Banaras Hindu University

Faculty of Performing Arts,

Varanasi

Welcome to  Faculty of Performing Arts

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HISTORY

The vision and dream of Pt.Madan Mohan Malviya-The globally reputed temple of Learning. The    Banaras Hindu University contributed greatly to the development of society and culture.

The Cultural facets of the educational process also have a strong hold in the University.     Pt.Malviyajee has a clear vision of projecting “Learning”, in the form of Kala (Music,Dance,Fine Arts…) Vidya (Humanities and Science) and Adhyatma (Spirituality). The Faculty of Performing Arts is a premier institution in the country that inculcates the students both Kala and Vidya through Performing Arts.

As a seat of traditional learning the Faculty of Performing Arts initially names as “Sri Kala Sangeet Bharti”, was instituted as a college of Music and Fine Arts in the year 1950. Due to the relentless efforts of Pt.Govind Malviya and the founder Principal Sangeet Martand Pt. Omkarnath Thakur in 1966 the college got reshaped with three distinct departments viz. Vocal Music, Instrumental Music and Musicology.

Over a period of five decades the academic activities of the faculty are nurtured through training students from all over the world in the classical traditional art of Music and Dance, both the North and South Indian genres. It has got the distinction to start the first pioneer Department of Musicology in the country headed by eminent musicologists Late Prof.Prem Lata Sharma.

Faculty has the glory of having outstanding artists, creative musicians, scholarly teachers and musicologists as faculty  members, many of whom were honored by prestigious Padma Awards, National & State awards and fellowships in recognition o their contributions in the firld of Performing Arts.

Main Achievements:

• 1949-School of Music and Fine arts
• 1950-College of Music and Fine arts (Srikala Sangeet Bharati)
• 1966-Faculty of Performing Arts with 3 Departments-Vocal, Instrumental and Musicology
• 1973-Dance Section Introduced
• 2007-Dance Department Establishment
• The premier institution to start Indian Classical Music as an University Curriculum.
• Specialty in training Indian classical music incorporating North Indian,
• South Indian Classical Music, Dance & Musicology.

Major Objectives:

With the vision of great mentors like Padmashree Pt.Omkar Nath Thakur, Padmashree.Pt.Balwant Rai Bhatt, Prof, B.R.Deodhar, Padmashree Prof.Premlata Sharma, Dr.Lalmani Mishra, Padmabhusan Prof.N.Rajam the Faculty has attained a landmark in the field of music making continuous progress. The ethical values are inherent in music deeply rooted to traditional learning creating a balance of guru-shishya parampara and modern institutionalized training. 

For strengthening the academic curriculum the Faculty conducts creative pursuits like weekly seminars and concerts of music and dance, yearly music fests and workshops are a regular part of the curriculum Renowned musicians of global reputation are regularly invited for lecture demonstration for the benefit of the students.

Presently the academic curriculum offers a wide range of courses under Four Departments:-Vocal, Instrumental, Dance and Musicology which attracts a large number of students from all over the country and abroad as well. The course of music has been a role model for other Universities.

Every year the Faculty conducts UET/ PET tests for the selection of students. The Faculty also runs Diploma courses in Music and Dance, which are very popular among the students. The Faculty has the privilege of having the maximum no. of foreign students in the University, large number of whom are I.C.C.R. scholarship holders. 

FACILITIES

The Faculty is having a huge Pt. Onkarnath Auditorium well equipped with all the modern sound and light equipments and its extensively used for concerts and other cultural programmes.

The Faculty Library with an envious collection of rare books & manuscripts is situated in the Department of Musicology. 

The Faculty is having an Audio-Video lab which is having many rare collections of classical music and dance recordings. 

The Faculty also provides opportunities to the  students  to perform in various concerts in the University as well as around Varanasi.

Faculty is having a Separate Boys Hostel ( Rewa Kothi) situated in the bnk of Rives Ganga near Assi Ghat to accommodate the students from coming from different parts of the country.

Girls Students gets accommodated in the Triveni Complex inside the BHU Campus.

Broad Future Plans:

·         Propose to introduce Certificate/Diploma course in some rare and new discipline of Music & Dance.

·         There will be major thrust on new avenues & inter disciplinary  areas of research in Music

List of Past Directors/Deans:

Sr.No.	Name of Director/Dean/Principal	Departmental Affiliation	Tenure
1.	Pt.Onkarnath Thakur-Principal	Vocal Music	1950-1957
2.	Act.Prof.Prem Lata Sharma-Principal	Musicology	1957-1961
3.	Prof.B.R.Deodhar-Principal	Vocal Music	1961-1964
4.	Act.Prof.Prem Lata Sharma-Principal	Musicology	1964-1966
5.	Prof.Lalmani Mishra-Dean	Instrumental Music	1966-1968
6.	Prof.K.S.Kulkarni--Dean	Visual Arts	1968-1970
7.	Prof.Lalmani Mishra-Dean	Instrumental Music	1970-1972
8.	Prof.K.S.Kulkarni-Dean	Visual Arts	1972-1974
9.	Prof.Lalmani Mishra-Dean	Instrumental Music	1974-1976
10.	Prof.K.S.Kulkarni-Dean	Visual Arts	1976-1978
11.	Prof.Prem Lata Sharma-Dean	Musicology	1978-1983
12.	Prof.(Smt)N.Rajam-Dean	Instrumental Music	1983-1985
13.	Prof.K.C.Gangrade-Dean	Instrumental Music	1985-1987
14.	Prof.(Smt) N.Rajam-Dean	Instrumental Music	1987-1993
15.	Prof.C.R.Jyotishi-Dean	Vocal Music	1993-1999
16.	Prof.R.P.Shastri-Dean	Instrumental Music	1999-2001
17.	Prof.C.R.Jyotishi-Dean	Vocal Music	2001-2002
18.	Prof.(Mrs.) Krishna Chakravorty-Dean	Instrumental Music	2002-2005
19.	Prof.(Mrs.) Ranjana Srivastava-Dean	Dance	2005-2008
20.	Prof.Ritwik Sanyal-Dean	Vocal Music	2008-2011
21.	Prof. Sharada Velanker	Vocal Music	2011-

Eminent Personalities: 

            Sangeet Martand Pt.Omkarnath Thakur

            Prof. Premlata Sharma (Emeritus Professors)

            Prof. Lal Mani Mishra

            Prof. M. R. Gautam

            Padmashree Balwant Rai Bhatt

            Padmabhushan Prof. N.Rajam (Emeritus Professors)

            Pt.Srirangam R Kannan  (Karnatik Vocal)

           Visiting Professors in the Faculty:

     Bharat Ratna Pt. Ravi Shankar

     Padmabhushan Thakur Jaidev Singh

     Pt. Mahadev Prasad Mishra

     Padmabhushan Smt. Girija Devi

     Smt. Manju Sundaram

Eminent Personalities Groomed in the Faculty 

Late.Prof.Lal Mani Mishra,

Late.Prof.Premlata Sharma

Prof.Smt.N.Rajam

Late.Anand Shankar

Late Dr.Subhadra Choudhary

Prof.Radhey Shyam Jaiswal 

Prof. Indrani Chakravarty

Prof.N. Ramanathan

Sri.Atul Desai

Sri.Omprakash Chaurasia

Prof. Anil Bihari Beohar

         Luminaries from Abroad :

          Prof. Alain Daneilon (France)

          Prof.Stephen Slavek (USA)

          Dr.Patrick Moutal (France)

          Prof.Lewis Rowell (USA)

          Dr.Allyn Miner (USA)

•   Many faculty members have been honoured with Padma Shree and Padma Bhushan  awards,Sangit Natak Academy (National/State), UNO certificate of merit.

•    Many members of  the faculty have also served as Fellows and members,Sangeet    Natak Academy and Vice chancellors.                         

 

Outstanding Performances of Faculty Members:

    •  A. I. R. / Doordarshan (National programme, Radio Sangit Sammelan, Direction) 

    •  Several notable performances by teaching and accompanying staff members. 

Contact Information

Prof. Sharada Velanker,Dean

Faculty of Performing Arts

Banaras Hindu University,Varanasi

Uttar Pradesh, India,Pin-221005

Tel No:2307640, 6703538,  6703544 (O)  2366463 (O)

Mob:09335415379

E-Mail:sharadavelankar@gmail.com  

04/29/11