WHEN HOLY MEN WALKED , NOT PREACHED FROM PULPITS

                                               

WHEN HOLY MEN WALKED , NOT PREACHED FROM  PULPITS

The  Ramta Jogi or the wandering ascetic  was once the engine of India’s spiritual life.For the wandering ascetics , distance was devotion. No fixed address meant no attachment. Today, many gurus sit in AC halls. The contrast is stark.

Hindu Sadhus, Buddhist Bhikkhus, Jain Munis, Sikh Gurus  and Sufi  Faqirs treated travel as  Tapas. Adi Shankara travelled to all four corners of India :  from Kalady in Kerala to Kashmir, Dwarka to Puri, Kedarnath to Kanchi : meeting common people, staying under trees, and preaching simplicity. He debated scholars yet ate with villagers, establishing Mathas while owning nothing but a  Danda and Kamandalu. Xuanzang crossed deserts to bring sutras from India to China.

Most of the Sufi Faquirs who came to India from Iran ,  travelled on foot . And Kashmiri Buddhist savants  crossed Himalayas and Pamirs on foot to spread the message of Tathagata. Guru Nanak Dev Ji turned the Ramta Jogi model into revolution. Five Udasis, 26 years, and 28,000 km. He walked to Mecca, Baghdad, Tibet, Sri Lanka and Assam with Bhai Mardana, challenging Pandits, Qazis and  Siddhas  alike.

Many Christian saints lived as wanderers. St Francis walked barefoot across Italy, St Paul crossed the Roman Empire on foot, and Irish saints like Columba and Brendan roamed without fixed destination. In the desert, St Anthony moved cave to cave. For them, walking kept the soul unburdened and free from worldly attachment.

For the old ascetics, travel was renunciation. Hunger, blisters and bandits were part of the spiritual ledger. They sought solitude in Himalayan caves, merit at  Teerths,  and dialogue in Bazaars. The point wasn’t followers. It was to burn ego by refusing comfort, and to test truth against every school of thought they met on the road.

Contrast that with many of today’s religious leaders. Sermons stream from air-conditioned studios. Darshan is ticketed. World tours mean private jets, five-star hotels and cordoned stages. The  Ramta Jogi begged for Bhiksha and slept under trees. The modern Guru often manages trusts, commands media empires and rarely meets a critic unscripted.

The Ramta Jogi earned authority through vulnerability.  They earned  it barefoot, one village at a time. When leaders sit in rooms, faith risks becoming property ;  guarded, curated, monetised. The road made saints listen. Rooms make them speak.

And Kabir also believes it :

"Behta paani nirmala, para gandila hoye  

Sadhu te ramta bhala, dagi na lage koye..."...Kabir 

(बहता पानी निर्मला, पड़ा गंदीला होय  

साधु ते रमता भला, दागी न लागे कोय)

(Flowing water stays pure; 

stagnant water gets dirty  

A wandering  Sadhu is best ,

No stain sticks to him.)

(Avtar Mota)

CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY AND PARIS

                                                                                      

                                                                ( The Restaurant Now )

                                                        ( The Restaurant Then in the 1920s )

ERNEST HEMINGWAY AND PARIS

 

“Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.”…Ernest Hemingway

 

Ernest Hemingway was one of the most influential American writers of the twentieth century, celebrated for his clear, concise prose and powerful storytelling. Born in 1899, he produced a remarkable body of work that explored themes such as courage, love, war, loss and human endurance. Among his most famous books are The Sun Also Rises (1926), which captured the spirit of the post-war “Lost Generation”, A Farewell to Arms (1929), a moving novel set during the First World War, For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940), which examines the Spanish Civil War, and The Old Man and the Sea (1952), the story of an ageing fisherman’s struggle against nature and fate. Other notable works include Men Without Women, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, and To Have and Have Not. Hemingway’s literary achievements earned him widespread recognition and several prestigious honours. In 1953, he received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Old Man and the Sea, a work praised for its simplicity, depth and emotional power. The following year, in 1954, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his mastery of the art of narrative and for the influence his writing had on modern literature. Hemingway’s works continue to be read and admired throughout the world.

Ernest Hemingway's Love for Paris: His Years in the French Capital, Favourite Cafés and Restaurants, Literary Friendships, and Lasting Memories

Ernest Hemingway's love for Paris remains one of the most celebrated relationships between a writer and a city in modern literary history. For Hemingway, Paris was far more than a place of residence. It was the city in which he matured as a writer, developed his distinctive literary style, formed important friendships, and acquired experiences that would influence his work for the rest of his life. Although he later lived in Spain, Cuba, Key West, and many other places, Paris retained a unique place in his imagination. His memoir A Moveable Feast stands as one of the greatest literary tributes ever written to the French capital.

Hemingway arrived in Paris with his first wife, Hadley Richardson, in December 1921. At the time he was only twenty-two years old and was working as a foreign correspondent for the Toronto Star. The city he entered was one of the most exciting cultural centres in the world. The First World War had ended only a few years earlier, and Paris had become a magnet for artists, writers, musicians, philosophers, and intellectuals from Europe and North America. The French capital was alive with creativity, experimentation, and debate. The young couple initially settled at 74 Rue du Cardinal Lemoine in the Latin Quarter. Their apartment was small and modest, lacking many comforts. Yet Hemingway later remembered those years with great affection. He often recalled climbing the stairs to the apartment after long days spent writing, reading, or walking through the city. Poverty was a reality, but it was accompanied by a sense of purpose and possibility. The Latin Quarter suited Hemingway perfectly. It was a district filled with students, scholars, artists, and inexpensive cafés. The neighbourhood allowed him to live economically while dedicating himself to the craft of writing. He spent countless hours wandering through its narrow streets, observing people and gathering impressions that would later find their way into his fiction.

One of Hemingway's greatest pleasures was simply walking through Paris. He explored the city's boulevards, bridges, parks, markets, and riverside quays. The River Seine became one of his favourite landmarks. He enjoyed crossing its bridges and strolling along its banks while reflecting upon stories and ideas. These walks helped him cultivate the habit of close observation, a skill that became essential to his literary method. The cafés of Paris played a particularly important role in Hemingway's life. They served not merely as places to eat or drink but as offices, meeting rooms, and centres of intellectual exchange. One of his favourite establishments was La Closerie des Lilas in Montparnasse. Here he frequently sat with notebooks and manuscripts, working quietly while surrounded by the atmosphere of literary Paris. The café provided the concentration and calm that he needed to write.

Another establishment closely associated with Hemingway was the Café de Flore on Boulevard Saint-Germain. This famous café attracted writers, journalists, and artists. Hemingway appreciated the opportunity to watch people while working. Observation was central to his creative process, and Parisian cafés provided an endless supply of human drama. Les Deux Magots, another renowned literary café, was also among the places he frequented. The establishment became famous for hosting intellectual discussions and literary debates. Hemingway enjoyed the environment created by the gathering of creative minds from different backgrounds and nationalities. In Montparnasse, he also spent time at Le Dôme Café, Le Select, and La Rotonde. These cafés were important meeting places for the expatriate community. Writers, painters, sculptors, and critics gathered there to discuss art, literature, politics, and life. Hemingway found himself at the centre of an extraordinary cultural network. La Rotonde was particularly famous for welcoming artists regardless of their financial circumstances. A struggling painter or writer could sit there for hours with a single drink. Hemingway admired this democratic atmosphere. The café represented the inclusive spirit of artistic Paris. Le Select offered a more cosmopolitan environment and remained open late into the night. Conversations often continued into the early hours of the morning. For a young writer eager to learn, every discussion provided an opportunity for growth.

                                                                          

                                                         (The Restaurant  in the 1920s )

                                                          (The Restaurant  Now  )

Among restaurants, Hemingway enjoyed numerous traditional Parisian bistros and brasseries. Brasserie Lipp became one of the notable establishments associated with literary culture. He appreciated good French food, although his limited income often prevented extravagant dining. Many of his meals consisted of simple dishes accompanied by wine, coffee, or bread purchased from local shops.

The intellectual world of Paris introduced Hemingway to several influential figures. One of the most important was Gertrude Stein. Her apartment at 27 Rue de Fleurus functioned as a salon where artists and writers gathered regularly. Stein recognised Hemingway's talent and encouraged his development. She famously referred to the post-war generation as the "Lost Generation," a phrase that Hemingway later used as an epigraph for The Sun Also Rises. At Stein's salon, Hemingway encountered major artistic personalities, including Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. Exposure to such figures broadened his understanding of modern art and reinforced his commitment to innovation in literature. Another crucial friendship was with Ezra Pound.

Pound became a mentor and supporter of Hemingway's early career. Hemingway admired Pound's generosity toward younger writers and valued his critical advice. Pound encouraged discipline and precision, qualities that became hallmarks of Hemingway's prose. Hemingway also developed a complex friendship with F. Scott Fitzgerald. The two writers spent considerable time together in Paris. Fitzgerald introduced Hemingway to aspects of literary society, while Hemingway admired Fitzgerald's talent. Their relationship was marked by both friendship and rivalry. James Joyce was another notable figure within Hemingway's Parisian circle. Hemingway greatly respected Joyce's intellectual brilliance and literary achievement. Although their styles differed dramatically, Hemingway appreciated Joyce's dedication to artistic innovation. A question often asked is whether Hemingway met Jean-Paul Sartre or Albert Camus. The answer requires some historical clarification. During Hemingway's most formative Paris years in the 1920s, neither Sartre nor Camus was part of his immediate circle. Jean-Paul Sartre was younger than Hemingway and did not become a major public intellectual until the 1930s and 1940s. There is no well-documented evidence of a significant personal friendship or regular association between Hemingway and Sartre. While both men spent time in Paris and achieved international literary fame, they belonged largely to different intellectual circles.

Similarly, Albert Camus emerged as a prominent literary figure later than Hemingway. Camus arrived in Paris from Algeria in the 1940s and became associated with existentialist and philosophical debates. Although Hemingway and Camus admired some of each other's work, there is no substantial evidence of a close personal relationship. They may have encountered one another at literary events, but historians have found no record of an enduring friendship comparable to Hemingway's relationships with Pound, Fitzgerald, or Stein. Despite not being closely connected to Sartre or Camus, Hemingway influenced many French intellectuals through his writing. French readers admired his concise prose style, his emphasis on action rather than explanation, and his exploration of courage, suffering, and human dignity.

Another important institution in Hemingway's Paris was Shakespeare and Company, the famous English-language bookshop owned by Sylvia Beach. The shop served as a meeting place for expatriate writers and readers. Beach supported many authors and became one of Hemingway's valued friends. The bookshop provided access to literature that might otherwise have been difficult to obtain. The city itself functioned as Hemingway's education. Although he had not completed a university degree, Paris exposed him to literature, art, philosophy, history, and culture at the highest level. Museums, galleries, libraries, and bookshops became classrooms in which he expanded his knowledge.                                                                            

                                                                                

                                                 ( Avtar Mota  Outside Shakespeare And company  )

Financial hardship remained a recurring feature of his Paris years. Nevertheless, he later described this period as one of the happiest times of his life. In A Moveable Feast, he recalled writing in cafés because they were warmer than his apartment during winter. A single cup of coffee could provide several hours of shelter and productive work. His famous statement about Paris remains one of the most quoted passages in literary history:

"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast."

This sentence captures the essence of Hemingway's attachment to the city. Paris was not simply a geographical location. It became part of his identity. The memories travelled with him wherever he went. Even decades after leaving France, he continued to remember specific streets, cafés, restaurants, and friendships. When he wrote A Moveable Feast during the late 1950s, he reconstructed the Paris of his youth with extraordinary affection and detail. The memoir was published posthumously in 1964 and introduced new generations of readers to the city that had shaped him.

Today, visitors still seek out 74 Rue du Cardinal Lemoine, La Closerie des Lilas, Café de Flore, Les Deux Magots, Le Dôme, Le Select, La Rotonde, Brasserie Lipp, Shakespeare and Company, and other places associated with Hemingway. These locations have become literary landmarks because they represent the environment in which one of the twentieth century's greatest writers found his voice. For Hemingway, Paris symbolised youth, ambition, discovery, friendship, and artistic growth. It was the city where he learned his craft, refined his style, and gained confidence in his abilities. The French capital offered him opportunities that transformed his life. Above all, Paris provided the inspiration that helped create the writer who would later win the Nobel Prize in Literature and become one of the defining literary figures of the modern age.

His affection for Paris never faded. The city remained a cherished memory, a source of inspiration, and a permanent part of his literary legacy. Through his books and memoirs, Hemingway ensured that his Paris would continue to live in the imagination of readers throughout the world.

 

( Avtar Mota )

CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.

THE FRENCH BAGUETTE : CRUST, CRUMB AND REVOLUTION

                                                                    

                                                                                 

The French Baguette: Crust, Crumb and Revolution

 

The baguette is France in bread form. Long, lean, crackling and unapologetically simple; it is flour, water, salt and yeast transformed into a daily ritual. Few foods are so closely tied to a national identity. In India, Chapatis, Naan and Parathas occupy a similar place at the table. In France, the baguette is the bread that accompanies almost every meal and punctuates the rhythm of everyday life. Its simplicity is part of its beauty. By law, a baguette de tradition française can contain only four ingredients: flour, water, salt and yeast. No additives, preservatives or artificial improvers are permitted. What emerges from those humble ingredients is one of the world's most recognisable foods, with a golden crust that shatters at the first bite and a soft, airy crumb within. Yet the baguette is more than bread. Its story runs through Parisian streets, revolutionary politics, labour laws, artisan craftsmanship and the unmistakable aroma that drifts from boulangeries before sunrise.

Bread, Revolution and the Idea of Equality

To understand the baguette, one must first understand the importance of bread in French history. Before the French Revolution of 1789, bread was not merely food. It was a political issue. Bread formed the foundation of the French diet, especially for the urban poor. When harvests failed, or grain prices rose, bread became expensive, and shortages could quickly lead to unrest. White bread was often associated with wealth and privilege, while poorer citizens relied on darker, coarser loaves. Access to good bread reflected social inequalities that fuelled resentment against the monarchy and aristocracy. The famous phrase "Let them eat cake", whether Marie Antoinette ever uttered it or not, became a symbol of the perceived indifference of the ruling classes to the struggles of ordinary people.

During the Revolution, successive governments attempted to regulate bread prices and production. The belief emerged that access to bread was not simply a matter of commerce but a public responsibility. Bread became intertwined with the republican ideals of equality and citizenship. The baguette itself did not emerge until much later, but it inherited this cultural significance. In France, bread was never just food. It was part of the social contract.

How the Baguette Became French

The modern baguette appeared in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Historians debate its exact origins, but several factors contributed to its rise. Austrian baking techniques introduced to Paris during the nineteenth century helped transform French bread making. Steam-injected ovens produced loaves with crisp, glossy crusts and lighter interiors. These innovations were embraced by Parisian bakers and gradually influenced local bread traditions.

Another factor may have been labour legislation. A 1919 law restricted the hours bakers could begin work. Long, thin loaves baked more quickly than large, round country breads, making it easier to provide fresh bread for customers in the morning.

Whatever its precise origins, the baguette was perfectly suited to modern urban life. It baked quickly, sold quickly and was affordable to people from all social backgrounds. By the 1920s, it had become a familiar sight across Paris. Labourers, office workers, students and shopkeepers all carried baguettes home under their arms.

In 1993, France introduced the ‘Décret Pain’, a law designed to protect traditional bread-making. Under these regulations, a baguette de tradition française must be made on site using only traditional ingredients and methods. The dough cannot be frozen during production. This legal protection reflects a uniquely French attitude. Bread remains a matter of cultural heritage, not merely commerce.

The Smell of Morning in Paris

Anyone who has walked through Paris shortly after dawn will recognise the scent. It arrives before the bakery comes into view. There are notes of toasted wheat, caramelised crust and gentle yeast. Warm air escapes from the ovens and drifts through the streets. It is one of the city's most distinctive aromas. Most artisan bakers begin work around four o'clock in the morning. By six o'clock, the first batches are emerging from the ovens. Customers begin to gather outside, waiting for bread that is still warm.

The smell is fleeting because the baguette itself is fleeting. Unlike industrial bread packed with preservatives, a baguette is at its best during its first few hours. The crust gradually softens and the crumb slowly loses its freshness. This is why many Parisians buy bread daily. The habit is not unlike visiting the neighbourhood bakery in Kashmir for fresh Girda or Lavasa, or buying freshly made Rotis from a local tandoor in parts of North India. Morning queues at the local boulangerie are part of daily life. Parents stop on their way to school. Office workers collect bread before commuting. Retirees exchange local news while waiting their turn.

In 2022, UNESCO recognised the "artisanal know-how and culture of baguette bread" as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Importantly, UNESCO did not protect the recipe. It protected the culture surrounding it. The morning queue, the neighbourhood bakery, the skills of the baker and the rituals of daily bread buying are all considered part of France's living heritage.

 A Bread for Every Meal

One reason the baguette remains so beloved is its versatility. It fits naturally into every meal of the day. Breakfast often begins with tartines. Slices of baguette are spread with butter and fruit preserves, then enjoyed with coffee, tea or hot chocolate. The simplicity may remind Indian readers of buttered toast with chai. There is nothing elaborate about it. The quality of the bread does most of the work. Day-old baguettes are frequently used for breakfast because toasting restores much of their texture. At lunch, the baguette reaches its full potential as a sandwich. One of France's most famous lunches is the jambon beurre, but modern bakeries offer countless alternatives. Chicken with herbs, tuna salad, cheese with tomato, roasted vegetables and goat's cheese are all common fillings. For Indian visitors, imagine the role played by a fresh bread roll filled with Paneer-tikka, grilled chicken or spiced vegetables. The principle is the same. Simple ingredients become memorable when the bread is exceptional. Office workers often buy a sandwich and eat it on a park bench, beside the Seine or at their desks. It is quick, affordable and satisfying. At dinner, the baguette becomes an essential companion. Bread is used to accompany soups, salads, stews and cheese. It is also used to soak up sauces and dressings left on the plate. Far from being considered impolite, this practice is entirely normal. A meal without bread often feels incomplete to many French families. Like rice in many Indian households, the baguette occupies a permanent place on the table. It is not the main dish, but the meal feels unfinished without it.

It is also the ultimate emergency meal. A fresh baguette, some Camembert, a ripe tomato and a little fruit can become dinner when there is no time to cook. Students, young professionals and families rely on this simplicity.

Cutting and Serving a Baguette

A baguette deserves proper treatment. Always use a serrated bread knife. A blunt blade crushes the delicate crumb and destroys the texture that makes the bread special. For breakfast tartines, diagonal slices provide more surface area for butter and jam. For sandwiches, slice the baguette horizontally while leaving one edge attached. This creates a hinge that keeps fillings secure. At the table, many people simply tear pieces by hand. The prized end piece, known as the quignon, is especially valued for its crunchy crust. In many households, it is the baker's reward or the cook's privilege.

One important rule is never to cut the entire loaf in advance. Exposing the crumb to air accelerates staling. Slice only what you need.

 

Storage: Why the Fridge Is the Enemy

Every French baker will tell you the same thing: never store a baguette in the refrigerator. The cool temperature accelerates the process that causes bread to go stale. The crust becomes leathery, and the crumb turns dry and unpleasant. For the same day, keep the baguette in its paper sleeve or wrap it in a clean linen cloth. Stored correctly, it will remain enjoyable for several hours. If you cannot finish the loaf, freezing is the best solution. Slice it first, wrap it carefully and freeze it for up to three months. To revive a frozen baguette, lightly moisten the surface and bake it in a hot oven for a few minutes. The moisture restores the crumb while the heat revives the crust. A day-old baguette also has many culinary uses. It can be transformed into French toast, breadcrumbs, croutons or stuffing.

What should never be used is a plastic bag at room temperature. The crust loses its crispness, and mould develops more quickly. The baguette needs to breathe.

Why It Still Matters

France consumes billions of baguettes every year. Despite the growth of supermarkets, convenience foods and changing dietary habits, the neighbourhood  boulangerie remains a cornerstone of French life. The baguette endures because it represents something larger than itself. It is affordable, familiar and shared across social classes. The same loaf purchased by a student can also appear on the table of a business executive. It belongs to everyone. In a country where bread once sparked riots and helped shape a revolution, that symbolism still matters.

The baguette is daily proof of a social contract. Every morning, before most of the city has awakened, bakers rise to mix dough, shape loaves and heat ovens. By dawn, fresh bread is waiting for anyone who walks through the door.

So tomorrow morning, whether in Montmartre or the Fifth Arrondissement, the ritual will begin again. The ovens will warm, the aroma will drift into the streets, and customers will queue for their daily loaf. Someone will leave with a baguette tucked under their arm and tear off the quignon before reaching home. That first crack of the crust carries more than flavour. It carries centuries of history, craftsmanship and tradition. It is the sound of Paris waking up.

( Avtar Mota )

CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.

ABHAY RUSTOM SOPORI: THE NINTH GENERATION CUSTODIAN OF THE SANTOOR

                               

                                         

 ABHAY RUSTUM SOPORI: THE NINTH GENERATION CUSTODIAN OF THE SANTOOR

 

In the vast and exacting world of Hindustani classical music, Pandit Abhay Rustum Sopori represents a rare confluence of inheritance, discipline and contemporary vision. Sober, cultured and refined beyond his years, he is the present custodian, Uttaradhikari and Khalifa of the ancient Santoor tradition of India and the fabled Sopori-Sufiana Gharana, the oldest known tradition of the Santoor, the Shatatantri Veena of Kashmir. He is the son of the legendary Santoor maestro and composer, Pandit Bhajan Sopori, hailed as the ‘Saint of Santoor’ and the ‘King of Strings’, and the grandson of the great master musician,  Pandit Shamboo Nath Sopori, revered as the ‘Father of Music’ in Jammu and Kashmir. Pandit Shamboo Nath Sopori’s legacy as a Guru endures through the 35,000-plus students he trained, a generation that includes distinguished musicians, performers and teachers.

A graduate in Management, Computers and Music with an M.Mus and Ph.D in Music, Abhay was born in Srinagar and inherited a profound sense of music from his fabled ‘Sopori-Sufiana Gharana’ of Kashmir, the exclusive traditional Santoor family of India with its roots spanning over 10 generations and more than three centuries. Trained under the traditional Guru-Shishya Parampara of his mystic Shaivite-Sufi tradition from his grandfather and father, he now carries this lineage to audiences across the globe. Through relentless Riyaz, large-scale ensembles, film composition, humanitarian concerts and collaborations with the world’s foremost orchestras, he is cultivating new generations of listeners for the Santoor and for Hindustani classical music itself.

The Sopori tradition has been a divine unison of spirituality and music. Each master has made unique contributions to Kashmiri Shaivite and Sufiana music, known as Shaiv-Sufi Gayan, through profound spiritual wisdom, mastery of sound therapy, and the shaping of a distinct musical identity. For more than 300 years, this Parampara has served as the custodian of the Shatatantri Veena, the Santoor. Some Master-musicians of the Sopori-Sufiana Gharana are:

- Pandit Som Joo Pandit

- Pandit Sudh Joo Pandit

- Pandit Sahastra Joo Pandit

- Pandit Suraj Pandit

- Pandit Shankar Pandit

- Pandit Samsar Chand Sopori

- Pandit Shamboo Nath Sopori

- Pandit Bhajan Sopori

- Pandit Abhay Rustum Sopori

 The Sopori-Sufiana Gharana: More Than 300 Years of Upasana Through Music

The Sopori-Sufiana Gharana is Kashmir’s sole surviving classical Gharana. It is a tradition with known history since 1700, spanning more than 300 years old that fuses the grammar of Hindustani music with the spiritual poetry of Shaiv - Sufi mysticism and the melodic soul of Kashmiri folk. It is not merely a school of technique. It is a philosophy in which music is Upasana, or worship. Its modern foundation was laid by Pandit Shamboo Nath Sopori, whose erudition in Shastra and Prayog_gave the Gharana_its intellectual depth. His son, Pandit Bhajan Sopori, gave it global reach. He was not only a virtuoso performer. He was a cultural architect. He scored music for thousands of Kashmiri songs and is credited with revolutionising Kashmiri composition by introducing Hindustani classical instruments and structures along with orchestration into traditional Kashmiri music. In doing so, he built a durable bridge between the Valley’s indigenous idiom and the wider edifice of Indian classical music. He also created several new ragas for Hindustani classical music, expanding its emotional and melodic vocabulary whilst remaining faithful to its Shastric roots. His technical innovations on the Santoor, including the development of Gayaki-ang that enabled the instrument to emulate the nuances of the human voice, an expanded tonal range across octaves, and a refined Kalam technique, transformed the Santoor from a Kashmiri accompaniment into a complete solo classical instrument.

Abhay Rustum Sopori’s mother, Professor Aparna Sopori, is an academic. The home was a true Gurukul. He recorded his first song as a singer at the age of three for a musical feature for All India Radio, composed by Pandit Bhajan Sopori. He participated in various festivals as a child, including his father’s grand choral presentation featuring over 8000 voices in Srinagar in 1985. Trained by his father from the age of four, his life was ordered by Swara-sadhana, Taalim (training) and Tehzeeb (refinement). He gave his first public performance at seven. For him, the hundred strings of the Santoor were not an instrument he chose. They were his mother tongue. He inherited not just notes, but a worldview: that a musician is, first, a servant of the art.

The Santoor: From Shata-Tantri Veena to Concert Stage

The Santoor’s lineage traces back to the Shatatantri Veena described in ancient Vedic texts. Fashioned from seasoned Kashmiri mulberry, its trapezoidal body carries over 100 strings of fine steel and brass stretched across movable bridges. It is played with two light, curved walnut mallets called Kalam. The resulting sound is unique. It is at once percussive and ethereal, capable of evoking temple bells at dawn, the patter of monsoon rain, or a profound meditative stillness.

For centuries, the Santoor belonged to the Sufiana Mausiqi tradition of Kashmir, played in the intimate settings of Mehfils. After its introduction to the national Hindustani concert platform, Pandit Bhajan Sopori gave it the comprehensive classical grammar, repertoire and concert presence. He systematised its Raagdaari, composed new Gats, and established its pedagogical framework.

And Abhay has inherited this concert-ready, classically evolved Santoor and continues to advance it. His instruments are custom-built to his acoustic specifications, with innovations that improve sustain, tonal clarity and access to the Mandra and Taar-saptak. He has established the concept of Gayan-vadan-baaj, the vocal-instrumental system, and Been–ang in the Indian classical system. He introduced the ‘Open String Concept’ on the Santoor together with the ‘Enhanced Sustain Technique’, giving a new dimension to the sound of the Santoor. He has also invented, designed and introduced a new 30-stringed instrument called Sur Santoor. In his hands, the Santoor is not a novelty or an instrument of mere virtuosic display. His Alaap unfolds with the patience of a Dhrupad singer, note by note, establishing the Raga’s mood and spiritual centre. His Jor builds with mathematical logic. His Taans possess the fluidity of a Khayal vocalist, and his Jhala arrives not as speed for its own sake, but as an inevitable, ecstatic culmination. He renders the Tappa and Thumri idioms with equal authenticity, proving the Santoor can articulate the entire emotional, devotional and philosophical expanse of Hindustani music. Presentation of Dhrupad Ang along with the accompaniment of Pakhawaj is also a special characteristic of his Sopori Baaj. He is known for his Raagdari, Chhandkari, Layakari, Gayaki and Tantrakari Angs such as Meend, Gamak, Krintan, Zamzama, Ghaseet, Taan and Bol patterns, Dhrupad Ang, which are essential for the correct rendering of Raga-Sangeet in the true Indian Classical tradition. Another unique quality of his presentation is that he can also sing the composition along with its instrumental rendering, reviving his traditional Shaivite-Sufi Parampara of Kashmir. With his research, Pt. Abhay Sopori has established that the Kashmiri Santoor is a precursor to the resembling Santoor-like instruments found in other parts of the world and that the Indian Santoor has Shaivite cultural origin in Kashmir and is not a foreign adaptation.

Pt  Abhay Rustum Sopori's mastery of the Santoor lies in his ability to transcend the instrument's apparent limitations and reveal its extraordinary expressive potential. The beauty of his playing emerges from its shimmering, almost celestial resonance, where every note seems to radiate far beyond its initial strike. Although the Santoor didn’t permit the continuous vocal-style glide (Meend) of a singer or certain stringed instruments, Pt. Bhajan Sopori and Abhay’s consummate command of dynamics, tonal nuance, and intricate ornamentation overcame this handicap to create the impression of seamless melodic movement. Through subtle variations of touch and the skilful manipulation of resonance, Abhay allows notes to bloom, overlap, and dissolve into one another with remarkable grace. He is not merely striking strings; he is painting with echoes, crafting soundscapes of rare delicacy and depth that captivate the listener and evoke the lyrical spirit of the human voice.

Innovation in Composition and Raga Creation

Pt. Abhay Sopori has revived the old Shaivite-Sufiana compositions of his predecessors and adopted them in the Indian Classical scenario, and also written and composed dozens of new Khayal Bandishes. He has also composed and introduced many new Ragas which have been widely acclaimed by music connoisseurs and critics:

- Raga Nirmalkauns (2009) named after Mataji Nirmala Devi

- Raga MahaKali (2019) named after Goddess Mother Kali

- Raga Sharda (2020) is named after Goddess Mother Sharda

- Raga Bhajaneshwari (2023), a tribute to his father and Guru Pt. Bhajan Sopori

- Raga Bhagwati (2024) is named after Goddess Mother Durga

- Raga Bharati (2026) dedicated to the Nation and Motherland India

Some of the hallmarks of Pt. Abhay Sopori’s performances are mellifluous playing, lightning tempo, clarity and accuracy of Raga exposition and adoption of the Sopori Baaj, the unique style of playing Santoor created by Pt Bhajan Sopori. The Sopori Baaj is the formal system of playing the Indian classical Santoor and incorporates all the essential technical and stylistic nuances of both the Gayaki and Tantrakari Angs.

Riyaz as Upasana: The Architecture of a Maestro

If one word defines Abhay Rustum Sopori, it is discipline. In an age defined by distraction and instantaneity, his commitment to Riyaz is absolute and non-negotiable. For him, Riyaz is not practised in the Western sense of rehearsing for a performance. It is Upasana, meaning daily, solitary worship. His day begins before sunrise with vocal Swara-sadhana, because he believes the voice is the source of all music and the Santoor must learn to sing. This is followed by several hours on the instrument. He observes the traditional Chilla, forty days of intensive, secluded practice, to internalise new concepts. He studies rare Bandishes and compositions preserved in his family’s manuscripts, some over a century old. He continually practices rhythmic structures because he insists that a soloist’s command of Laya and Taal must be absolute. He studies the theory of sound, the acoustics of Mulberry, and the poetry of the saints whose words his Gharana has carried for generations.

This profound discipline is immediately visible on stage. He is sober in demeanour. He is meticulous about tuning, often spending considerable time ensuring each of the hundred strings is perfectly aligned to the Shruti of the Raga. He is unfailingly respectful to his accompanists, treating the concert as a dialogue, not a solo exhibition. He allows silence to settle in the hall before he sounds the first note, letting the raga emerge from stillness without haste or aggression. Senior artists and critics consistently note that his maturity, his Sangeet-soch, is beyond his age. That maturity is not accidental. It is the audible, tangible result of thousands of hours of Riyaz.

                                          

               

                                                                      ( Pt Bhajan Sopori )                                                  

         

                   ( Pt Abhay Rustom Sopori and Zubin Mehta performing together at Shalimar Garden, Srinagar)

    

                                  

                                                        (Pt Abhay Rustom Sopori takes a bow )

 

Global Ambassador: Concerts, Ensembles and Historic Collaborations

Pt  Abhay Sopori started his musical career as a Santoor player in the mid-1990s in Delhi and has since then participated in prestigious concerts and festivals across the world in countries like Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Dubai, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mauritius, Morocco, Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, USA, Vietnam, and others. He has served as the youngest Visiting Faculty member at the University of Massachusetts, USA, and as a Guest Professor at the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, China. He happens to be the first Indian Classical musician to be invited to the international conference TEDx. He has also been an External Examiner to various universities in India and has been part of several seminars. He has given Lecture-Demonstrations across the world, enrolling youth in Indian Classical music, promoting Santoor, Indian music, and Folk music.

Pt. Abhay Sopori composed and conducted his first J&K Folk Music Ensemble in 2003, featuring around 75 musicians, and since then has presented the ensemble at various festivals in India. He also introduced the concept of a Sufi music ensemble titled Sufi Kinship in 2011, featuring 35 musicians, and a Santoor-led Indian Classical Music Ensemble in 2014, featuring 25 musicians. He has also composed and conducted several choral music presentations.

He is the only contemporary composer of India whose composition has been conducted by the legendary music maestro Zubin Mehta. Pt. Abhay Sopori scored the music for one of the most acclaimed fusion works presented in Kashmir in 2013, performed by the Bavarian State Orchestra of Germany, one of the topmost orchestras of the world, together with Pt Abhay’s Kashmiri ensemble featuring over 100 musicians. He also had the rare honour of being the only composer and conductor to share the stage and co-conduct along with Maestro Mehta. The concert was telecast live in more than 100 countries, giving international recognition to Kashmiri music and creating history in the world of music as the first-ever musical work of its kind. His other international collaborations include presentations and concerts with the world-renowned Austrian Vienna Boys Choir, Moroccan Lute maestro Haj Younis, Iranian Santur maestro Dr Darius Saghafi and maestro Siamak Aghaei, American Dulcimer maestro Malcom Dalgish, French Clarinet player Laurent Clouet and others, including some of the leading Dulcimer players of the world.

He created and conceptualised World Santoor Day, which is celebrated in India and abroad on 22nd June, bringing the Santoor players together on one stage as one family for a better future of the instrument.

 Cinema, National Projects and Composition

Pt. Abhay Sopori has more than 75 notable releases to his credit. His music in the Bollywood film Shikara (2020), Songs of Paradise (2025), and the web series Tanaav (2021) has been lauded for bringing the authentic sounds of Kashmir to commercial cinema. His other acclaimed musical works include films like Afwaah (2023) and National and International Award-winning films like Unwoman (2023), Haput (2024), Sarva-vyapak Bhagwan Gopinath Ji (2025), Ziyarat (2011), and Bub (2001). He has composed music for some documentaries, telefilms, short films, serials and also award-winning films, including Mahatma, a documentary film by the Government of India on Mahatma Gandhi, presented at the United Nations marking the first International Non-violence Day in 2007. His compositions have been trendsetters and some of the greatest musical hits of Jammu and Kashmir.

Some of his other prestigious works include: Composed music for Ekta Diwas 2025 for various films by the Government of India. He also composed the title music for the Republic Day Parade 2024 for the National Network Doordarshan, apart from composing the Channel ID and Channel Music for DD Kisan in 2024. He also composed the background and title for the prestigious International ABU TV Song Festival 2022, representing India, as the host country, by the National Network Doordarshan. He composed music for Streedesh, a dance drama on the forgotten female warriors and rulers of Kashmir by the Government of India in 2022, conceived and presented by legendary Dancer Dr Sonal Mansingh. Engaged by the Government of India, he composed and conducted the J&K Folk Music Orchestra for Sangeet Natak Akademi, representing India at the SCO Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (Russia) in 2021.  In 2019, he co-composed the highly acclaimed folk instrumental version of ‘Vaishnav Janato’, a path-breaking concept of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2018, he co-composed the prestigious ‘Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat’ song, which also featured the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Cultural Revolution in Jammu and Kashmir and Seva

Regarded as a Cultural Icon of Jammu and Kashmir, Pt. Abhay Sopori has been instrumental in introducing ‘Cultural Policy’ in J&K and also in introducing music as a subject in colleges in various districts of Jammu and Kashmir. This initiative, also called the ‘Music Initiative’, was a major step in the educational system of Jammu and Kashmir, creating new academic streams in colleges and universities as well as new job opportunities for the youth in J&K. His efforts have also paved the way for the introduction of the PG Programme Master’s Degree in Hindustani Music in Kashmir in 2024. Pt. Abhay Sopori has been working in Kashmir since 2000, spreading the message of peace through music and reaching out to the youth in far-flung areas. Under the aegis of his father, Pandit Bhajan Sopori ji, he opened the music academy and organisation named SaMaPa, Sopori Academy of Music and Performing Arts, in 2005, which is now a prominent name in the music circle of India. He has the credit of initiating path-breaking events in J&K and Delhi. Pandit Abhay Sopori introduced the concept of ‘Common Song’ under which various songs were released promoting peace, communal harmony and brotherhood, presenting some of the biggest musical hits of Jammu and Kashmir. He has not only established himself as a preeminent musician of the present era but has simultaneously promoted thousands of upcoming and talented musicians of the country. Further, he has always been at the forefront to raise funds and mobilise resources through his charity concerts for various medical and social causes and also catastrophes like the Kashmir earthquake and the J&K floods.

 Awards and Recognition

Throughout his career, he has garnered hundreds of National and International accolades, titles and awards. He has been the youngest recipient of almost all the awards that he has received in recognition of his outstanding contribution and achievements in the field of music.

 Key honours include: Award of Sangeet Chudamani, the Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Music by Pracheen Kala Kendra, 2026, Swaranjali Samman 2026, Sangeet Ratna Award 2025,Best Background Music Score 2025 at Malaysia International Cine Awards (MICA) for the film Sarva-Vyapak Bhagwan Gopinath, Best Background Music Score 2025 at 10th Wallet Film Festival for the film Sarva-Vyapak Bhagwan Gopinath, Top Grade Music Composer Award by All India Radio, Govt. of India 2024, Dastarbandi_(Traditional Turban Tying Ceremony upon Pt Abhay Sopori by the artist and creative arts fraternity of Jammu and Kashmir proclaiming him as the Khalifa or  successor after Pt  Bhajan Sopori  and the Custodian of Santoor and Sufiana Gharana, and also an ambassador and torchbearer of the art and culture of Jammu and Kashmir) 2022, Mahatma Gandhi Seva Medal, Gandhi Global Peace Award by United Nations accredited Gandhi Global Family 2020 ,Top Grade Artist Award  Santoor by All India Radio (Govt. of India) 2019, Outstanding Artist by ICCR (Govt. of India) 2019, Atal Shikhar Samman_ 2017, Presented at the Parliament of India,State Icon title by Election Commission of India 2016, J&K Government Award, (Highest Civilian Award of Jammu and Kashmir) 2011, Sangeet Natak Akademi’s first Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar_ 2006, 1st Prize in the State Music Competition of the Academy of Art, Culture & Languages, Government  of Jammu and Kashmir 1989. His name features in various Biographical-Note Volumes of India and abroad like Asian Admirable Achievers, Asian American Who’s Who, Famous India’s Who’s Who, Asia Pacific Who’s Who, Biography of the Year, Famous India: Nation’s Who’s Who, Reference Asia, Kohinoor Personalities of Asia.

Sober, Cultured, Refined: The Man and His Music

To encounter Abhay Rustum Sopori off-stage is to understand the source of his on-stage presence. He is the embodiment of Tehzeeb (refinement), a cultured grace that is increasingly rare. He is soft-spoken, erudite and unfailingly courteous to all, from senior maestros to the youngest student. His intellectual interests are wide. He can discuss Kalidasa’s Sanskrit poetics, the metaphysics in Rumi’s Masnavi, and the specific density of Mulberry required for a superior Santoor resonance with equal ease. This culture is not a performance. It is the product of a Gharana and an upbringing where music was worship, and conduct was inseparable from art.

This sobriety is the secret of his art. Because he does not perform for applause, he has the patience to wait for the sum. Because his ego does not occupy the stage, there is space for the raga to reveal itself. In his rendering of Raag Ahir Bhairav, the Santoor evokes the quiet, devotional intensity of dawn. In his compositions based on the Vaakhs of the 14th-century Kashmiri mystic-poet Lal Ded, he becomes a conduit, carrying a profound spiritual philosophy to global listeners without exoticising or diluting it.

He is not an imitator of his father or grandfather. He is their extension into a new century. He honours Parampara, the tradition, with complete fidelity, whilst engaging in Prayog, meaning innovation, with courage and scholarship. This balance of reverence and relevance, of depth and accessibility, is the hallmark of a true maestro.

A Hundred Strings for a Fractured World

Through his unwavering discipline, intellectual rigour, cultural stewardship, and artistic refinement, the Sopori-Sufiana Gharana has found in Abhay Rustum Sopori not merely an heir to a distinguished legacy, but a scholar-musician of exceptional stature and a visionary custodian for the twenty-first century. Standing at the confluence of tradition and innovation, he safeguards a musical inheritance of remarkable antiquity while ensuring its continued relevance for contemporary audiences. In his hands, tradition is neither preserved as a museum relic nor diluted for modern consumption; rather, it is revitalised through scholarship, dignity, and creative insight.

His contribution extends far beyond the concert stage. As a musician, educator, composer, cultural ambassador, and humanitarian, he embodies the highest ideals of the Indian classical tradition, wherein artistic excellence is inseparable from service to society. Through his work, the Santoor has emerged not merely as an instrument of extraordinary beauty but as a medium for dialogue, understanding, and peace across cultures and continents.

In an age often characterised by fragmentation, distraction, and fleeting fashions, Abhay Rustum Sopori stands as a rare exemplar of continuity, substance, and grace. His music does more than entertain; it enlightens, elevates, and unites. Through his artistry, the wisdom of centuries finds a living voice, and through his example, future generations are reminded that true greatness lies not only in mastery of an art but in the capacity to enrich the cultural, intellectual, and spiritual life of humanity. He is, in every sense, among the foremost torchbearers of Kashmir's musical heritage and a distinguished representative of India's civilisational ethos on the global stage. Through him, the Santoor speaks not only of the mountains, rivers, and valleys of Kashmir, but to the wider world. Each stroke of his Kalam renders decades of Riyaz audible. Each performance becomes an act of Seva or service in its highest sense. Every film score, every charity concert in support of earthquake and flood relief, and every new Rasika inspired in a distant land advances the vision of his father and Guru, Pandit Bhajan Sopori. That vision was founded upon a profound belief: that the Santoor and the wisdom, peace, and beauty embodied within the Ragas belong not to any one region or community, but to all humanity.

In Abhay Rustum Sopori's music, a world too often fractured by noise and division encounters a hundred-stringed prayer: for peace, for healing, and for the welfare of the shared humanity.

(Avtar Mota)

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