The Nightingale’s Song in the heart

 

A sad coincidence it was on Saturday. Just as I was getting this photo clicked after sunset in the Joshua Tree National Park, the sun was setting in the world of music on the other side of the globe. Lata Mangeshkar going behind the curtain of time is not something I wanted to hear or believe. Yet it was true and it will take a long time to sink in.

As far back as I can remember in my childhood there were no TV, cassettes or video players at home, leave alone iPods or smart phones to listen to music. All we had was the radio. And the ethereal melodious voice would summon me from any room when it was heard coming from this small device. I would listen to it intently and if I liked the song and wanted to learn it I had to wait until the next time it played on the radio. Then I would hurriedly pick a paper and pen and try to jot down the lyrics. A few words or stanzas missed, I would have to keep waiting until the next time it played. Despite all the uncertainty of when it will be heard again that voice and that song was totally worth the wait. So many of those timeless songs from her I learned them by heart that way. Much later I got a cassette player and tapes of my own. Now I could play my favorite Lata songs and listen when I wanted and as many times as I fancied. And yet the magic of her songs was that I never could get tired of them. 

Yesterday was Vasant Panchami, the day for Saraswati Puja. Early morning as I was saying my prayers with special remembrance of Goddess Saraswati,as if automatically, the thought of Lata Didi crossed my mind. Saraswati, the Goddess of speech as well as music, bless me with writing skills if not singing skills like Lata Didi, I prayed. Soon after, as I was showering I was singing the song Mi Dolkar Dolkar. And thoughts about Didi and her extremely talented brother Pandit Hridaynath were running through my mind. I then walked into my closet to pick my saree and there I saw my old book of autographs. Out of several autographs in that book my mind wandered to the day I got Lata Didi’s autograph!

I was studying in Parle College at the time . Must be between 1983-1984. The entire Mangeshkar family was to grace the occasion of their father’s birth anniversary at Deenanath Mangeshkar Natyagriha (Theater). I believe the Shiledar family was performing Sangeet Soubhadra that day. It was indeed my great fortune to attend the program and briefly meet Lata Didi. As I handed her my autograph book it was just a reflex to bow down in front of her to do namaskar. In her trademark humility she was saying no no. But how is it possible to not bend down before the Goddess of music herself ? 

Little did I know yesterday in the morning as her thoughts were coming to mind one after another that by bedtime I would hear such sad news about her. Alas !

Innumerable songs kept flooding my mind all day today as we were driving home from Joshua tree NP. Both Marathi and Hindi songs. Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram abhangas, songs by famous Marathi poets like Borkar and Tambe. And then songs from Anarkali, Andhi, Abhiman. And so many more.

Tu jahan jahan chalega mera saaya saath hoga !

Beeti na beetayi raina 

Raina beeti jaaye

Dheere dheere machal 

Vaadiyan mera daaman

Aapki nazron ne samjha 

Uthaye jaa unke sitam 

Tum na jaane kis jahan mein kho gaye 

It was as if the radio was playing in my mind non stop. All songs heard from my entire lifetime were stored inside and flowing out as if a dam was broken. 

The lines that dwelled most were these from a Marathi song in Didi’s voice:

Mi swaraanchyaa lochanaanni vishwa saare paahile 

Tu dilile geet maaze aawadine gaayile 

( O my creator, I saw your world through the eyes of musical notes and sang the song that you gave me with the utmost love I could. )

My thousand namaskars to Didi. Life would not have been the same if her songs had not been part of it ! And I don’t have the strength to forget any of the songs or her 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼💕💕💕💕

Saree is a coarse cotton Kotpad from Koraput district in Odisha. Has fish motifs across body and pallu and ganga jamuna borders in red and deep coffee brown using natural dyes. I picked this saree anticipating the cold temperatures at the park. It served very well.