Pt. Mrutyunjayabuva Puranikmath (1912 – 2002) was connected with Sangeet Kalakaar Sangh right from its inception. He was the secretary in the first managing committee of the Sangh. He was noted for his knowledge in musicology and extraordinary teaching abilities.
The senior Shishya of Ganayogi Panchakshari Gavai of Gadag, Mrutyunjayabuva, chose Belgaum for his livelihood in the nineteen forties. In the beginning, he stayed in Tilakwadi and became a popular Hindustani music teacher in this cultural capital of Mysore state. (Yes, Karnataka was called as Mysore state at that time!). This capital was known for the sojourn of the royals of Hindustani music like Pt. Ramkrishnabuva Vaze, Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, Pt. Shivrambuva, Pt. Uma Maheshwarbuva, Pt. Govindrao Gayakwad, Pt. Vithalrao Korgaonkar, Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan, Pt. Utturkarbuva, Pt. Shirodkarbuva, Pt. Kagalkarbuva and many, many more!! Even the most popular Pt. Bakhalebuva used to visit Belgaum while he was the professor in Dharwad.
Pt. Mrutyunjayabuva stayed in Mumbai for some period and showcased his classical vocal talents among the aficionados. His friendship with the great Pt. Ratnakant Ramnathkar was instrumental in gaining a space for him among the cream of music lovers in Mumbai. From Ramnathkar, he got many Bandishes of Agra Gharana. His earlier training in Gwalior Gharana added sugar to his already sweet voice and skilful presentation. Being a keen observer and with sincere efforts, he accumulated a treasure of Bandishes of each Raga. (While teaching a particular Raga, my Guru Mrutyunjayabuva used to sing the Sthayee of a Raga and, being caught in deep aesthetics of that Raga, sang the Antara of another Bandish! Coming back to Sthayee, a new (?) Bandish came up for me to learn!! Those moments were of immense pleasure for him and to me too!
Mruyunjayabuva was a true friend of the great Pt. Mallikarjun Mansur. For some period of their earlier life, Pt. Mallikarjun Mansur, Pt. Basavaraj Rajguru, Dr. Puttaraj Gavai, Pt. Arjunsa Nakod and Pt. Mrutyunjayabuva were all together under the patronage of the Ganayogi. Mrutyunjayabuva used to carry drinking water pots barefoot on his head, while accompanying his Guru during his tours. In the evening, the Guru himself used to oil the Shishya’s feet with unmatched compassion and love. Buva told these incidents with watery eyes, and we listened with awe for his Gurubhakti.
In Mumbai, his Hindustani classical programmes were broadcast on AIR. After coming back to Belgaum, it was AIR Dharwad from where his programmes were aired. He passed the Sangeet Alankar examination, and that is when the Swamiji of Shivayogi Math offered him a place to teach music in Vidyarthi Nilay on Maruti Galli. Soon after that, he joined Lingaraj College and G A High School as a faculty in music. Thus, Buva began his steady and content life as a musician and an artiste. He composed many solo and group songs and presented them in the cultural activities at the college. The most memorable was a group song in the presence of the President of India Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, when he visited the college.
Mrutyunjayabuva guided hundreds of students of classical music and made them notable performers. Among them were Dr. A. U. Patil, Leelawati Ganachari, younger brother Chandrashekhar Puranikmath, Saguna Chandawarkar, Neela Hirebetta, G. K. Kulkarni, Nagraj Angadi, Abdul Gani, Bharamanna Gurav, Nirmala Ghanti, Ishwarappa Minachi and many more. Pt. Purushottam Walawalkar, Vidushi Janaki Ayyar Vaidya, too sought his guidance for a variety of Banishes of different Gharanas. I was among the later bunch of his Shishyas, since he was aged and retired from actual performances. He had the treasure of not only attractive Bandishes, but also of golden memories of the rich history of Belgaum’s music field. He was a true source of knowledge from which I could collect anecdotes and wonderful facts of musical activities in and around Karnataka.
Pt. Mrutyunjayabuva was an examiner for the KSEE Board and ABGMV Mandal. He wrote textbooks for Karnataka University, Dharwad that were prescribed for the degree courses. He was among the genius judges for the annual competitions of Arts Circle, which were very popular among the intelligent aspirants of classical music in the whole country. Most of the winners gained popularity later in their lives on the prestigious platforms in the country.
About the author:
Pt. Nandan G. Herlekar is a renowned Hindustani classical vocalist, music educator and author from Belagavi. A lifelong student and teacher of Indian classical music, he has dedicated himself to documenting the city’s rich musical heritage. This series chronicles the lives and contributions of Belagavi’s musicians, preserving an important chapter of the region’s cultural history.