It was very pleasant to sit on the lawns of Bangalore’s premier management institution. In the gathering dusk, people drifted in and took their seats. The stage was well-lit. 

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia started the evening off with sweet notes from his “bansuri”, with the lilting evening raga, Madhuvanti.

One can truly say that, with his flute, he literally breathes  his music! For the audience, also, the composition in raga Yaman that followed, and then a bhajan, breathed relaxation and serenity into them.  

When one of the impresarios came up on stage, he wisecracked that when pretty girls appear, trouble starts! He proved that his witty repartee is as good as his music, in a question-and-answer session with the audience.

I do have one request for IIMB and SPIC-MACAY. Everyone seems to be welcome at the event; I was not even asked for my pass. So could the whole process of wasting paper by printing out passes be dispensed with?

However, this is a very minor point, and I’d like to thank IIM-B for hosting this event year after year (this was the 13th year), and making it possible for music-lovers of south Bangalore to listen to fine melody in a beautiful, serene ambience.