Shri Pandit Motiram (1899 – 24 April 1934), sometimes referred to as Motiram Pandit and Moti Prasad, was an Indian classical vocalist from the Mewati gharana.[1] Pandit is known for being the father and guru of popular musicians Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Maniram, and Pandit Pratap Narayan.[2] His legacy has been commemorated since 1972 annually at Hyderabad, where he was appointed a court musician, in the Pandit Motiram Pandit Maniram Sangeet Samaroh.[3]

Pandit Motiram
Born1889
OriginPili Mandori, Fatehabad District, Haryana, India
Died24 April 1934(1934-04-24) (aged 44)
GenresKhayal, Dhrupad, Dhamar, Haveli Sangeet, Bhajan, Thumri, Tappa
OccupationVocalist
Years active1900s–1934

A disciple of the Mewati tradition, Pandit's popularity grew through jugalbandi performances with his younger brother and disciple, Pandit Jyotiram, who were known together as Moti-Jyoti.[4]

Background

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Pandit lost his father at an early age. He and his brother, Jyotiram, were adopted by their maternal uncle, Pandit Natthulal, a disciple of Ustad Ghagge Nazir Khan.[5] Pandit and his brother were trained in music by him.[6]

Career

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He served as a court musician to Maharaja Pratap Singh in the Kashmir Darbar. He left after some friction with the Dewan and invited by the Nizam of Hyderabad Osman Ali Khan to be his court musician.[7]

Death

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On 24 April 1944, Pandit died unexpectedly for unknown reasons on the day he was supposed to become the court musician of Osman Ali Khan, the Nizam of Hyderabad.[8]

Legacy

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Music Contributions

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Pandit is not known to have created any ragas.[9] His khayal and bhajan compositions remain popular today.[10] He was known for composing in aprachalit ragas. These include:

Disciples

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Pandit's foremost disciplines were his three sons, Maniram, Pratap Narayan, and Jasraj.[11]

Personal life

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Pandit married Krishna Meghe.[12] They had nine children together, two of whom died prematurely. This included Maniram (son), Padma (daughter), Pratap Narayan (son), Rama (daughter), Rajaram (son), Pushpa (daughter), and Jasraj (son).

References

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  1. ^ Dāśaśarmā, Amala (1993). Musicians of India: Past and Present Gharanas of Hindustani Music and Genealogies. Naya Prokash. p. 240. ISBN 9788185421186.
  2. ^ "AKASHVANI: Vol. XXVIII. No. 30 ( 28 JULY, 1963 )". Akashvani. XXVIII (30). Publications Division (India): 6. 1963.
  3. ^ Sarma, Debottam (December 28, 2022). Kankana Banerjee: The Journey of a Khayal Queen. Clever Fox Publishing. p. 56.
  4. ^ Misra, Susheela (1986). "Vasantrao Deshpande: A Tribute". Sangeet Natak. 81–82: 42–48.
  5. ^ Bagchee, Sandeep (1998). Nād: Understanding Rāga Music. Eeshwar. p. 188. ISBN 9788186982075.
  6. ^ Roy, Ashok (2004). Music Makers: Living Legends of Indian Classical Music. Rupa & Company. p. 95. ISBN 9788129103192.
  7. ^ Chapalgaonkar, Narendra (2022). The Last Nizam and His People: Profiles and Sketches from Hyderabad. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781000571325.
  8. ^ Paul, Papri (11 December 2016). "Pandit Jasraj takes a trip down the memory lane to relive his idyllic childhood spent in Hyderabad". Times of India.
  9. ^ Budhiraja, Sunita (2018). Rasraj: Pandit Jasraj. Vani Prakashan. ISBN 9789387889583.
  10. ^ Mahabarati, Sangit (2011). Ghosh, Nikhil (ed.). The Oxford Encyclopaedia of the Music of India. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-565098-3.
  11. ^ Brahaspati, S. V. (2023). Great Masters Of Hindustani Music. Abhishek Publications. p. 126. ISBN 9788182478985.
  12. ^ Budhiraja, Sunita (2018). Rasraj: Pandit Jasraj. Vani Prakashan. ISBN 9789387889583.