Amazing story of a blind musician

When Veeraswar Madri, who works to promote Hindustani classical music in Chennai asked me to be the chief guest and inaugurate a Hindustani music festival in Chennai slated to begin this evening, I had demurred. But I am very happy that he persisted and I agreed. He sent me a catalogue of an old festival to acquaint me with Ganayogi Panchakshara Gawai (the festival is in his memory), the great musician who was blind. I read that and then I searched the Internet for more information on the Gawai. What I got into was a journey into a most fascinating life. Born blind in a poor but musical family in Hanagal taluk (Bellary district) in 1863 and named Gadigayya, he and his elder brother Gurubasavayya were musically gifted children. Hanagal Kumaraswamy, a wealthy patron of music, once came to their village and heard the blind brothers sing. Impressed with their talents, he told their parents that he would train them. The older brother died a few months later due to Cholera. Panchakshara (a title given later for his extra ordinary talent by Gowrishankar Swamiji and became the formal name), however, went through formal musical training, both vocal and instrumental. He studied under competent musicians of his time - Sadigappa Gavai from Siralkoppa and Neelkantbua Mirajkar. He learnt Carnatic music in Mysore. He began a sanchari pathashala (travelling music school) in 1914. He moved from village to village through the districts of north Karnataka, sometimes on foot, or by bullock cart, bus or train. He would stop at a village or small town where he would gather musically talented children and teach them. He made a special effort to draw blind children to his school. After great difficlties, even after petioning Nalmadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, the King of Mysore, he later established Veereshwara Punyashrama, a unique institution of Hindustani music in Gadag in north Karnataka, to use the power of classical music to bring about economic empowerment and social transformation. The modest ashram located in Gadag, has perhaps done more for the dissemination of classical Hindustani music than any institution of music in the country past or present. On a rough estimate, over 20,000 students, the majority of them from poor backgrounds and a sizable number of them visually impaired, have passed through the ashram since its formal inception in 1944. Pachakshara Gawai taught them music free and also fed and clothed them. For the majority of these students, music is a source of economic sustenance. Less quantifiable, but perhaps of greater long-term significance, is the role of these students as agents of cultural transmission. They have nurtured, preserved and transmitted the classical music tradition through their links with schools, colleges, homes and performance halls and made North Karnataka, the hub of Hindustani classical music. Panchakshra Gavai had met Gandhiji and wore only khadi. After his death, his disciple Putturaj Gavai, also blind became the one to lead the ashram which established ten institutions in Gadag . (A primary school, a high school, a pre-university college, an arts college, a teachers training college and a Braille school. Also the Pandit Panchakshara Gavai Music College.) Putturaj Gavai used to seek donations to his institution by getting himself weighed against coins given by poeple. He is said to have had more than a 1000 such Tulabharams. Every June, Gadag town commemorates Panchakshara Gawai in a festival of day and night Hindustani music which is attended by all in the town and surrounding places. Picture I took of panchakshara gavai is from the life size laminated picture that was kept on the stage while I went up to inaugurate and give my speech at the SGS Sabha. Balesh and party played Shehnai before that. Bhaskar, the violinist who accompanied the little children who sang a beautiful song in Kannada on Panchakshara gavai told me later that I was his teacher in his kinder garten. I am getting old I know but happily.