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PT. D.T.JOSHI (1 Oct. 1912 – 28 Sept. 1993)

Prof. Dhruva Tara Joshi, popularly known as Pt. D.T.Joshi is a musical legend and remained glittering as ‘Dhruva Tara’ in true sense as the polar star in the sky of Indian Classical Music to give a direction to innumerable disciples, scholars, music lovers and musicians.

Born on 1 October 1912 in an aristocrat family in Lucknow, the then capital of music, D.T.Joshi had an instinctive talent in music. His father, Shri Tara Dutta Joshi was a lawyer and journalist and mother Dr. Manorama Devi was a prominent physician of Lucknow. Getting his formative education in Lucknow, Joshiji moved to Kolkata for higher education where he graduated from the University of Calcutta. Later he did his Master degree from the University of Lucknow. During his studies in Kolkata, he started taking lessons of sitar from great sitar maestro Ustad Inayet Kahan.

His musical genius was engineered intensively by two musical doyens – Ustad Inayet Khan in sitar and Aftab-E-Moushiqui Ustad Faiyaz Khan in vocal music. This resulted in his distinct and unique style of compositions; a mystic blend of the Imdadkhani and the Agra gharana.

By the time he completed his masters, he was considered to be an established sitar player and a vocalist of high acumen. He had to make a choice of his profession and joined for a brief period in teaching Philosophy in a college which could not satisfy his inner self. With the inspiration of Pt. Ratanjankar he moved to music which was a divine gift to the musical world. Rest remained a history. He joined as Producer in AIR Lucknow and later moved to AIR, Delhi as Deputy Chief Producer and created a strong platform for spread of Indian Classical Music. During this period of time he performed in almost all the radio stations of the country.

He participated in a number of Music Conferences of the country. He is considered to be the first Indian exponent of music to acquaint the western world with the Indian Classical Music. In forties with the sponsorship of UGC he was invited by the European Universities including those in the U.K. to present talks and illustrated recitals. During that time he presented his talk and recitals in B.B.C.

He then moved to music education for a greater cause. He joined as the first Dean of Music in Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya, Khairagarh and then moved to Burdwan where he established Burdwan Sangeet Academy along with his friends Pt. Radhika Mohan Maitra and Pt. Jnan Prakash Ghosh in 1961. He was the Founder Principal of the present Padmaja Naidu Music College, Burdwan. With the invitation of the V.C. of Visva Bharati he took charge of the Sangeet Bhavan as the Principal and Head of the Classical Music Department. After his retirement he permanently settled in Burdwan for rest of his life.

Joshiji’s house used to be glittering with the then stars of classical music. The frequent visitors were Ustads Faiyaz Khan, Bundu Khan, Vilayat Hussain Khan, Alauddin Khan, Yusuf Ali Khan, Ahmedjan Thirakwa, Hamid Hussain Khan, Sakhawat Hussain Khan, Baba Nasir Khan, Mustaq Ali Khan. Pt. Achhan Maharaj and Shambhu Maharaj. Apart from his two great gurus his musical genius was enriched with his close association with the great musicians of his time. Joshiji had a creative and durable dimension of musical life. He was an unmatched and unparallel sitar maestro and an astonishing vocalist with a sonorous voice to absorb his audience. He was a composer of vast repertoire of bandishes of khayal, thumri, dadra, kajri, chaiti, gazal etc. performed by great musicians like Dr. M.R.Gautam, Pt. Sunil Bose, Pt. Vijay Kichlu, Siddheswari Devi, Naina Devi, Shobha Gurtu, Malobika Kanan, Meera Banerjee, Shobha Mudgal and many accomplished musicians of today sing his compositions of various raags knowingly or unknowingly.

Prof. Joshi was a great teacher leaving behind a galaxy of accomplished disciples both in sitar and vocal music. After his guru’s demise, who loved Joshiji as his eldest son, took care of child Vilayat Khan and gave him talim for some time and Vilayat Khan used to respect him as his elder brother. He was a linguist of scholarly acumen having mastery over Hindi and a few dialects of Hindi, English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic and Persian, which is a rare quality found in one single man. He was a great poet of Hindi and Urdu. His vast compositions in Hindi in the pen name of ‘Premrang’ and ‘Rasikpiya’ and compositions in Urdu in the pen name of ‘Junu Lucknowee’ are widely popular. He was a great scholar of Musicology and Philosophy. His deep knowledge of Philosophy had impact on his compositions and that is why it touches both the head and heart. Above all he was a man with a great soul and high values, humorous and helpful to the needy. He had mostly admirers but few critics.

Among the honours and awards he received for his significant contributions, most prominent are D.Litt. conferred by the University of Burdwan and Rabindra Bharati University, Sangeet Acharya by Prayag Sangeet Samiti, ITC award, Bhuyalka award besides honorary fellowship of Sangeet Natak Akademy, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Academy.

This great soul, a composer and musician with no parallel, a true friend, philosopher and guide to many left for his heavenly abode on 28 Sept. 1993.

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Great People said:

“He has done a lot for the music and has devoted his life for propagation of music.” -	Ustad Ali Akbar Khan

''“He had a very distinct and unique style of his own which was at once sweet, delicate and absorbing. ….Such a great soul is seldom born and we are lucky to have him in our midst.”'' -	Pt. Radhika Mohan Maitra (Radhubabu)

“Apart from his profound knowledge of the sitar and vocal music, his gift as a composer of Khayal, Thumri, Dadra, Gazal is without a parallel.” -	Dr. M.R.Gautam

''“I am yet to come across such a great Master in the dominion of Indian Classical Music, who has innumerable admirers and no critics. Such a great men are born in a million.”'' -	Prof. Debu Chaudhuri

“To me his playing was shapely, tuneful, chiseled and he had stately unhurried style with a depth and traditional glow.” -	Prof. Sumati Mutatkar

''“Music is his whole existence and he lives only for music. ….A loving and affectionate friend and teacher, true gentleman and a prince among men, his generosity knows no bound.”'' -	D.P.Sen

''“D.T.Joshi is a versatile genius. His mastery in the field of music is extraordinary. As a musicologist also he is second to none.”'' -	R.S.Rohatgi, Secretary, Kanpur Sangeet Samaj