Students, researchers and lovers of music can now study and enjoy the compositions of maestros of classical music. The University of Pune has arranged the infrastructure for a music library, a rarity, at Jayakar Library.
It all started when Hindustani classical performer, Shivdas Chandavarkar, donated his priceless collection of music and private live concerts of stalwarts like Ustad Aamir Khan, Roshan Aara Begum, Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Kumar Gandharva and others.
The project was stuck for over five years because of lack of space at the library in its existing building. But with a new building coming up, the wish of Late Chandavarkar would soon become a reality.
Vice-chancellor WN Gade said, “We have identified a place for the music library in our new extension building at Jayakar Library. We have also allocated a budget for it and a committee has been set up to make it a reality.”
Deputy librarian Aparna Rajendra said, “The music libraries are prevalent and predominant in the UK, Australia, Canada, Europe, USA and New Zealand. But in India this type of library is a rarity.”
She said, “The listing of the collection is ready and has also been digitised. Collections from 350 gramophone records from the era of Bal Gandharva and Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar have been recorded in CDs. The collection donated by Chandavarkar consists of performances of dignitaries and the duration of them could be more than 800 hours. We are trying to set up guidelines for the use of the library.”
Aparna added that it would be open to music students, researchers and others from the field. “However, we have not yet framed any particular rules in that regard,” she clarified.
Meanwhile, a joint committee of experts from Lalit Kala Kendra, Educational Media Research Centre (EMRC), Vidya Wani has been set up. EMRC has already transferred its collection of videos while we are in talks with Lalit Kala Kendra, said Aparna.
“We had also organised a theme-based programme ‘Shyam Teri Bansi’ and have plans to organise such programmes at regular intervals. We are going to talk to All India Radio and Doordarshan for their collections, which we can add to our library,” said Aparna.
Shivdas Chand avarkar, a music enthusiast, had a collection of rare music concerts by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi performing in 1963 at concerts of Kishori Amonkar. He himself had shot many videos that have now been recorded in CD’s. In 2009, he donated the priceless collection to the University of Pune to safeguard it.
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