Every Thursday, a group of professionals from Guruvar Mandal (‘Thursday Group’ in Hindi) gathers on the first floor of a house in New Nallakunta, Hyderabad. The weekly baithak begins at 9pm with the traditional invocation, Jai Jagadish Hare, before giving way to a two-hour Hindustani classical recital. IT professional Neha Kashikar Shailendra opens the evening with Dhoond Ban Saiyan in Raag Nand, followed by Ajahu Na Aaye in drut laya. Her father, Satish Kashikar, then takes over with the bandish Kaun Gat Bhayee in Raag Bageshri before moving through compositions in Shahana Kanada and Kafi. Chartered accountant Surendra Bharathi accompanies them on the harmonium, while Vivek Kayal, Shrikant Bhatlawande, Prashant Sardeshmukh, Vijay and Sandeep take turns on the tabla.
Seven decades and more
Pandit Jasraj regales listeners at Guruvar Mandal (right) with tabla maestro Shaikh Dawood Khan
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Guruvar Mandal met for nearly a decade at Satish’s home. But the story of these intimate baithaks stretches back more than seven decades, sustained by people who have balanced careers with a lifelong passion for Hindustani classical music.
The group was founded in 1956 by Hindustani vocalist Bhaskar Rao Udgirkar, recalls septuagenarian Satish, a former insurance agent who first became associated with Guruvar Mandal as a teenager.
“One day, Bhaskar Rao saw a long queue outside Dilshad Talkies near his home in Sultan Bazaar and wondered if people spending hours waiting for movie tickets could use that time more creatively,” says Satish. A connoisseur of Hindustani classical music and a devotee of Dattatreya, worshipped on Thursdays, Udgirkar began hosting weekly music sessions in the living room of his home. He called the informal gathering of classical music enthusiasts Guruvar Mandal.
A few prominent attendeees
Pandit Jasraj, Bhim Shankar, Madhsudan Bhave, Malini Rajurkar, Shaikh Dawood Khan, Girish Wazalwar
and Chandrashekhar Swami
Word soon spread among friends, relatives and music enthusiasts, who began gathering at Bhaskar’s home every Thursday.
Avenue to sing
Flautist Ramakant Katti during a session
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Special Arrangement
Surendra Bharathi describes Guruvar Mandal as “an open forum where musicians can showcase their Hindustani classical music skills before their peers.” “For many musicians, Guruvar Mandal became a place to test their abilities and gauge their progress by performing before an informed audience,” he says. “Feedback from people who are both passionate and knowledgeable is incredibly encouraging.”
Yet the city’s oldest surviving music club was never merely an informal gathering of enthusiasts. Over the decades, it has welcomed some of Hindustani classical music’s biggest names, including the late Pandit Jasraj.
“Bhaskar Rao was a close friend of Pandit Jasraj,” recalls Satish. “Whenever he was in Hyderabad, either for a concert or during the annual Pandit Motiram Maniram Sangeet Samaroh, held in memory of his father, he would make time for the Thursday sessions.” In the festival’s early years, Guruvar Mandal members even volunteered to help organise the event.
Hindustani classical vocalist Malini Rajurkar at Guruvar Mandal’s silver jubilee celebrations
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Special Arrangement
The group also fondly remembers visits by Pandit Shrikant Bhakre, a noted disciple of Ustad Amir Khan, and vocalist Pandit Ajay Pohankar. “Pandit Ajay never needed a formal invitation,” says Satish with a smile. “Whenever he was in Hyderabad, he would simply walk in.”
Watch and learn
Being related to Bhaskar, Prashant Sardeshmukh, an HSBC employee and tabla artiste, has been attending Guruvar Mandal since childhood. “We used to stand outside the room and listen to the music,” he recalls. “We never got a chance to step inside because it would be packed with senior artistes.”
For the younger generation, the baithaks became an invaluable classroom. Watching seasoned musicians perform week after week offered lessons that formal training alone could not.
Prashant credits the Mandal with teaching him the finer nuances of accompaniment. “I learnt tabla from my guru, but the art of accompanying a vocalist was taught to me by Vajendra here,” he says.
Stage open for all
Vocalist Satish Kashikar sings during a Guruvar Mandal session; The accompanying artistes are: Surendra Bharathi on harmonium, Prashant Sardeshmukh on tanpura and Vivek Kayal on tabla
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
The only prerequisite to perform at Guruvar Mandal is the ability to sing in sur and laya. While the number of people attending the baithaks varies every week, these informal concerts are open to all, with new artistes and students invited to perform depending on the raag chosen for the evening.
“The uniqueness of the group is that we have no president, no secretary and no membership form,” says Satish. “Anyone who attends is a member and can perform. But this isn’t a stage for amateurs.”
For many families, the association with Guruvar Mandal spans generations. Surendra Bharathi’s father, Manikrao Bharathi, was among its founder-members and one of its strongest pillars. Today, the family’s connection continues through Surendra’s son, Aneesh. Similarly, pharmaceutical professional and tabla artiste Vivek Kayal eagerly looks forward to Thursday evenings.
“It’s like a weekly musical celebration,” he says. “The rest of the week, we lead routine lives. Here, we learn something new every Thursday.”
Like any seven-decade-old institution, Guruvar Mandal has weathered its share of challenges. Some sessions have had to be cancelled when key members were travelling, while demanding work schedules have made it harder for regulars to attend. “But those challenges have never weakened the bond between us,” says Satish. “That’s why Guruvar Mandal has stood the test of time.”
To know more about the organisation, call 98850 96380 or 96187 27172
