The mornings of 2014 are turning out to be cruel particularly for Indian Arts. Sitara Devi, The Queen of Kathak and Doyen of Banaras Gharana Passes away while leaving us yearning to see more of her. I had met Sitara Devi in Pune, in 2011 where she had come to felicitate Lata Mangeshkar with the first Bhimsen joshi Award instituted by the Pune Municipal corporation in the memory of the Legendary Singer. Mangeshkars have a penchant for white clothes, their entire family who have descended on the city that day glittered the stage with their white Attire but it was Sitara Devi who stood out in her bubbly Red Saari! After everyone spoke in chaste Marathi Sitara Devi Stood up and said, Mujhe Marathi nahi aati lekin Dheere-Dheere Seekh Rahi hoon, warna kahin Bhaiya logon ko bhaga na dein! to which everyone laughed. Her impromptu speech that day was no less of a Hindustani Khayal where she said that: Lata to Mogre ki Lata hai jo badhti hi jaati hai. isko abhi aur badhna hai, apni Sugandh aur bikherni hai. After the Program when she met me while walking towards her car her blessings to me Khush Rahiye aage Badhte Jaayiye are the words I shall always Cherish. Rest In Peace the Queen of Kathak, but your Ghunghroos shall always reverberate in our hearts!
Posted on: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 05:55:12 +0000