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Documentary Film on Dhrupad
 Dhrupad Kendra Bhopal is an institution established by the Government of Madhya Pradesh for imparting Dhrupad training in the traditional Guru Shishya system to students who aspire to become professional Dhrupad singers and teachers. Click Here for Application Details for Admission Some seats of the Kendra are reserved for residents of Madhya Pradesh while others are open to all citizens of India who satisfy the criteria for eligibility. Students are normally admitted to the Kendra in batches for the duration of four years and are financially supported by a scholarship given by the Government of Madhya Pradesh. The Kendra strives to keep the admisson process fair and transparent. Under exceptional circumstances students who do not meet the age, residence, citizenship and other criteria are admtted in the non-scholarship or in rare cases in the scholarship category at the sole discretion of the admissions committee. The training program is very rigorous and demanding and requires the student to stay at the Kendra. Training starts at 4 am every morning and every student is required to attend all the training and practice sessions. There are periodical reviews of progress. Successful completion of the training program requires a very high level of motivation. Many past students of the Kendra have had highly successful careers nationally and internationally as Dhrupad performers. Please click here to see a list of past students of the Kendra.
Brief History The Dhrupad Kendra was established at Bhopal in 1981 under the directorship of renowned Dagar Vani Dhrupad exponent Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar who held the post of Guru/Director almost continuously till 2007. Shri Ashok Vajpeyi the then Secretary of Culture of the M.P. govt. Film maker Shri Mani Kaul and Rudra Veena exponent Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar played a key role in the formation of the Kendra. Subsequently from 2008 till 2010 for a period of about two years the position was held by renowned Dargbhanga Gharana Dhrupadiya Pandit Abhay Narayan Mallik. At present since June 2011 Dagar Bani Dhrupad Exponent Ashish Sankrityayan has been appointed Guru and Director of the Kendra. During the tenure of Ustad Z. F. Dagar the Dhrupad Kendra produced many outstanding practitioners of Dhrupad and became a resounding affirmation of the merits of the traditional Indian Guru Shishya system of learning for the propagation of traditional oral knowledge.
At present the Director and Guru of the Dhrupad Kendra is internationally renowned Dagar vani dhrupad vocalist Ashish Sankrityayan. The admission process is now on for the batch of the Dhrupad Kendra that is scheduled to start in August 2011, and application forms can be submitted by email or post. Basic eligibility for application is completion of secondary schooling (class 10 level) and some background in music, age between 14 and 30 years. Basic requirements can be relaxed for very exceptional candidates. Approximately 10 students will be admitted. The last date for applying is 28th July 2011. Admitted students will be given a scholarship for four years. Please click here for Application Details.
Interview with Dhrupad Kendra Guru and Director Ashish Sankrityayan
The Dhrupad Kendra is administered by the Ustad Allauddin Khan Sangeet Evam Kala Academy. The Kendra has almost always functioned from premises rented by the Ustad Allauddin Khan Academy in Bhopal. Here is a picture of the house in Nishat Colony where the Kendra was inaugurated in 1981 and which housed the Dhrupad Kendra for the longest period from 1981 to 1985 and again from 1993 to 2000. Almost all the students who studied at the Kendra learnt and practiced at some time or other here.
Seated from Left to Right Pushpraj Koshti, Ritwick Sanyal, Chandrashekhar Naringrekar, Zia Fariduddin Dagar, Umakant Gundecha, Ramakant Gundecha Standing from left to right Sulbha Chaurasia, Manik Munde, Manoj Saraf, Afzal Hussain, Uday Bhawalkar, Bhupendra Pathak, Sombala Satle All Photos featuring Shri Manoj Saraf - Courtesy Manoj Saraf and www.dhrupadduo.com 
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Ustad Z. F. Dagar with Rajesh Sendh
Ustad Fahimuddin Dagar and Ashish Sankrityayan
Pt. Abhay Narayan Mallick with Prashant Mallick
Ustad Z. F. Dagar, Manoj Saraf, Nafeesuddin Dagar, Ustad Sayeeduddin Dagar, Aneesuddin Dagar
Seven Dagar Brothers - Dagar Saptak Calcutta
Ustad Fariduddin Dagar (on tanpura), Ustad Fahimuddin Dagar (center), Ustad Mohiuddin Dagar (with Rudra Veena) |