Ahmedabad: A centuries-old devotional music tradition rooted in the Pushtimarg sect has received national recognition with Ahmedabad-based Haveli Sangeet scholar Acharya Ranchhodlal Goswami being selected for the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar 2025, announced by the Sangeet Natak Akademi under the Union Ministry of Culture for the 2024-25 awards.
The award recognises Acharya Ranchhodlal Goswami, the 16th-generation Acharya of the Goswami Haveli in the Kalupur area of the city, for his contribution to preserving and promoting Haveli Sangeet, a devotional musical tradition believed to have evolved alongside the Pushtimarg established by Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya around 550 years ago.
Describing the recognition as an honour for the entire tradition rather than an individual achievement, Goswami said: “This award is a recognition of India’s rich tradition of devotion, music and culture. The soul of India resides in Haveli Sangeet.”
Haveli Sangeet occupies a distinctive place in Indian classical music and continues to be performed in Pushtimarg havelis through daily service-kirtans rendered in specific ragas according to different times of the day and changing seasons.
Separate musical traditions have evolved for spring, summer, the monsoon month of Shravan and autumn, giving the genre a unique identity.
Goswami serves as the Acharya of the approximately 450-year-old Goswami Haveli located in Doshiwada ni Pol in Ahmedabad’s old city. He received his musical training through the traditional guru-shishya system before pursuing formal academic studies.
He completed his postgraduate degree and M.Phil. in music from the Upasana School of Performing Arts at Gujarat University and is currently undertaking doctoral research.
At the age of 32, he has composed more than 22,000 devotional verses and authored eight books. He also contributes as an expert to Gujarat University’s Haveli Sangeet curriculum. His compositions span several languages, including Vrajbhasha, Gujarati, Sanskrit, Charani, Mewari and Marwari.
Explaining the musical heritage of the tradition, Goswami said Haveli Sangeet represents one of the original forms of Indian classical music.
He noted that ancient forms such as Prabandha, Dhrupad and Dhamar later influenced the development of Khayal singing, while the earlier traditions continue to survive within Haveli Sangeet.
“Since the time of Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya and Vitthalnath, the compositions of Ashtachhap poets, including Surdas and Parmananddas, have been sung as part of the tradition, making it not merely an art form but a living medium of devotion and worship,” he said.
Calling the recognition a matter of pride for the Vaishnav community and lovers of Indian classical music, Goswami said the tradition remains active not only in Gujarat and Rajasthan but also in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Punjab.
He added that “this was perhaps the first time since Independence that Haveli Sangeet had received recognition at such a high national level”.
He also stressed the need for long-term preservation of the tradition through full-time university courses, preparation of authoritative texts, greater research and documentation, comparative academic studies, and the organisation of seminars, workshops and lecture series to encourage younger generations to engage with Haveli Sangeet.
The recognition marks a significant milestone for a devotional music tradition that has resonated within temple havelis for more than five centuries and now finds a place on the national cultural stage.
(IANS)
