AUDIOSCAN
The Holy Ganga
(Times Music)

For millions of devout Hindus, the Ganga is not a river, but a goddess. They worship her, they revere her and they get spiritual solace out of her. Quite understandably, there are myths associated with her, and also songs.

This album contains a collection of hymns in her honour sung by Anuradha Paudwal and Sanjeev Abhayankar. Kedar Pandit has contributed the music.

After a general introduction, the album presents Ganga Dhyan Shlok, which enables you to imagine in your mind the human form of the goddess so that you can perform her Saguna Dhyaan.

Then comes Dasa-Hara Ganga Stuti, which is believed to remove the 10 sins and that is why it is called Dasa-Hara. Ganga Gayatri and Ganga Mantra follow. The Ashtottarnamavali stotra is a selection of the peculiar names of the goddess that have been specially chosen from the Ganga Sahasarnaam stotra.

The Sankshipt Gangalahari stotra has an interesting history. It was composed in the 17^th century by Pandiaraja Jagannatha, a Brahmin. He was married to a Muslim girl, Lavangee, and thus was ex-communicated by the other Brahmins. To prove his purity, he worshipped Goddess Ganga and while sitting on the 52^nd step at the bank of the river, he created 52 verses. With each verse, the water rose one step. At the end of the 52^nd verse, the holy water touched Jagannaatha’s feet.

The Valmikikrut Gangashtak stotra was written by Maharshi Valmiki. It has eight verses which are recited while taking a bath. These stotras offer the merit of bathing in the Ganga even if the reciter is miles away from its bed.

Like all other stotras by the Shankaracharya, the Ganga stotra also is an intense piece of literature full of many figures of speech.

The cassette ends with a divine recitation of Ganga Aarti.

The Best Of Series of Music Today has been creating waves because it presents top artistes of the country. The series has been launched in two parts: Classical and Sufiana and ghazal. The first series has 13 great maestros of Hindustani music and it is but natural that the name of Rashid Khan should figure among them.

The great-grandson of the legendary Inayat Hussain Khan of the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana was trained by his grand-uncle Nisar Hussain Khan. Besides khayal and tarana, he is adept in singing thumris of his native place, Uttar Pradesh.

This album features drut bandishes in Lalit, Puriya, Kedar, Bhairavi and Hamsadhwani ragas and a tarana in Raga Yaman. — ASC