Rajbati in Bhagalpur where Bollywood actor and singer Kishore Kumar spent time in his childhood. Picture by Amit Kumar

Bhagalpur, Oct. 13: Kishore Kumar might be the town’s most deep connection after its link to silk and novelist Saratchandra Chattopadhyay, yet few chose to remember the singer on his 24th death anniversary today.

Born in Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh) in 1929, Kishore spent his childhood at Rajbati, his maternal uncle’s house.

“Even after shifting to Mumbai, Kishore used to visit Bhagalpur during Durga Puja every year till the 1960s and used to take part in plays organised either by the local Kali Bari or Durga Bari Puja samitis here,” said Rajat Mukerjee, a cultural activist.

He added that Kishore last visited the city in 1970 for a programme at the local Sandy’s compound ground. Bollywood actress and singer Sulakshana Pandit had accompanied Kishore.

“He used to go around the city. In 1970, I had seen him riding a bicycle at Manik Sarkar Chowk. He had gone to Fagu Sha’s sweet shop and a crowd was running behind him when he cycled back to Adampur with sweets,” said Bani Karmakar, a homemaker.

Ratna Mukerjee, the proctor of Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University (TMBU), who is a niece of the singer, recalled how Kishore used to talk about Bhagalpur and its people whenever she went to meet him in Mumbai.

“Every year, we celebrate the birth and death anniversaries of Kishore Kumar with the Kishore Kumar Friends’ Association. But this year, we have deferred the programme because of the sudden demise of Jagjit Singh. We will soon organise a cultural evening in memory of the great singer,” said Tapas Ghosh, the secretary of Bhasa Kristir Milon Mela, a cultural body.

Rajesh Dubey, the councillor of ward 19 of Bhagalpur Municipal Corporation, who has purchased a part of Rajbati, has advocated the need for a memorial dedicated to Kishore so that the new generation could be made aware of the maestro’s genius.