NIT Srinagar hosts mega Santoor concert

Srinagar: The Art and Culture Club in collaboration with Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth (SPIC MACAY) Thursday organized a Santoor concert at National Institute of Technology (NIT), Srinagar.
The program was organized in memory of Santoor maestro Pandit Bhajan Sopori and Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma who passed away on May 10 and June 02 respectively this year.
The event was presided by In-Charge Director NIT Srinagar Prof. M A Ahanger and was coordinated by Dr. Nasir F. Butt, Coordinator of the Art and Culture Club, NIT Srinagar.
On the occasion, Prof. Ahanger appreciated the organizers for holding such events. Such initiatives are aimed to provide a stress-free atmosphere on the campus, he said.
Prof. Ahanger paid rich tributes to both artists and stated that they had given recognition to Santoor at a global level.
“Both of them took “Santoor” from a simple four-stringed folk instrument to its modified and modern 100-stringed magic instrument at the international level,” he said.
In his special message, Registrar NIT Srinagar, Prof. Syed Kaiser Bukhari said Santoor has a historic connection with Kashmir and it will continue to inspire young artists in the region.
Prof. Bukhari also paid rich tributes to Pandit Bhajan Sopori, popularly known as the “Saint of the Santoor” and Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma.
“They were the sons of the soil. Both are considered as pioneers in establishing the santoor on national and international platforms as a complete solo instrument,” he said.
Prof. Bukhari said they will be remembered for their great contribution to Indian classical music.
Earlier a welcome was delivered by the faculty coordinator of the event, Dr.Nasir Farid Butt. No preamble was needed for the melody that was going to be heard.
The event began with a solo performance of Takahiro Arai on the Santoor.
Arai, a Japanese Citizen and an expert in Indian classical music rendered a melodious classical composition on the Santoor with Shri Chandrashekhar Gandhi on the Tabla.
The event was graced by Dean Students Welfare NIT Srinagar Prof. Neyaz Ahmed, and several faculty members, students from various other institutions participated in the event.
SPIC MACAY (Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth), a voluntary movement founded in 1977 by Dr. Kiran Seth.
The intention behind this movement was to enrich the quality of formal education by increasing awareness about different aspects of Indian heritage and inspiring the young mind to imbibe the values embedded in it.
It is also supported by the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and the HRD Ministry, Government of India.
The santoor, an instrument recently adapted in Hindustani classical music and from the valley of Kashmir, an accompaniment to the Sufiana Musique. It is played with a pair of light wooden mallets held with both hands.