Rudra Veena and Sitar Maestro Pandit Hindraj Divekar

Pandit Hindraj Divekar (4 December 1954 - 18 April 2019) was a virtuoso of the Rudra Veena and Sitar. He teached the been in both Dhrupad and Khayal styles. Pandit Hindraj was one of the very few surviving rudra veena players in the world. He was the co-author of the book, Rudra Veena: An Ancient String Musical Instrument. He is the first artist to play Rudra Veena outside India and is the founder director of Hindgandharva Sangeet Academy, Pune.

• Career :

Pandit Hindraj started his Sitar training from his father, Late Pandit Hindagandharva Shivarambuwa Divekar, and from Pandit Bhaskar Chandawarkar in 1973. He received guidance also from late Pandit Mangal Prasad (Ujjain) and from Abdul Halimjafar Khan.

He received his training on Rudra Veena, for both Dhrupad and Khayal styles, primarily from his father and later from Pandit Pandharinathji Kolhapure and Ustad Zia Mohimuddin Dagar. For Khayal style in rudra veena, he has sought guidance from Pandit Bindu Madhav Pathak.

Since 1979, he has performed many concerts throughout India and abroad (Australia, Germany, Italy, Singapore). He got his music degree of Sangeet Visharad in 1985, from Bhaskar Sangeet Vidayala, Bharat Gayan Samaj, Pune.

Pandit Hindraj was also the co-author of the book,- Rudra Veena: An Ancient String Musical Instrument, published in 2001. He is the first artist to play rudra veena outside India, while he rendered a concert in Australia, in 1979. He worked as a lecturer in the Department of Hindustani Music, Spicer Memorial College, Pune, and he is the founder director of Hindgandharva Sangeet Academy, Pune.

• Personal life :

Pandit Hindraj Divekar was born as Digambar Shivaram Divekar into a family of musicians, on 4 December 1954 in Pune, India. His father Late Pandit Hindagandharva Shivarambuwa Divekar was a vocalist, Rudra Veena player and Marathi stage actor, who had been honored by Morarji Desai, fourth prime minister of India, at Pune in 1978. Pandit Hindraj Divekar’s grandfather, Natashrestha Chintoba Divekar, was a singer and actor of Marathi stage and drama, and had been honored by Jawaharlal Nehru first prime minister of India, in 1954.

He got his graduation in Commerce from Pune University in 1976.
Hindraj Divekar passed away in Pune on 18th April 2019 due to heart attack.
Read more about him here » https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindraj_Divekar

On his Birth Anniversary, Hindustani Classical Music And Everything pays rich tributes to him for his services to the Hindustani Classical Music