Hindustan Times, Indore,
India Saturday February 3, 2001
Interviewed by Mamata
Mishra
Music may be a source of entertainment,
but for sitar maestro Dr. Chandrakant Sardeshmukh, it's
a therapy that cures patients and medicine. He says that
most of the ailments are mainly physical or psychological
which are caused mainly by stress and strain. These ailments
can be cured properly through music therapy.
Based on his substantial years
of experiences, Dr. Sardeshmukh said that many a mentally
challenged patient showed positive results to his treatment
when they were subjected to this therapy.
Music is actually a way of expression
of feelings. Therefore it is the appealing force to the
suppressed desires and abstracted emotions, which are deep
seated within. They can be healed internally and expressed
by the body in various ways while listening to the music,
making the mind free from it and losing the tension therein.
This ultimately leads to a good flow of blood circulation
and creativity of mind giving energy to the listener, says
Dr. Sardeshmukh, who has experimented this therapy with
a number of patients in coordination with the doctors from
Down Under.
Dr. Sardeshmukh said, The importance
of music therapy has been mentioned even in the Vedas and
it has a long history. There is an age-old belief that Marga-Sangeet
(Gandharva Gana), which has the power of curing ailments
(as also endorsed by Ayurveda) is originated from Samaveda.
The five elements of the nature i.e. water, fire wind earth
and sky constitute the human body. If the basic proportion
of these five elements in the body is disturbed, it causes
imbalance in the body and mind, which is referred as disease,
he said.
The Indian traditional music
aligns the body elements in such a way so as to bring the
body closer to natural balance of these elements. The music
therapy is nothing but a science of music combined with
physiology. This is different from entertainment music,
which is purely the expression of artistry and mastery of
the performing artist he adds. Dr. Sardeshmukh says that
the results of music therapy are though amazing, but it
needs promotion. Foremost step for the promotion of this
therapy is that the doctors should have belief in the therapy
and background knowledge of music.
The musician should have some
knowledge of physiology and both, the doctor and the musician
should work in collaboration. After learning music from
sitar maestro Ravi Shankar and Annapurna Devi, for fourteen
long years, he embarked upon his eastward journey to spread
the light of Indian notes, as his master carried the melody
to the West.
Known as the Sitaricha Jadugar,
he unraveled the mysteries of the Sitar to Japanese cities
like Hiroshima, Kobe, Shizouka, Chiryu and Tokyo, and also
in Australia. He is ready to take the far eastern countries
like Malaysia and Thailand in the near future.
Dr. Sardeshmukh recently staged
a sitar recital, jointly organized by SPIC-MACAY and Choithram
School at the school today. He was accompanied on the Tabla
by Ulhaas Rajhans and other A grade artist of All India
Radio also participated in the rendition.
