An open-air gurukul in Dharmapuri district redefines the music learning experience

In the quiescent colony of Samanur, located successful Tamil Nadu’s Dharmapuri district, a unsocial taste and learning abstraction has taken signifier amid earthy surroundings. Swar Sadhana Tapovan, founded by violinist Sangeeta Shankar, girl of seasoned violin exponent N. Rajam, offers an immersive acquisition rooted successful contented portion thoughtfully adapting to modern needs.

The thought for the gurukul occurred erstwhile Sangeeta was searching for a modest, retreat-like abstraction for her and her family. What she recovered alternatively was a six-acre agelong of fertile land, teeming with mango orchards and live with possibilities successful Samanur village. “I was looking for a tiny cozy place. But erstwhile I came crossed this, I didn’t privation to fto go,” recalls Sangeeta.

Along with her parent and a adjacent radical of friends, the onshore was acquired. What started arsenic a idiosyncratic abstraction people evolved into a gurukul. “This is my mother’s gurukul and was a earthy prime for a household of musicians to crook it into a abstraction for learning,” says Sangeeta.

N. Rajam, an Emeritus Professor and erstwhile Dean astatine Banaras Hindu University (BHU), has been performing Hindustani violin concerts for 8 decades present and has dedicated implicit 40 years to teaching music. Her pioneering violin techniques and heavy assistance person earned her galore awards including the Padma Bhushan and Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship. Her girl Sangeeta, who holds a Ph. D. successful Music from BHU, is simply a recipient of the SNA award. Together, they correspond a lineage of musicians who person made important contributions to some show and pedagogy.

Their shared imaginativeness for Swar Sadhana Tapovan was to make an intimate abstraction for learning euphony and imbibing aesthetic values.

In the thigh of Nature

The gurukul’s architecture draws inspiration from the godforsaken camps of Jaisalmer successful Rajasthan. There are 12 spacious tents, each named aft a raga, desgined to accommodate 2 students. Each structure is equipped with cupboards, netted windows and modern amenities. A 60-ft circular mandapam functions arsenic an open-air classroom, wherever lessons instrumentality spot successful a verdant mounting dotted with mango trees and a culturally curated herbal garden. The field besides has a temple dedicated to Neelakanteswara, which was consecrated successful April this year. “Its centrepiece is simply a shivalinga successful sapphire. This is simply a spot wherever euphony and devotion meet,” adds Sangeeta.

One of the astir poignant moments successful the gurukul’s travel was this year’s Guru Purnima celebrations. “More than 50 children from Samanur and neighbouring villages be the event,” says Sangeeta. The lawsuit featured a show by 3 generations of violinists — N. Rajam on with girl Sangeeta and granddaughters Ragini and Nandini. There were besides interactive sessions with Carnatic musicians Mahesh Raghvan and Akshay Anantapadmanabhan. Many children, who had ne'er seen a violin oregon a tabla up adjacent oregon had constricted vulnerability to classical music, listened successful rapt attraction and joined successful the singing too. The lawsuit highlighted the imaginable of community-based euphony acquisition and the relation of informal spaces successful fostering taste exchange.

Sunday classes for children

Every Sunday, the gurukul hosts euphony classes for children from Samanur, who often travel attired successful accepted deterioration — boys successful veshti and shirt, portion girls successful paavadai-chattai. Classes are conducted by R.K. Govindarajan, erstwhile manager of Vividh Bharati, All India Radio and Doordarshan Kendra, Bengaluru. He is simply a trained instrumentalist and lad of Srirangam R. Kannan, who was a prof of euphony astatine BHU.

Govindarajan, who is enthusiastic astir teaching children, stays successful a structure too. “The learning doesn’t halt with music, children bask listening to stories too,” helium says.

“We are identifying talents among them. But adjacent those who mightiness not prosecute euphony professionally volition go thoughtful listeners,” says Sangeeta. 

In summation to regular activities, the gurukul besides hosts workshops and retreats. In December, they program to bring unneurotic learners from divers backgrounds. While acquisition remains free, participants lend towards accommodation and meals. 

“The gurukul volition germinate arsenic a abstraction wherever taste acquisition intersects with assemblage engagement making learning much meaningful,” says Sangeeta