraph picture

Chhapra, June 19: Love for wrestling and art at the same time might sound strange. But the celebrated, globe-trotting flautist, Pashupati Arya, believes that the flute is styled on the human body. Music therapy is capable of curing many ills of the human body, he claims.

During a weeklong stay at his native place, Chhapra, The Telegraph chanced to meet Arya.

In his childhood, Arya was a regular visitor to the akhadas and the rest of his time, he remained glued to his flute.

The flautist, now 43, was fascinated by this instrument since the age of eight. Seeing his determination to tread on the unbeaten path, his father ultimately shed his rigid stance that his son must foray into the family business and allowed him to pursue his dreams.

Arya is a worthy disciple of a worthy guru, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia.

He said: “Beauty and splendour of Indian classical music is par excellence. Unlike the raucous western music, Indian classical music plays an important role in harmonising the body and the mind, both of which are essential to lead a healthy life. And when the element of prayer is included with the practice of scale, true spiritual essence of classical music engulfs the soul.”

Comparing the structure of the flute with that of the human body, he said the size and spacing of the holes correspond to the seven chakras located along the spinal chord.

“The top on both sides are designed as such in order to contain the soul within the given structure. The first hole in the flute performs a function similar to the one carried out by the brain, the nerve centre of the human body. The vibrations emanating from each of the seven holes can be felt in the different regions of the body originating from the corresponding chakras,” he told The Telegraph.

Arya claimed that playing the flute is like practising pranayam and that was his research.

Lord Krishna’s life also reflects that playing the flute clearly had a yogic effect on the human body.

“It is not a mere coincidence that the strains of the flute were soothing and helped cure high blood pressure by vibrating koshanus (sensitive parts),” he said. He asserted that music therapy helps in curing diseases. If the symptoms of the disease and nature of the patient are ascertained, the different ragas prove as medicine.

He said that during his stay in Switzerland, flute therapy on depressed persons had an amazing effect within 15 days. He said that before sunrise, Raag Bhairav and Raag Ahir have soothing effect on mentally challenged persons. “Raag Bairag helps cure high blood pressure,” he said.