Sawai Gandharva

Ramachandra Kundgolkar Saunshi, popularly known as Pandit Sawai Gandharva, was born on January 19, 1886, in Kundgol, Karnataka. He was one of the most famous Classical vocalists. He knew of many genres of music. He passed away on September 12, 1952, at the age of 66. His initiation to music began when his father put him under the training of Balwantrao Kolhatkar. He learned 75 Dhrupad compositions, 25 Tarana compositions, and also mastered a few Taals.

Kolhatkar died in the year-1898, he left Pt. Gandharva’s training incomplete and without guidance. He did not complete his musical education. He even went against his teacher’s wish and joined a drama company and became as good and as famous as a singer in the Marathi Theatre.

In the year-1942, at the age of 56, his career as well known singer ended when he faced a paralytic stroke, but he kept teaching his students about the different forms and compositions of music until he died in the year-1952. One of his disciples, Bhimsen Joshi Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi was born on 4th February 192 >> Read More... , started celebrating a function in honor of his guru known as the Sawai Gandharva Music Festival in Pune. This festival was held on a medium scale for at least two decades, but it became a famous festival around the 1970s and 1980s.