Jammu, 27 October (H.S.):

It

is a special day for elderly sarangi player Gauri Nath as Prime Minster

Narendra Modi made a mention of his musical legacy on Sunday’s 115th episode of

‘Mann Ki Baat’.

Gauri

Nath of Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir, sat smug playing his antiquated

sarangi with his seasoned hands.

Prime

Minister for highlighting his art before the nation as he heard the PM’s

monthly radio address.

He

said that with the Prime Minister’s mention, this old musical instrument and

the culture associated with it will be known among the youth. “He has fulfilled

my dream,” he said of the Prime Minister, thanking him for giving a much-needed

boost to the tradition of playing this instrument popular in various folk

cultures and music.

PM

Modi also pertinently mentioned that Gauri Nath, along with his music, narrates

folklore connected with practices of culture and faith.

The

Prime Minister pointed out that the sarangi is an important part of Dogra

culture, and Gauri Nath, with his age-old instrument, is keeping the legacy

alive. Gauri Nath wants to teach sarangi to the younger generation and wants

them to take the legacy forward.

In

line with highlighting the cultural significance of the practice of playing

sarangi in the Dorga region, the Prime Minister said: “We were just talking

about how our art and culture is spreading new colours from the valleys of

Kashmir to the forests of Chhattisgarh, but the matter does not end here. The

fragrance of these arts is spreading far and wide. People in different

countries of the world are getting mesmerised by Indian art and culture.”

“When

I was telling you about the sarangi resonating in Udhampur, I remembered how

the sweet tune of Indian art is resonating in the Russian city of Yakutsk,

thousands of miles away,” he concluded.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar