Bodhi was formed in 2014, as a group representing IIT Kanpur at the concert Echoes of Gitanjali, featuring 1000 voices from various parts of the country, singing Rabindrasangeet in unison (Hazaar Kanthe Rabindrasangeet). The concert was held in 2015, at Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata, and was telecast live on national television.
Bodhi members have continued to meet since, and more have joined the original group. The major goal is to explore the expanse and depth of the compositions of one of India's greatest poets/lyricists, Rabindranath Tagore. A regular weekly music session is held (during the pandemic, online), when the members do basic vocal riyaaz, learn/discuss and practise songs composed by Tagore.
Bodhi has endeavoured to present an annual concert of Tagore's works at the IIT Kanpur campus, choosing in particular those themes and compositions which are relevant to an academic community. For instance, the first two presentations were based on Tagore's celebrated musical dramas 'Basanta' (Spring), and 'Shesh barshan' (The Last Shower). Both are satires and play-within-play compositions in which the playwright of the 'inner' play is much like an academic, whose work the 'Raja' fails to appreciate in the beginning but then slowly warms up to as it unfolds, and ends up celebrating. In subsequent years, Bodhi staged 'Transcreations by Tagore' and 'The Nava-Rasas and Tagore: a Musical Exploration'. The former featured the major genres of music from India and abroad that influenced some of Tagore's compositions. The latter focussed on the expression of the Nava-Rasas in Rabindrasangeet — the Rasas as specified by the ancient scripture Natya Shastra (~200BC-300 AD). In both these programs, there was a well-researched original script created by Bodhi which threaded through the entire program. For the past two years, productions on stage have not been possible due to the ongoing pandemic. The latest effort by Bodhi is an online production centred around the beautiful Rabindrasangeet “Kon khela je khelbo kakhon”.
click to see all these presentations
A highlight of every Bodhi presentation has been the projection on screen of an English version of the script including dialogues and songs, all along the show. This has facilitated breaking of the language barrier and comprehension by the non-Bengali population in the community. As a result, Bodhi programmes have had some non-Bengali active participants, and a significant part of the audience comprises members from the large non-Bengali population of the campus.
Upcoming
Join us on August 19 2023!
Highlights of Past Programmes
Bodhi members presenting the national anthem at the Institute's 2021 convocation
