HUBBALLI : Rarest of rare musical instruments, photographs of legendary musicians and classical music gharanas, prestigious awards, recordings on gramophone and souvenirs from different music festivals; all this and a whole lot more adorn the residence of the doyen of Hindustani classical music, Gangubai Hangal, in Deshpande Nagar of Hubballi.
The house Ganga Lahiri, a portion of which was given the shape of a museum over a decade ago, showcases the richness of Indian classical music. It also displays the awards and certifications given to Gangubai. With proper patronage, the place could be developed into a real treasure trove of Indian classical music.
However, in the hearts of music connoisseurs, the museum already finds a special place. Researchers from across the globe come here to study the Indian music, notes of which reverberate in every corner of the house.
Once an abode of learning for the great Gangubai, the place does not discriminate between music and musicians of different regions and genre. Be it Hindustani or Carnatic style or vocal or instrumental; all get their due place and recognition under the roof here.
“Over 120 musical instruments are exhibited at the museum. Some of them were used by the greats of the music field. Taus, Been, Esraj and Rudraveena are more than a century old. Latest additions are veena and violin. Portraits and photographs of music icons from 19th century are bound to take one to a nostalgic trip down memory lane,” says grandson of the legendary singer Manoj Hangal. He himself travels to different parts of the country to collect the instruments.
Photographs of music legends, including Swami Haridas, Purandara Dasa, Tansen, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Shyama Shastri and Thyagaraj are well-maintained here. The rare old photo section features Abdul Karim Khan, Fayyaz Khan, Hirabai Badodekar, Hafiz Ali Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Sawai Gandharva, Alladiya Khan and Rahimat Khan.
Photographs of Lata Mangeshkar with her siblings in her twenties and Pandit Ravishankar playing sitar with his wife Annapoorna Devi can be found in the special section.
“Special charts at the museum explain in detail about the five major gharanas of Hindustani classical music,” adds Manoj.
An epitome of a dedicated vocalist, she always believed in the saying “Without music, life is a journey through a desert.”