Chandrashekhar Mahajan Biography for Students

Chandrashekhar Mahajan — Talent, perseverance combined with hard work lead to success; this is the maxim Shri Chandrashekhar Mahajan has adopted in his career as a vocalist.

Shri Chandrashekhar Mahajan is a staunch follower of ‘Gharandaj’ or ‘Gharanedar’ concept in North Indian ‘Khayal Gayaki’. In his search of music he had privilege of getting lessons from some of the outstanding musicians of the date.

In the year 1984, Shri. Chandrashekhar Mahajan began his first music lesson with Pt. Ram Mate of Pune, from whom he has received basics of the musical training for nearly 6 years. From the year 1990, Shri. Chandrashekhar was oriented to ‘Gharanedar Gayaki’ under the tutelage of Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar, (Gwalior Gharana Maestro) for about 2 years till Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar’s migration from Mumbai to Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata.

In the next two years, he learnt from Pt. Mohanrao Karve. At the same time, he started learning from Pt. Babanrao Haldankar (an Agra-Jaipur Gharana Maestro), Pt. L. V. Phadke (desciple of late Pt. Gajananbua Joshi of Gwalior Gharana) and Pt. Vivek Joshi (an accomplished desciple of ‘tabla Maestro’ Pt.Arvind Moolgaonkar and also equally accomplished in ‘Gwalior – Agra Manrang Gayaki’ inherited from his father late Shri. Murlidhar alias Bhau Joshi and a Pt. Bhatkhande tradition maestro late Pt. Pandloskarbua) To date, Shri Mahajan’s ‘talim’ with Pt. Babanrao Haldankar and Pt. Vivek Joshi is in continuation. The specialty of Pt. Haldankar’s ‘Gayaki’ is ‘Agre-ka-Dhang’, ‘Bol-ka-kam’, some peculiar ‘Ragas & Bandishes’ sung only in ‘Agra Gharana’ and occurance of simplicity in rendering of number of complex ‘Ragas’.

On the other hand Pt. Joshi specialises in ‘Gwalior-ka-Dhang’ very difficultly tangible ‘Laya’ in bandish singing, ‘Bandish-ki-Nayaki’ combination of simplicity & complexity in interpreting even ‘Aam-Ragas’ in addition to ‘Anawat’ ones etc. Whereas ‘Gharanedar Gayaki’, ‘swar-ka-Lagao’ & ‘Chhaya-Prakash’, apt utilisation of ‘Meend’, ‘Ghaseet’ , ‘Khench’, ‘swar-kana’, ‘Aandolan’, ‘Behalawe’,’tappa-Ang’ to the extent of asthetic application to ‘Khayal-Gayaki ‘ are some of the factors shared by the two ‘Gayakis’.

Chandrashekhar Mahajan was one of the artistes featured on the FEA-curated tribute concert to Pandit Babanrao Haldankar “INTO THE NIGHT”. He concluded his recital with Raag Kafi Kanada. He was accompanied by Mandar Manohar Puranik on tabla and Pravin Kaslikar on harmonium. Tanpura and vocal support was provided by Amol V Ghode.

Shri Mahajan has performed at number of places, to name a few ‘Dattajayanti Utsav’ (Ambad-Dist.Jalana), at ‘Urs-e-Sharif’ (Miraj), Bharat Gayan Samaj (Pune), at Madgaon, Goa – Pt.Mogubai Kurdikar’s Punyatithi, Shivananda Swami Punyatithi Sangeet Mahotsav (Aundh-Dist Satara), and a number of informal concerts held at Pune, Nagar, Satara, Talegaon and Mumbai.

Shri Mahajan has been regularly broadcasting from Prasarbharati (Pune Akashwani) in B+ Grade since 1998.