Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre begins its annual Guru Purnima celebration – ‘Parampara’

Team Udayavani, Jul 2, 2023, 3:52 PM IST

India’s foremost multi-disciplinary cultural space, Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, begun its annual celebration ‘Parampara – A Guru Purnima Special’, as a tribute to the timeless guru-shishya bond.

Guided by Mrs. Nita Ambani’s own lifelong experience as a student of the arts, the immersive musical weekend features extraordinary performances by the finest maestros of Indian Classical music.

The opening day began with a lamp lighting ceremony led by Mrs. Nita Ambani, who was accompanied by the living legends of Indian Classical music – Padma Vibhushan Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia and Pt. Kartick Kumar, along with their respective disciples, Rakesh Chaurasia and Niladri Kumar.

Addressing the audience, she paid tribute to parents everywhere as the first gurus, teachers and mentors in one’s life – fondly reminiscing the role father-in-law Shri Dhirubhai Ambani played in her own. Mrs. Nita Ambani concluded the speech by chanting the sacred shloka of guru vandana, as a full house of 2000 people at The Grand Theatre joined in. The reverberation, amplified by the world-class acoustics of the space, filled it with an air of reverence and positivity, setting the stage for the evening’s performances.

Both ‘Enchanting Sitars’ by father-son duo Pt. Kartick and Niladri Kumar and ‘Divine Flutes’ by Pt. Hariprasad and his nephew Rakesh Chaurasia were greeted by a mesmerised audience. Later, as Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia played the tune of ‘Happy Birthday’ on his flute on the eve of his 85th birthday, the entire auditorium rose in standing ovation.

Celebrations are set to continue today with ‘Three Generations, One Legacy’, which brings together Padma Vibhushan Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, along with Ustad’s grandsons – 10-year-old twins Zohaan and Abeer Ali Bangash.