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| My Flute Collection |
Days passed by. I used to be a school topper from my childhood. That was quite good from village standards. But my elder brother who studied in colleges away in the towns told my father that my standard was deteriorating and I needed to change the school. That was how my school was changed and I left my village after 9th standard and stayed at my Maternal Grandfather's house during my 10th and 11th standards before I went to college. My eldest bother was adopted by my Grandpa since his childhood and he was living there. He played a number of musical instruments including flute. But playing music at home was not allowed because Grandpa was of the view that playing music at home would displease Goddess Laxmi. So my brother too kept his flute exclusively to himself. He played that on the terrace only and that too when Grandpa was out of station. My brother played many film songs but I had never seen him playing the flute I only heard him. When he was playing the flute on the terrace we would not dare to go there.
During the first year of my separation from my parents I fell ill. I had lot of backache problem. So my father brought me home for treatment. I stayed with him only for about 12 days that time. But see the Divine Plans. Those were the days which changed my way of life. Those few days determined how I used my leisure during the rest of my life. Those few days determined what kind of company I would have in future. Because during those few days the Flute came on my way.
Immediately after I was brought home I was put to bed rest with some medicine pasted on my backbone. I was allowed to get up only if I had to go to the toilet. The toilet was away from home. I used to carefully go and come and then lie down. After about a week I was almost alright. But for abundant precaution I was asked to avoid walking much. It was during that time,while returning from my morning round of visiting toilet that I saw a piece of bamboo lying on the ground. I cannot now tell with certainty what in it attracted me but I stopped there. Picked up the bamboo piece and started studying it. Somehow it occurred to me that this could be converted into a flute. I cut both sides neatly. Then I took a sickle removed it from its wooden handle and put the pointed iron handle on fire. When that became red hot I made a hole near the closed end of the bamboo. With one hole I started blowing and a peculiar musical sound came out of it. In a similar process I made 6 more holes on the other end. I did not tell any one about it. Around 4 in the afternoon I went to one of our orchards with my invention and sitting on a tree which had fallen down during the previous year's cyclone I played the flute with whatever I could play. I enjoyed playing it. I came home and kept this along with my books in the book self.
In the night when my father was having dinner he was talking to my mother. We the children had already finished eating and were preparing to sleep. Suddenly I heard my father telling my mother that he had gone towards our paddy fields late in the afternoon and from a distance he heard someone playing flute. He concluded saying "it was very nice and soothing". I had goosebumps all over my body. I almost ran to him and asked the approximate timing. It coincided with mine. I told him that I was only playing that. His flute was already broken by this time. He asked 'from where did you get a flute?". I told him "I made one".He was taken aback. He was not of the type who would display his feelings. But I could read his face and concluded that he was happy. The conversation ended. But I knew that I could be good in flute.
Since there was no scope for me to play flute at my Grandpa's place I kept the flute at a safe place at my home while leaving after the treatment. When I returned during the summer vacation the bamboo had turned into powders. I was completely disappointed. I decided to buy one somewhere. But whenever I went to buy from a shop I found the flute was beyond my budget. When I reached Bhubaneswar for my college studies I found a man selling flutes on the roads and they were cheap. I bought one. I had no idea of the scale of flutes. I had no idea of playing "sa re ga ma pa dha ni sa" on the flutes. Whatever I played did not satisfy me. So I avoided playing in front of others in the college hostel where I stayed.
One day I was at Platform No.4 of Bhubaneswar Railway Station to receive a friend. I had reached before time and the train was late by about 2 hours. In our times we were quite used to trains getting late by a few hours. So the trains coming late by 2 hours never disappointed, rather it gave one the opportunity to explore new things about Railways, read the newspapers thoroughly or a book on jokes or some novel etc. etc. I would have done all that had I not heard a lovely piece of flute tune coming from very close to where I was. I remember it was "Shyam tere banshi pukare radha naam" of Geet Gata Chal movie released the same year (1975). The music appeared so pure and pleasant that till today it is ringing in my years and I almost always make a mention of this in my flute lessons to the students of flute music.
I ran to him and stood in front of the person gasping for breath. I thought he will stop and talk to me. His eyes fell on me but he did not notice. When the song was over I told him that I just loved the way he played. He just smiled and started showing his palm around for receiving money. People started giving coins of 5, 10 and 20 paise. Each coin he would rub in his fingers to make out how much it was before he put in his front shirt pocket. Then I thought "Oh God! a person with such beautiful music has to be blind and these beautiful big eyes which appeared so much normal were of no use to him". I caught hold of his hand and took him to a bench nearby. I gave him a five rupees note. Considering the fact that I was surviving with a scholarship of Rs.75 a month out of which sixty rupees went to the hostel charges for food and room rent the amount I paid was substantial. He examined the currency and was elated.
Sitting on the bench I told him that if I had money I could have given him more for the music he played. He was well built and sun-tanned fair skin. His name was Gopala. He looked so gentlemanly in a white shirt that no one could tell that he was surviving in that way. He smiled and said that it did not matter. I requested him to play once more so that I could learn how he moved his fingers on the flute. He was very happy doing that. After finishing I asked him to play once again one "Antara" while I made a note. He obliged. Plus he told me to place the lips in such a manner that the air goes like a jet and enters the hole at the edge. For nearly two hours, till the train arrived I was with him and listened to how he fell in love with the flute and how he learnt to play the instrument. He told me people like me who loved music were many and he got love and affection of plenty of people who treated him with respect. In the train also whenever he decided to go people provide support. I only told him that he was a good person endowed with an excellent ability of playing the flute - the divine instrument. That is why he got enough of good people around him which has turned his world to be that beautiful. We parted ways after the train arrived. But I always carried Gopala's image and how he played the flute in my mind I tried the finger movements on my flute after reaching the hostel. The music was nice. On recommendations from my friends I took part in that year's music competition in the college and was adjudged for the third place.
After about 25 years when I decided to take up Flute very seriously I went to my Guru in Ahmedabad. I boasted that I am capable of playing many songs and told him that I only needed little bit of guidance from him. I had gone with all the 5 flutes I had collected from various places. He checked one by one all of them and said that they were all faulty, meaning not tuned for s re ga ma...... I showed some kind of irritation. I thought how dare he said that. There was silence for some time and perhaps I would have left like that had he not asked me to play Sa. I asked "Sa? What Sa? I don't know Sa on flute". He took out one of his professional flutes and played "sa re ga ma pa dha ni sa". Rest is now history. Today I have a good collection of flutes. Because of my job in State Bank of India and Essar I got lot of opportunities to travel to various places in India. Wherever I went I tried to collect good flutes from those places. Some of my flute collections I have placed in the picture. Today my students include a Doctor who is now in California with her husband, an Industrialist, a profesor, a police officer, a business man, an Engineering Student and some college going students. Some have just temporarily discontinued because of Covid-19 and are to join me once the scare is over.
Now I know that every song played has a Sa. I have also understood the Sa of Gopala who taught me "Shyam tere banshi pukare radha naam" and use that knowledge while teaching my students.
Thank you my Teacher, Gopala bhai wherever you are. Thank you, Indian Railways for providing me with a Platform to learn my First Flute Lesson.
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An excellent narrative, Nigamananda. It is really mind boggling. You are a Flute Master. A great achievement indeed. Please continue with your passion.
ReplyDeleteThank you Pulakda.
DeleteSuperb article Das saheb. Keep writing
ReplyDeleteThank you Kaviraj. I read your and posted comments.
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