Raqs O Mausiqui

The first stop on this tour was Begum Akhtar ki Mazhar, newly done up by Sanat Kada. Her tomb was a mango orchard within her home, ‘Pasand Bagh’ and she was buried alongside her mother, Mushtari Sahiba. However, over the years, much of the garden has been lost to the growing city, and the tomb has fallen into disrepair. The marble graves enclosed in a red brick enclosure, were restored in 2012, along with their pietra dura style marble inlay.

Satish Tanksale one of the greatest living fans regaled us with her life stories and singing moments. His niece Sangita Nerukar had sung the day before at Lebua and she arrived and sang a Bandish in the mazhar. A pilgrimage for her and a deeply profound moment for us.

“Mallika-e-Ghazal” , Akhtari Bai Faizabadi  singer and actress is regarded as one of the greatest singers of Ghazal, Dadra and Thumri of Hindustani Classical Music. She, her sister Zohra and mother Mushtari were disowned by their father. She was trained in Calcutta under Mohammad Khan. She cut many records and was among the first women  to break away from singing in mehfils or private gatherings and perform in public concerts.  She  sang the timeless Bengali classical song “Jochona Koreche Aari”

 

The next stop was Firangi Mahal , the name originated from the fact that original owners of this Mahal were Europeans during the rule of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. It was later given over to the adviser of Emperor Aurangzeb known as Mullah Asad bin Qutub Shaheed and his brother Mulla Saeed bin Qutubuddin Shaheed. These two brothers made this Mahal a center of Islamic learning and culture. The Madarsa syllabus was codified here. This lane, known as Gali Parcha housed the first textile factories.

During the period of the Khilafat Movement, Mahatma Gandhi stayed here and the Muslims in and around Firangi Mahal stopped consuming meat during his stay, as a token of respect.  Haidar Jaan Tawaif lived opposite a Sufi peer and they lived in harmony with an atmosphere of shared cultural heritage.

The Bhatkhande Institute was set up in 1926 as the Marris College of Music by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, the institute’s vision was to make music education accessible to all. In 1966, it was renamed after its founder, a musician credited with developing the simplest, most precise system of notation for Hindustani music.

The building that houses the institute is in Lucknow’s Qaiserbagh heritage zone. It was once the ‘Pari Khana’ (Abode of Fairies) of Awadh’s last nawab, Wajid Ali Shah. It was here the dancers who played fairies in Inder Sabha—the first complete stage play in Urdu—to the Shah’s prince. The original building was destroyed in the revolt of 1857. The British rebuilt it, they retained its original aesthetics.

 

The Binadin Deoria

Maharaj Kalika Prasad and Bindadin Maharaj are doyens and their contribution to the Kathak Lucknow Gharana is unparalleled. Thus  Lucknow Gharana is also known as Kalika Bindadin Gharana. They formed a relation between Thumri and Bhaav (expression) which is now a specialty of Lucknow Gharana. This Deori houses a school and a museum. The Bhairo Mandir close by is where all artistes perform as a form of respect to Shiv.

Pandit Birju Maharaj is one of the most famous exponents of this style. He was a descendant of the Maharaj family of Kathak dancers, which includes his two uncles, Shambhu Maharaj and Lachhu Maharaj, and his father and guru, Acchan Maharaj.