A legend’s 100-year journey to keep the magic of Indian classical music alive

Read Time:1 Minute, 42 Second

The celebrations may have been low-key due to Covid, but the spirit of the occasion was grand enough to highlight the achievement.
The man of the moment, Navjeevan Khosla turned 100-years-old on Monday and with him, the legacy of the Indian National Theatre (INT) continues to thrive and inspire generations of Indian classical music.
To celebrate the momentous occasion, ‘Varsha Ritu Sangeet Sandhya’, featuring eminent vocalist and Padmashree awardee Madhup Mudgal, known for his khayal and bhajan singing, was organised in Chandigarh on August 8.
“Madhup ji had told him that he would perform when Khosla ji turns 100, and he did. Today, we were going to do a small baithak in his home in Panchkula, but due to Covid, only his close family was present for his birthday. We cut a cake together and had a vegetarian meal comprising his favourite dishes. He has a sharp memory and performs all tasks on his own. He met Madhup ji in the morning and was upbeat that there was a well-attended performance and his vision and work continue,” said Indian classical vocalist Vinita Gupta, who is the honorary secretary of the INT and has known Navjeevan Khosla since she was a music student in the city about a decade ago.
The Indian National Theatre, a registered society, was formed way back in 1965 by Sherie Doongaji with the aim of giving the first modern city of India a rich cultural, musical, artistic and literary life. The legendary Prithviraj Kapoor formally launched the society and Ustad Vilayat Khan presented the first music concert for the society, with maestros like Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee, Kishori Amonkar, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and Pandit Jasraj invited for subsequent concerts. The society presents an annual three-day concert of Indian classical music — Chandigarh Sangeet Sammelan — besides holding seasonal concerts during spring and monsoons and the legends of Indian classical music have been part of the sammelan, held in October or November.
Lottery Box-India’s most professional lottery interactive community.