“It is not about glory as much as it is about plenty of practice, discipline and riyaaz”.
– Vidushi Manju Nandan Mehta
Birth and Early Life
Born on 21st May 1945 in Jaipur to father Shri Manmohan Bhatt and mother Smt. Chandrakala Bhatt, both accomplished musicians in their own right, Vidushi Manju Mehta was one of India’s most renowned female Sitarists. Elder brother Pt. Shashi Mohan Bhatt was her inspiration for learning Sitar who also gifted her the first Sitar. She grew up in a family of musicians with her siblings where even the games played were revolving around Music.
When young Manju witnessed her brother learning the sitar from the legendary Pt. Ravi Shankar, it sparked a strong inner desire in her to also learn from Pt. Ravi Shankar. And her dream became a reality when Pt. Ravi Shankar began teaching her in the year 1980.
Taalim
Manjuben took up Sitar at the age of thirteen. Eldest brother Pt. Shashi Mohan Bhatt, a student of Bharat Ratna Pt. Ravi Shankar was his sister Manjuben’s first Sitar teacher. “Having a Sitarist brother in the family, it was easy to pick the sitar as my main instrument,” she used to say. Parents enthusiastically encouraged Manjuben and her siblings to pursue music seriously. “No matter what time of the day it was, there was always someone in the family practicing their music,” she recalled of her childhood.
After winning two consecutive State and Central Government scholarships, she was given the opportunity to study under Sarod Player Pt. Damodar Lal Kabra, a disciple of Sarod Maestro Ustd. Ali Akbar Khan and Bharat Ratna Pt. Ravi Shankar. While studying and recording with Kabra ji, Manjuben began performing, competed and won the coveted AIR Talent Search competition and earned her master’s degree in music first class first.
After births of her two children, she did not perform for almost a decade before, in 1980, starting to learn under the tutelage of Pt. Ravi Shankar. She continued to learn sitar under Pt. Ravi Shankar’s guidance since 1980.
Pt. Ravi Shankar used to admire Manjuben very much. Over time, the relationship that started as a traditional teacher-student bond evolved as a strong family bonding with Pandit ji’s family also sharing a close relationship with Manjuben. Pandit ji frequently used to conducted his teaching sessions of all his senior disciples together.
Marriage
During one of the performances, she met Ahmedabad-based Tabla Player Pt. Nandan Mehta, a student of Pt. Kishan Maharaj and an exponent of the Banaras Gharana. They both would later marry, having two daughters—Poorvi and Hetal, who respectively play Sitar and Tabla.
In one of her interviews, she said “Our story goes back to the 1960s. I was 23 and he was 27 when we got married in 1968. Our gurus, Pt. Kishan Maharaj and Pt. Damodarlal Kabra, felt we were both good artistes and they fixed our alliance.
This alliance along with other like-minded people went on to become founder members of “Saptak” in 1980 – An institution with the sole purpose of education, promotion, propagation and preservation of Indian Classical Music.
A Unique Style
A senior disciple of Pt. Ravi Shankar and hailing from a very well-known family of musicians in Jaipur, Manjuben combined beauty, creativity and tradition to bring out the “Rasa” of Indian Classical music. She was renowned for her soulful renditions and mastery over the instrument, deeply rooted in the tradition of the Maihar Gharana. Her playing was marked by lyrical elegance, intricate improvisations and a profound understanding of ragas.
She possessed the essential artistry of Indian music with her ability to breathe life into the raga form, earning high praise from the masters of the field. “She is a creative performer of an exceptional calibre,” noted the legendary sarod player Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. Her distinct style combined the tantrakari-ang [instrumental-based style] with gayaki-ang [vocal-based style]. Her performances, while innovative, stayed true to the traditions of her “gharana” (musical lineage), never degenerating into mere pyrotechnics. The quality of her tone, the ability to be different within traditional confines, and her inherent musicality all combined to make her a unique performer.
Her performances used to hold connoisseurs spellbound with an elaborate alaap, an imaginative jod and her quick manoeuvring through jhala often with more than one or two gats, thus avoiding repetition. The entire structure was simple, soul stirring and a delight to a purist’s heart. Manjuben recitals were like a breath of fresh air, devoid of gimmickry. The cascading and linear development, executed with grace, provided a perfect close to the concert. Her repertoire of Ragas included rare, unheard ragas apart from the commonly heard ragas which are played at concerts. Some of these rare ragas are:
Ahir Lalit, Jogeshwari, Charukauns, Parmeshwari, Kameshwari, Gangeshwari, Tilak Shyam, Poorvi, Saraswati, Simhendra Madhyam
Manjuben was a regular television and radio artist graded ‘top grade’. She had performed at major music concerts in India and abroad.
Bharat Ratna Pt. Ravi Shankar choosing a piece of her Sitar recital recording which was released on his 80th Birthday is a stamp of her virtuosity.
A Revered Guru
Apart from her remarkable performances, she was celebrated for her dedication to teaching and promoting Indian classical music through Saptak, nurturing countless young talents and preserving the rich heritage of the art form. The credit goes to Manjuben in taking forward the legacy of her husband in instituting the Guru Shishya parampara in Gujarat and inspiring the younger generation to learn music. For over 45 years she guided several budding Sitarists as well as other classical instrumentalists. Many of her students are performing artists.
She had a mastery over composing Indian Classical Music Ensembles and had created several such ensembles throughout her career. The ensemble gained a lot of popularity and was regularly invited to perform at various concerts.
An Institutionalist
Besides being the most talented and recognised woman Sitarist of India, she was an effective institution leader. She was one of the founder trustees of the world renowned institution “Saptak” which is dedicated to the cause of Indian Classical Music. She worked relentlessly with her husband Pt. Nandan Mehta hand in hand brick by brick in creating such a gigantic institution. After the demise of her husband, she worked even harder in taking forward the legacy and furthering the activities of Saptak. Her strong bonding with all the maestros and legends of the fraternity and her ability to identify the budding talent helped a lot in scheduling world’s longest Indian Classical Musical Festival for last 45 years.
She was equally helpful and supportive to other art institutes of Gujarat in pursuance of their activities and to event organisers in organising classical music events. She served as Vice President of Gujarat State Sangeet Natak Academy for five years contributing significantly. She also inaugurated the music department at Gujarat Vidyapith, where she took a keen interest in training the new generation of artists which also turned out to be her last public appearance.
Awards and Accolades
Manjuben was a recipient of several top honours and awards. She was the only female instrumentalist to receive ‘Rashriya Tansen Sanman-2018’ from Govt. of Madhya Pradesh at Gwalior.
Although with a much more delay, last year, Manjuben was conferred with the prestigious National Award, Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, (Ministry of Culture, Government of India). She received the award from Smt. Draupadi Murmu, Hon’ble President of India, in the category of Hindustani classical music, Instrumental.
Her other awards include:
- Pt. Omkarnath Award by Gujarat Government
- “Guarav Puraskar” by the Sangeet Natak Academy of Gujarat
- Sangeet Kala Gaurav Puraskar by the Sangeet Kala Kendra, Agra
- The Sangeet Kala Ratna and Sangeet Martand Samman by the Akhil Bhartiya Dhrupad-Naad-Ninaad Virast Samaroh-Jaipur
- Marwar Sangeet Ratna Award presented by Maharaja Gajsingh of Jodhpur
- ‘Tana Riri Award -2016’ – the highest and prestigious award of Govt. of Gujarat presented by Hon. Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Vijay Rupani
- ‘Shri Dhirubhai Thakar Savyasachi Award-2016’ by the Vishwakosh Trust, Ahmedabad received from Hon. Governor Shri O.P. Kohli
- ‘SaMaPa Award’ for her lifetime contribution to Indian music by SAMAPA, Delhi
- ‘Behala Award’ for her lifetime contribution to Indian music by Behala Sanskritik Sammilani, Behala, Kolkata
- ‘Hanumant Award’ for her lifetime contribution to Indian music from Param Pujya Morari Bapu and sitar maestro Ustad Shahid Parvez on the auspicious occasion of Hanuman Jayanti at Mahuva, Gujarat.
A Beautiful Soul and her Indomitable Spirit
As Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, renowned instrumentalist and her younger brother aptly puts it: “She played all the roles with utmost aplomb – A Sitarist par excellence, an institutionalist, a true guru to her students and above all a human being full of compassion.”
Despite nearing eighty, she was always found sitting in the first row of the concert encouraging all the artists regardless of their age. This shows her humility and love for music. She was so passionate about music that her travels continued despite her advanced age. Until her last day, she remained active. Her composition for Guru Purnima, completed just a fortnight before her passing, stands as a testament to her passion. She was so disciplined and regular in her Riyaaz that she used to regret a day when she could not play Sitar. The tradition continued till her last days despite not keeping well. Such was her dedication towards Music.
Following age-related issues, Manjuben left us for the heavenly abode on 20th Aug 2024.
Timeless Memories
– An Anonymous Music Enthusiast
Save as PDF