Temple to host Indian concert as fundraiser

In its first large-scale fundraiser since it opened in September, the Hindu Temple and Community Center of Mid-Missouri will host a morning concert of classical Indian music by singer Sandhya Pandurangi.

Organizers hope that, in addition to raising money for the temple, the event will increase the visibility of Indian culture in Columbia, temple spokesman Gagneesh Rawat said.

“We do say fundraising, but it’s mainly for the community to get together and have a good time,” Rawat said. “Columbia is a pretty rich community and culture; we want to add to it and make ourselves known.”

Pandurangi, a former Columbia resident who now lives in St. Charles, will interpret pieces of classical, semi-classical and folk music from different regions of India. Pandurangi will also play the tanpura, a string instrument, and will be accompanied by Madhu Vora on the harmonium and Anil Datar on the tabla, Indian drums. The concert will start with devotional songs and move on to more secular music.

“We didn’t want this concert to be strictly classical because it would restrict the audience,” said temple member Chandra Chandrasekhar, who helped organize the event.

The concert is a form of homecoming for Pandurangi, who was born in Nashik, India, about 120 miles northeast of Mumbai. Her mother, a musician, too, was her first guru, or teacher. Though she lives in St. Charles, Pandurangi said the Columbia temple and its congregation of 75 families are like a “home away from home” for her.

“We are part of the Columbian community,” Pandurangi said. “It’s an honor for me and my husband, Raghu, to ultimately see the temple flourish.”

Pandurangi now practices under Ustad Imrat Khan, a distinguished artist in residence at Washington University in St. Louis who has performed internationally. Gurus are very important in Indian music, Chandrasekhar said, because improvisation is an important aspect of the form.

“It’s never fully composed like a symphony where everything is written down,” he said, also warning that Westerners’ ears may not be accustomed to Indian melodies.

“If you haven’t heard it before, it might sound a little strange,” Chandrasekhar said. “You might hear some note you haven’t heard before.” Co-organizer Shuba Ratneshwar agreed but pointed out that many fusion artists now mix Eastern and Western styles, making Indian music more accessible to non-Indians.

“I don’t think there is a way to explain to them,” Ratneshwar said. “They’ll just have to come and listen, and tell us what they think.”