Because the Independence battle was gaining momentum in India within the Thirties, a vocalist with wealthy, layered tones started to fireplace up the creativeness of the plenty. His renditions, particularly of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s Vande Mataram with MS Subbulakshmi, tugged on the heartstrings with patriotic fervour.
The vocalist was Dilip Kumar Roy, about whom Mahatma Gandhi would say, “If I’ll make a daring declare, only a few individuals in India—or moderately on this planet—have a voice like his, so wealthy and candy and intense.” Rabindranath Tagore would inform him, “I’ve a honest affection for you. My coronary heart is attracted by your unmixed truthfulness and frankness.”
The Sangeet Natak Akademi honoured Roy with considered one of India’s highest honours in artwork, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 1964. However, although Roy achieved worldwide renown as a singer, he was additionally on a non secular quest for the reality. It’s on this a part of his life that Pune would play an essential function.
If the Hari Krishna Mandir in Mannequin Colony, Shivajinagar, appears like a bungalow constructed within the modernist model and surrounded by leafy gardens, it’s as a result of that’s what it was once. The Mandir was the place Roy used to reside and the place his samadhi rests alongside that of his disciple-daughter Indira devi, an achieved musician and dancer who revived many bhajans of Mirabai.
The temple holds a spot in historical past for an additional motive – within the tumultuous decade after Independence, it upheld pluralism of faiths because it emphasised peace and welcomed folks from all religions. There are photographs and idols of Guru Nanak, Jesus Christ and literature of saints and prophets, in addition to foremost idols of Krishna and Radha.
“The Krishna idol, too, is in his most playful avatar. Although we have now a variety of correspondence between Roy and eminent figures resembling his guru Sri Aurobindo, after which Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, we discover these to be of a non-political nature,” says Prerna Shetty, one of many founders and senior marketing consultant at Pune-based agency Studio Gestalt, which has archived textiles, letters and different paperwork of the temple. The temple exudes a way of calmness to at the present time, with devotees thronging for prayers day by day from 6.30 pm to eight.30 pm.
A Religious Legacy
On the temple, an particular person will be taught that Sri Dilip Kumar Roy was born in 1897 to an iconic nationalist poet, playwright and lyricist from Bengal, Dwijendralal Ray and Surabala Devi. Part of the Indian elite of the time, Roy was among the many few who attended the celebrated Cambridge College in early 1900s (with Subhash Chandra Bose as his class fellow). His European expertise included interacting with Bertrand Russell and Romain Rolland – each of whom had been impressed along with his singing prowess – and gaining a data of the nuances of European music for 2 years in Germany amongst others.
Hari Krishna Mandir in Mannequin Colony, Shivajinagar, appears like a bungalow constructed within the modernist model and surrounded by leafy gardens, was the home of Roy. (Picture: harikrishnamandir.org)
Although spiritually inclined since his childhood, Roy went on a deep quest when he was in his twenties and this enriched his artwork. In accordance with Bhavnesh Desai, trustee of Hare Krishna Temple, “Roy, who was later effectively often called Dadaji, got here from a tradition of worship of Ma Kali, Durga and Saraswati. As he travelled to many international locations, finding out their music, he realised he knew all in regards to the music within the West however not sufficient of Indian classical music. He spent a number of years travelling the size and breadth of this nation to know Hindustani classical music. However, his old flame for God had all the time been just under the floor. Lastly, the time got here and in 1928, he took the plunge and took refuge on the toes of Sri Aurobindo as his guru.”
“The most important turning level for Dadaji was when he met Ma Indira Devi for the primary time when she was simply 26 years previous. She belonged to an prosperous household from Baluchistan. She knew immediately that Dadaji can be her guru, however Dadaji enjoined her to hunt the refuge of Sri Aurobindo. It was on Sri Aurobindo’s insistence that Dadaji accepted Ma Indira Devi as his disciple,” provides Desai.
Shortly after Sri Aurobindo’s passing, the duo moved to Pune and lived and labored out of the Pune temple, which was arrange in 1959, till they breathed their final. “Throughout this time Ma Indira Devi dictated over 800 Mira bhajans and evenings on the temple all the time had Dadaji, Ma and followers singing these bhajans and different compositions,” says Desai.
The temple additionally has a samadhi of their canine who was a trustworthy companion. There’s additionally a small space of workers quarters for individuals who have devoted their lives to seva. An uncommon facet of the temple is that a variety of devotees are school college students and different younger folks, who’re drawn by the peace and serenity of the area.
