Annapurna Devi: An Unheard Melody

by Swapankumar Bandopadhyay

Baba Allauddin Khan's daughter, Pandit Ravi Shankar's first wife, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan's sister, representative of Maihar-Senia gharana - Annapurna Devi has an illustrious lineage. And she is a star in her own right - she is the only female surbahar player in the country. Yet, Annapurna's life is shrouded in mystery. Though she is a true guru to her hishyas, to others she is an eccentric recluse or simply too strong-minded. This first authorised biography offers a glimpse into her life, not to reveal or to shock, but to set the record straight - her turbulent years with Ravi Shankar, the death of her only son, her single-minded pursuit of music and a life in seclusion. Drawing on interviews with Annapurna Devi and her family members, admirers, critics and students, Swapan Kumar Bondyopadhyay offers an absorbing portrait of a brilliant individual, who shuns public erformances devoting her time instead to her music, her students and to keeping her father's legacy alive.

Genres: Biography

226 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2005

About the author

স্বপনকুমার বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের জন্ম ১ জানুয়ারি ১৯৪৮, বর্ধমান শহরে। শিক্ষা বর্ধমান মিউনিসিপ্যাল হাই স্কুল, রামকৃষ্ণ মিশন বিদ্যামন্দির, বেলুড় মঠ। কলকাতা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় থেকে ইংরেজি সাহিত্যে এম এ। রেজিনা গুহ স্বর্ণপদক লাভ (১৯৬৮)। ফরাসি ভাষা ও সাহিত্যে ডিপ্লোমা প্রাপ্ত। রামকৃষ্ণ মিশন বিদ্যামন্দির বেলুড় মঠ (১৯৭০), বিশ্বভারতী (১৯৭২) ও বর্ধমান বিবেকানন্দ মহাবিদ্যালয়ে অধ্যাপনার পর অবসরপ্রাপ্ত।মায়ের অনুপ্রেরণায় সংগীত শিক্ষা। উস্তাদ আলাউদ্দিন খাঁ-র শিষ্য ইন্দ্রনীল ভট্টাচার্যের কাছে সেতার শিখেছেন। বিভিন্ন পত্র-পত্রিকায় সাহিত্য সংস্কৃতি ও সংগীত বিষয়ে প্রবন্ধ প্রকাশিত হয়েছে। রোলি বুক্‌স প্রকাশ করেছে ‘অন্নপূর্ণা: এন আনহার্ড মেলোডি’।

Reviews

[Amit Karkare]

Annapurna Devi: An Unheard Melody by Swapan Kumar Bondyopadhyay tells the story of Annapurna Devi, the legendary sitar player and first wife of Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar. Born into the illustrious lineage of Ustad Allauddin Khan, she was trained from childhood in the deepest traditions of Indian classical music, receiving her art directly from her father, whom she called Baba.

The book portrays a life completely dedicated and surrendered to the sadhana of that art. As her marriage to Ravi Shankar grew distant, Annapurna Devi withdrew from public performance and public life almost entirely, choosing instead a path of pure devotion to the music itself — without the need for fame, applause, or recognition.

It shows a true artist who kept herself away from all worldly pleasures, attractions, and distractions, staying wholly surrendered to what she had received. This kind of devotion is rare — only a few are capable of it, and Annapurna Devi lived it fully, even as she quietly shaped the next generation of musicians, including Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, as a teacher.

A rare and quietly powerful read for anyone drawn to stories of true artistic surrender and discipline.

[Mansi]

Read this book at the CNBG Library , Chinmaya University at Kolwan, Pune. Guruma was the guru of guruji Hariprasad chaurasia and occupied a special fascination for me. With the paucity of information about her, this was a one-of-a-kind read. To me the striking points of the book were:
The high pinnacle of sadhana annapurna devi reached, where music was a form of sadhana for her, going beyond the trappings of ego, fame or power.
The fidelity she held for the teachings of her guru and father, baba allaudin khan.
The novel is a bit gossipy in parts, especially since most of the book on her is based on what others had recalled and said of her. The very public split between her and Ravi Shankar is highlighted too .
A fast read, and a must read to understand the level , disciple and true sadhana required to attain siddhi in music .

[Sahana]

Annapurna Devi is such a fascinating person for lovers of Indian Classical music, and not just for her parentage, love and marriage, but because of her legacy - the quality of students that she has left behind. This book explores nothing. The book is a pitiful exercise in writing and doesn't do justice to one of the greats in Indian Classical music. I was thoroughly disappointed!
Poorly written, poorly researched, poorly presented! Do not recommend.

[Abhilasha Roy]

Mesmerizing, Moving but honest

A matter of fact, yet meditative style of narration, which manages to capture the reader's imagination without deviating from the truth. A mesmerizing account of the intense sadhana which immortalized the golden era of Indian classical music.

[David Raphael Israel]

(see book link for this)

[Sujit Banerjee]

A glimpse into the life of a recluse who was a musical genius but who did not want to reveal her genius to the world because of personal tragedies.