Students of Gurukul Gitanjali perform at Jayadev Bhavan. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 20: Music lovers were treated to a wide range of classical ragas at a two-day concert organised by Gurukul Gitanjali, a cultural institution, at Jayadev Bhavan.

Young singers of the institute captivated the audience with traditional compositions in Hindustani classical.

The students presented dhrupad accompanied by musical instruments such as tabla, harmonium and sitar.

Chittaranjan Pani, the president of the institution, also captivated the audience with a dhrupad rendition. “Just grooming youngsters in pure classical music is not enough. We must make sure that their talents reach out to a larger audience. Hence such concerts are instrumental in getting them noticed,” said Pani.

Solo renditions of ragas such as Kedar, Malkauns and Bhupali were also presented. “The renditions were not only enchanting but also relaxing. The children are quite gifted and seeing them perform with such precision is a wonderful experience,” said Anita Behera, an avid connoisseur of classical music.

In another event, music aficionados were enthralled by bhajans, ghazals and kirtan at an evening of semi-classical music organised by the Bhubaneswar Musical Circle at Rabindra Mandap on Monday.

The event was held as homage to Sardar Santok Singh, the founder of the organisation. Singh moved to Odisha in the 1940s and invited a number of music maestros such as Pandit Jasraj and Jagjit Singh to perform in the city.

“We conduct this event every year in memory of our founder. Along with his entrepreneurial skills, he had a deep love for Indian classical music. He was instrumental in spreading the tradition of ghazals and kirtans in the state,” said general secretary of the organisation Khirod Patnaik.

Vocalist Sangita Gosain engrossed the audience with a shabad kirtan. The event drew its curtains after Baishnab Kailash and Pratyasha Dash sang soulful bhajans and ghazals.