Madhuvanti Pal is an established Multi-Instrumentalist,
Painter, Model and a Fashion designer who lives in Kolkata,
India. She was initiated into Indian classical music by
Pandit Manas Chakroborty of Kottali Gharana at the age of 12.
The vocal lessons she took from him serves as a strong base
for her music till date.
She was latter trained under an
accomplished master of Violin, Indradeep Gosh of Maihar for
5 years. As she grew in her career as a violinist, she felt
a strong inclination towards Rudraveena and started looking
for a Guru. Since she was not from the musical background,
there was no one to guide her properly.
At the age of 18
she found Pandit Bala chander, Disciple of Ustad
Zia Mohi-Ud-Din Dagar and Usatd Zia Farid-ud-din Dagar,
who reinvented veena as Chandraveena. Under his able
guidance she learnt the essentials of Dhrupad and Veena.
Pandit Bala Chander was very strict as a Guru and loving as
a father. Unfortunately she couldn’t afford a Veena for
herself back then.
In the year 2012, she started learning from the legend,
Pandit Manilal Nag of Bishnupur Gharana. Because of his old
age, she was later trained under his able daughter, Vidushi
Mita Nag.
Unlike her peers Madhuvanti was given a special
training, which involved the intricacies of Bishnupur
Rudraveena, Bolbani, Laykaris and rare Ragas, which are the
prominent features of Bishnupur Gharana.
She has received talim from Pandit Mrityunjay Mukherjee on Indian
flute (Bansuri), making her the only woman Bass Flutist of
India.
At the peak of her career as a Musician and a Model, with
the encouragement of Vidushi Mita Nag and Pandit Mrityunjay
Mukherjee , she got her first veena made in kolkata, which
unfortunately was not up to the mark. Tired of struggling
with the bad instrument, she decided to set out on a journey
to build her own Veena, which took her to Udaipur.
Under the guidance of
Pandit Rajshekhar Vyas she made her
first veena that was made of bamboo.
Later with a lot of research, contemplation and enquiry she
built a Rudraveena that is capable of producing quality
music, without compromising the conveniences of the player.
Madhuvanti is the only female Rudraveena maker in India.
Watch her youtube channel series, 'The Art of Making Rudraveena'
HERE
