The Homecoming Festival 2011 that took place between December 9
through December 11, was a great success. It was an opportunity
for all of us to renew old bonds and create new ones.
While those who came in from outside Kolkata were here for all the
3 days, we really missed those scholars who could not come or were
not able to come in every day. The occasion was a wonderful
celebration of bonding, bringing together the SRA family, both
past members and present.
The Academy and its verdant lawns, brightly decorated for the
event, looked festive and resplendent; the atmosphere was palpable
with nostalgia and expectation. Warmth, hugs, merriment, excited
chatter or just quiet reflective moments were the order of the
day. The morning session of the first day was devoted to welcoming
our past scholars, presenting the invitees with mementos and a fun
"ice breaking" session. The remaining sesions over the remaining
two and a half days were devoted to performances. We had about 20
past scholars who finally performed over the 5 sessions. The
afternoons were reserved for "Adda" - discussions and group
exercises - which proved to be very fruitful. What the Academy can
do for its past scholars and what they could do for us was
deliberated over in great detail. The last afternoon also had
Pandit Arvind Parikh talking to the students about Guru Shishya
Parampara and his days as a disciple of Ustad Vilayat Hussain
Khan. We also had a post dinner adda on the first day where Mr
Mathur, Executive Director spoke of his vision for SRA followed by
Pandit Vijay Kichlu, SRA's first Executive Director , who spoke of
the initial days of SRA.
Any institution, including ITC SRA, is built by its people. Keenly
aware of the dedication that our former scholars have brought to
the cause of Hindustani Classical Music and grateful for the role
we know that each and everyone of our former scholars has played,
as an ambassador of our Academy, for the first time, SRA has
invited scholars to select convenient dates for its Saturday
Recital performances. Selections for our Mangaldeep (mini) and
other Sammelans would also be part of our annual plan.
In joining hands with all the members if its family, SRA looks
forward to creating not only a lasting emotional bond, but the
foundation of a strong relationship between the Academy and past
scholar that will yield rich dividends not just to the individual
but to the cause of the Academy and that of Indian Classical
Music.
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