For Patna-a Promise, Kept

“If I'm alive, I'll come to the Festival of Literature on Music,” legendary vocalist Kishori Amonkar had promised once

- Smita Chowdhary

Every Dussehra, Patna used to be transformed into a grand stage where the maestros of Indian music showcased their brilliance. For ten nights, the city became a haven for connoisseurs. The air resonated with the sound of thumris, dadras, khayals and dhrupads. Every street corner and temple courtyard would come alive with the strains of the sitar, the sarod, the rhythms of the tabla, and voices that seemed to rise from the depths of the soul. Legends such as Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Girija Devi, Pandit Jasraj, and Rajan-Sajan Mishra graced these gatherings and cast a spell over the city’s audiences. To be invited to perform in Patna during Dussehra was the ultimate validation of one’s artistic prowess. If overlooked, artists would begin to question their commitment to their own art. It was rumoured that if one had not been invited to Bihar, perhaps this was because the artist had not practised enough.

Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, the melody faded. Maybe it was because of the shifting tides of patronage, or modernity pulling the youth towards newer, shinier distractions. The great Dussehra concerts dwindled, the maestros stopped coming, and the city that had once prided itself on its discerning audiences lost its voice. The music did not die, but it no longer held the city in its thrall.