By Avichal Jha - SPK Academy of Music Student
Guru Purnima, literally translated as "Teacher's Full Moon" in Sanskrit, is a celebration of the one who dispels ignorance. For his students, Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan is a true guru, a masterful teacher, and a guide on the never-ending journey called "music." He turns this path into a celebration with every step we take. Guru Purnima is an event that provides us, the students, with an opportunity to offer our respect, show our gratitude, and celebrate our guru. This event occurs once a year, making it special. However, in 2023, the occasion was nothing short of extraordinary. Why, you ask?
Guru Purnima technically fell on July 3, 2023. Unfortunately, we couldn't celebrate it with Ustadji as he was not available in the US at that time. Nevertheless, we were determined not to let this deter us.
We decided to celebrate it at the next possible opportunity, which turned out to be on September 30, 2023, when both the full moon and Ustadji would be in town. With the help of some amazing volunteers, Seema, the Director of SPK Academy, got to work planning the event. We aimed to celebrate our Ustad, our Guru, in the most meaningful way possible, by performing for him in a public forum.
Over the next few months, we all practiced diligently. Our performance needed to convey our love and gratitude through the beautiful music he had bestowed upon us. Finally, the time for the shibir had arrived, and we all gathered in Chandler, AZ, at the SPK Music Academy headquarters to spend three blissful days immersed in music with Ustadji.
The energy was palpable even before the shibir officially began. Ustadji knew how hard we had worked, and that knowledge gleamed in his eyes as he heard us rehearsing. The joy was infectious, and music flowed through the atmosphere, from Ustadji's soul into his hands, and back to us through his instrument.
Ustadji shared his joy by inspiring us throughout the weekend. Again and again, he played - Ragas Kafi, Khamaj, Pilu, Tilak Shyam, Barwa, Todi, and many more. He regaled us with music that was beautiful, sad, romantic, energetic, tumultuous, inspiring, and magical. Above all, it served as a reminder of why we love this art form so much and why we call him our Guru. And this was just on Friday! Two more days of shibir awaited us.
Saturday was the day of the performance. We were scheduled to perform at Arizona State University in an intimate venue with the ambience of a "baithak," or house concert. The event was free, as our goal was to share Ustadji's beautiful music and pay tribute to it for all who might enjoy it.
By the time the performance began, we had an audience of about 100 people. The first group took the stage, and the next generation of performers, as well as veterans of the instrument, began playing.
Ustadji's smile, as he presented us with commemorative certificates, made it clear that he, along with the students performing, enjoyed the performances just as much as the audience did.
As the evening continued, the students played Ragas Kafi, Khamaj, and Pilu. The final student performance was a dazzling duet in Tilak Kamod by Ustadji's two senior-most students.
Raag Tilak Kamod by Jawwad Noor and Seema Gulati with Unmesh Banerjee on tabla
Finally, there was a short ceremony to commemorate the event, with Shubha and Nouman offering Ustadji our heartfelt tribute.
Shubha and Nouman with Ustadji
With that, our offering was complete, and it was time for Ustadji to take the stage himself. But there was one surprise in store...
Nouman Khan is one of Ustadji's very first disciples (shagirds). He has always gone above and beyond to help Ustadji and the SPK Academy whenever and however, help was needed. Every cup of tea Nouman makes for Ustadji symbolizes his devotion. Just look at that smile!
On this auspicious Guru Purnima, Ustadji expressed his love and appreciation for Nouman by presenting him with a custom-made sitar, crafted to his exact specifications. Any musician can appreciate the monumental nature of this gift - a master teacher passing on an instrument tailor-made for one person, meant to last them a lifetime and more, its sweet tones improving as the student reaches their potential. It symbolizes esteem and is a gift for a lifetime.
The moment was as beautiful as it was emotional. While everyone was surprised by this lovely gesture, no one was as stunned as Nouman, who received this treasure of love with utter and overwhelming shock, all with his characteristic grace and humility. What a Guru Purnima it had turned out to be!
Finally, it was time for Ustadji himself to take the stage. The pure notes of Ustadji's sitar rang out, somber and deep, and we were stunned. Ustadji had graced us with Raga Bhairavi, often called "the queen of ragas" for its melodic complexity and range of emotions.
It is impossible to accurately describe the depth of emotion conveyed in Ustadji's performance. He had blessed his students without saying a word. Many eyes were filled with gratitude for what he had given us and continues to give us. Over the course of the evening, we had successfully conveyed how much we treasure our Ustad, and he had successfully shared his love for our efforts - all through the medium of music.
We went home and enjoyed dinner together, feeling euphoric from the post-performance high. However, the shibir was not over yet. On the third day of our shibir, the last day, Ustadji continued playing. He started by teaching us amazing compositions in Raga Bhairavi and then inspired us with blistering demonstrations of more music - classical, semi-classical, ghazals, Bollywood songs of old - all flowed from his nimble fingers. By the time the day concluded, we had experienced a dizzying range of musical excellence and emotions.
Every shibir is an amazing experience, but this one was truly out of this world. In every shibir, we get to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. We get to experience the joy of Ustadji's teaching in every shibir, and we experience music in both familiar and novel ways. However, this year, Guru Purnima was different. We had the privilege of sitting on a concert stage and presenting our hard work to the public, which was especially nerve-wracking because we were presenting to our guru first and foremost. We felt Ustadji's love anew.
Overwhelmed with gratitude and happiness, we left for home inspired to work harder and reach new heights so that we can honor him again next year. As one of his students, I cannot wait!