Thumri queen of Banaras gharana

Time Capsule: Girija Devi (1929-2017)

Manasi Vashisht

Updated At : 07:37 AM Oct 24, 2024 IST

Girija Devi (1929-2017)

In July of 1996, a certain Bijoy Chatterjee was busy capturing the ghats of Benaras for a documentary film contracted to him by the Government of India Films Division. When the product was released, its grainy display revealed Banaras and the Ganges, its ghats thronging with men, their million ablutions, incense and rituals — all set against the melancholic thumri ‘Ras Ke Bhare Tore Nain’ in Raag Bhairavi.

As the camera shifted to expose the voice that filled the air, the subject of the film, Girija Devi sat cross-legged on the ghat floor in a simple sari. This image, recorded during the making of a documentary on her life, remains emblematic of Girija Devi’s enduring ties with the river and the cultural traditions of the Banaras gharana.

Born on May 8, 1929, to a zamindar in Varanasi, Girija Devi commenced her musical sojourn taking after her father — an amateur musician. Her lessons began at the age of seven with Sarju Prasad Misra, a revered sarangi player and vocalist, under whose tutelage, she mastered various styles like ‘khyal’ and ‘tappa’.

At nine, her foray into acting, in the Bhojpuri film ‘Yaad Rahe’, was cut short by her guru, who called her back to the Kabir Chaura quarters of Banaras for more serious musical training.

She continued her studies with Pandit Sri Chand Misra through her teenage years, who guided her in the fine genres of ‘prabandha’,’ chanda’, and ‘dhrupad’.

Her public debut came in 1949 on All India Radio, Allahabad, a few years after her marriage to Madhusudhan Das, a businessman from Banaras.

Unlike many of her contemporaries, Girija Devi was both a product of privilege and deprivation. She bore the dual burden of her gender and the lower status accorded to musicians of her time, regardless of their artistic mastery. However, unlike the more common ‘tawaif’ and ‘baiji’ traditions associated with women in music, Girija Devi carved out a niche for herself, performing solely at public stages rather than private salons and mehfils.

Her husband, while supportive of her public performances, imposed a restriction on private gatherings. This transition from the intimate settings that had historically defined women musicians to the wider stage of concert performance established her as a key figure in the largely patriarchal realm of classical music.

Her first public concert in 1951 in Bihar cemented her reputation as a vocalist of extraordinary talent. Over the years, her name became synonymous with the ‘thumri’ style, which she elevated from its semi-classical roots to the pinnacle of Hindustani classical music.

Through a career spanning over decades, she worked as faculty with the ITC Sangeet Research Academy in Kolkata in the 1980s, and later at Banaras Hindu University, where she nurtured the musical tradition further.

On October 24, 2017, at the age of 88, Girija Devi, fondly known as Appaji, passed away following a cardiac arrest. Her renditions of folk genres like ‘kajri’ and ‘dadra’—traditionally associated with women performers and courtesan traditions—were imbued with emotional depth and came to be recognised for their distinct Banarasi identity.

This was only furthered by the recurring river motifs in the lyrics of her melodies. The stylisations of the Banaras gharana enmeshed with the gentle cadence of Ganga’s meandering flow in Appaji’s vocal expressions, crafted both her musical legacy and individual identity.