Testimonials

Late Mrs. Gita Basu (Ex-president – Surajhankar) on the occasion of silver jubilee celebrations

My friend Surabhi Nag had invited me to join the committee overseeing the setting up of a new school teaching Rabindrasangeet in Pune. In fact I remember as we were deciding on the name for the institution Sumita had suggested Jhankar and I had said ‘should there not be a little Sur in the Jhankar?’ The name Surajhankar was thus coined. I remember the initial days. Surajhankar was invited to present Bhanusingher Padabali by the Government of West Bengal, a great honor for us. I remember the long meetings where we all brainstormed on ways of raising funds for the same. My husband JC Basu and Rasamoy Chakraborty had helped us immensely in this project. The program received wide coverage and critical acclaim in Kolkata. We were extremely happy. I also remember occasions like the time when Amit’s rendition of Acchhe Dukkhho Acchhe Mrityu had brought tears to our eyes. I remember the inaugural function which was held on the terrace of the Bengali Association club house. Now, when I watch the beautifully crafted content based programs of the school in big auditoriums I feel happy that the school has made so much progress. Today my daughter in law Debarati is closely connected with the institution. Committee members like Madhumita Ghosh are constantly in touch with us elders seeking our advice, inviting us for different functions. This is the ethos of Surajhankar where art and deep respect for elders and tradition go hand in hand. I also remember Malay Duttachoudhury’s jovial leadership as we strove to build a sound financial base for the institution. Surajhankar the music school now in its 25th year of existence is thriving, attracting students from among the non-Bengali speaking communities of Pune as well. My blessings and best wishes are with the students, teachers and members of the organization. May the sky be the limit for this beloved institution of Pune.

 

Dr Suchitra Date –Nrityaprerana International School of Bharatnatyam on the occasion of silver jubilee celebrations

Hearty congratulations to Surajhankar on reaching this momentous milestone! Surajhankar has donewonderful work in preserving the rich culture of Bengal and imparting and propagating the heritage of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s compositions – not just his music but also his visionary Dance dramas.Suchitra Date’s Nrityaprerana International school of Bharatnatyam appreciates and thanks Dr. Amit Mitra, Mr. Susanta Basu, Dr.Manjusri Duttachowdhury and Mrs. Madhumita Ghosh for taking this legacy forward in Pune and giving the artists of Nrityaprerana an opportunity to understand the complexities of a great mind and to choreograph and present the dance dramas to a highly appreciative audience in Pune and Kolkata. We wish you all the best to continue this Legacy for many more years!

 

Shumita Mahajan -Founder Director, Sadhana Center for Performing Arts on the occasion of silver jubilee celebrations

Surajhankar completes 25 years, the much awaited silver streaks now take pride of place on their many-feathered cap. On this grand occasion I am overwhelmed as personally my journey has been linked with Surajhankar since the beginning and many nostalgic memories flash in on the inward eye. My dance Institute Sadhana and Surajhankar have been joined at the hip from the start with many collaborative creative endeavors have been undertaken. For me Surajhankar is the home ground which has empowered scintillating innings of my dance career. The camaraderie of all, the strict adherence to disciplined regime, eye for details of all mentors and most importantly the ocean of knowledge and wisdom offered by the one and only Amit Kaku has been life defining. ‘Koto Gito Koto Chhanda’ , ‘Basanta’, ‘Bhanushinger Padabali’, ‘Chitrangada’, ‘Nataraj’ and many more creative wonders bear witness to the unending stream of creative delights that we have created together. I wish Surajhankar years and years of spreading happiness and Rasanubhava. Cheers!

 

Amita Dutt – Director, Performing Arts Therapy Centre, Rabindra Bharati University

I congratulate Surajhankar Pune and all its office bearers and members for keeping alive the cultural traditions of Kolkata and especially Rabindranath Thakur (Tagore) in Maharashtra. Rabindranath Thakur, the great universal genius cannot be confined to any historical period or geographical region. His ideas are very much relevant today throughout the world. But people have to be acquainted with his thoughts and above all his immortal lyrics. Surajhankar Pune has been doing the laudable work of disseminating Tagore’s thoughts and ideas in Maharashtra and beyond for the last twenty five years through classes, workshops, stage productions and publications. And the quality of their artistes and scholars is truly commendable. I feel proud as a Bengali and a devotee of Rabindranath Thakur to be associated with such a great organization. I congratulate Surajhankar Pune on its Silver Jubilee and wish the organization many more productive years. May the blessings of the Almighty and Rabindranath Thakur always be on this glorious organization and all its dedicated and talented members.

 

Alokanonda Roy – Noted Danseuse on the occasion of silver jubilee celebrations

My heartiest good wishes to Surajhankar on completing 25 years. I will always remain grateful for the warmth and loving care of the members of Surajhankar towards my children from the Correctional Homes of West Bengal. On behalf of them I wish you all the very best for the occasion and pray to Almighty for many more musical years of Surajhankar.

 

 

 

Ratnamanjari Munshi, ex-student & Former Classical Music Teacher

Surajhankar is a second home for me. I stepped into its domain first as a parent, then as a student and finally as a faculty. Surajhankar is an important part of our lives as it not only imparts training in music, it also inculcates good morals amongst its pupils. Fun amidst discipline is an integral part of the classroom training as well as rehearsal sessions. Our Gurus have always toiled hard to churn out the best melodies from us. I have been associated with this institution for the past 20 years and in these years I’ve seen it grow immensely in terms of performances and teaching techniques. We are proud to have presented beautiful plays and ballets of Tagore with Professional nuances creating a niche in the cultural arena of Pune as well as Kolkata. To name a few Natir Puja, Shishutirtha, Kalmrigaya, Basanta, Nataraj, Chitrangada and now Arupratan. Being part of SJ family makes me feel privileged and I wish many more years of prosperous years to the Surajhankar fraternity.

 

Subhasree Ghosh, Former Rabindrasangeet Teacher

Too many beautiful memories and a gripping nostalgia! 2002 was the year when I first met the founder members of Surajhankar and was welcomed into the fold with a warmth which will stay with me for life. Joining the teachers’ group lessons under tutelage of Dr. Amit Mitra was an unforgettable life-enriching privilege. My gratitude towards Amit sir for the invaluable knowledge cannot be expressed in words. The unconditional love from Dr. Manjusri Duttachowdhury and Mrs. Sajani Ghoshal is one of my life’s greatest treasures. Last but not the least, it was an honor to be inducted into the faculty of Surajhankar and my heartfelt thanks to all other faculty members Mrs. Uma Roy, Mrs. Madhumita Ghosh, Mrs. Amita Chatterjee and Mrs. Debarati Basu for their unflinching support.

 

Atreyee Maity – Ex-student

I joined Surajhankar as a young kid, just 9 years of age. I completed 2 years of children, 2 years of preparatory and then 5 years of degree course with Surajhankar. Essentially my initiation in music happened at Surajhankar. Just like any other field, learning the right concepts from the right mentors is crucial to master music. Surajhankar proved to be that stepping stone for me. At Surajhankar there is a push to ensure every student really understands what they learn. It’s not just learning the melodies blindly of various songs by Gurudev, rather understanding the ragas that go into its composition, the mood of the song, the tempo of the lyrics, the context behind the creation of the song and more. Also we were exposed to different crucial skills like identifying the swaralipi for songs on the fly, reading swaralipi on the fly, identifying taal and so on. Teachers at Surajhankar like Amit jethu ensured that they brought in their rich experiences of undocumented variations of Gurudev’s songs. Other teachers provided a lot of moral support and long hours of hard work behind our individual performances. They trained us in variety of styles as well for various concerts like Bhanusingher Padabali, Pashchatyer influence, patriotic songs and more. I am grateful to Surajhankar for whatever I know of music today.

 

Ankita Chowdhury – Ex-student

The entire journey of 4 years in Surajhankar will always be cherished by me. The practice sessions at school, extra sessions at Manjushree ma’am’s house before going to Kolkata for the finals, the lunches and outings after exams made this journey all the more valuable. My good results at the finals need to be attributed to my teachers and my mother as well, whom I would be doing wrong to if I don’t mention. The days that I could not attend classes, she would be the one who taught me at home. And this had been possible only because she too is an alumni of Surajhankar. Thank you everyone for giving me this beautiful journey to cherish forever. I wish Surajhankar all the best in the years ahead and I hope to see the flag flying high. Hope the juniors continue this legacy of maintaining the name of Surajhankar at the Gitabharati exams.

 

Gita Sundaresh, Ex-Student

My association with Surajhankar started in early 2012, when fortuitously I came to know about this school for Rabindrasangeet. This rekindled a dormant desire in me for learning Tagore’s songs, a wish that needed to be fulfilled. The experience was very rewarding for me, a non-Bengali with no musical background, to find that I could indeed sing. Though my approach to learning Rabindrasangeet in the initial years was rather technical and devoid of ‘expression’, it nevertheless was a worthwhile one for me. For reasons of health, I could not continue the rigour and the vigour with which I would have liked to pursue at the school. But the learning continues, albeit as a hobby. I have to this day not come across a faculty that is so devoted to a cause, in this case that of keeping the spirit of Tagore alive in the young and the old, those from Bengal and beyond. All through the year, there is never a dull moment for the staff and students, teaching and preparing students for the exam being just a part. Learning also happens through practice sessions that go on throughout the year getting ready for Annual day celebrations in May, Guru Poornima and Baishe Srabon in August and Puja during Navratri. In the midst of all this, the intensity of teaching and learning continues for the various courses the school offers. Discipline and commitment are inculcated amidst an all-pervasive sense of camaraderie and good will. The aim is for perfection to theminutest details,the way Tagore wished his songs to be rendered and to recreate the magic of Tagore’s Shantiniketan. I am one among many to wish Surajhankar glorious years ahead. And one almost perceives multi-faceted Gurudev’s loving hands guiding and blessing the school, the Principal and teachers who strive hard with Dr. Amit Mitra at the helm.