The ashes of the ‘Son of Hyderabad’ and doyen of Indian Classical music, Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj, was laid to rest alongside his parents at the Hindu Shamshan ghat, Amberpet, today. His son Shaarangdev, daughter Durga Jasraj, performed the Asthi Sthapna puja on the occasion. Also present were disciples Tripti Mukherjee, Ratan Mohan Sharma and several of his ardent fans and music lovers from Hyderabad.
Pt. Jasraj, despite having a hectic scheduled through the year, always yearned to be in Hyderabad and religiously for the last 47 years visited Amberpet shamshanghat to offer his prayers to his parents and host the Pt. Motiram Pt. Maniram Sangeet Samaroha, every year in the month of November. The festival is held in memory of Pandit Jasraj’s gurus, father Sangeet Ratna Pandit Motiram and his elder brother Sangeet Mahamahopadhyaya Pandit Maniram.
A few hours before Sangeet Ratna Pandit Motiram was to be honoured as the Royal singer in the court of the Nizam, (today is known as the Chowmahalla Palace), he left for his heavenly abode. At that time, Pandit Jasraj was only 4 years old. Thus, Pandit Jasraj had a deep emotional bond with the City of Hyderabad and the people of Hyderabad. As a musical tribute to his Gurus, Pandit Jasraj began this Festival in 1972 and never has he accepted any kind of sponsorship or sold tickets for organising this event, which was absolutely free for all the music lovers. People thronged for this musical treat from within the city and across India and abroad.
