Magic From A Piece Of Bamboo

Three years ago, I started attending the get-together of an informal group called ‘Friends of 70’. This group comprises us ‘boys and girls’ who passed out from Utkal University in the year 1970. In my 36 years of service in my bank, I was out of my home-state for 28 years (23 consecutive years preceding retirement). So, although this group was formed soon after most of us had taken up professions and jobs, I could attend its get-togethers only after retirement. When I attended it for the first time, I could recognize only a few of them. So I had to apologize and ask many of them their names. When I asked one such person to tell his name, he hugged me tight and said, “Xxx (my first name), can you not recognize me? I am Mohini, Mohini Mohan Pattanaik.” The name clearly rang a bell in my mind and I said, “Mohini, the chap who used to play the flute?” He gave me a bear-hug once again and said, “Yes.” Soon after, I came to know (from other friends sitting nearby) that he had become a Guru in flute-playing and that he is a big name in Odisha and India in playing this musical instrument!

The other day, I had the opportunity of enjoying a musical programme called ‘Bansir Sandhya’ (An Evening of the Flute) where Mohini and 24 of his disciples presented a heavenly flute concert.

 Here is a sample of his great skill.

 

In that evening, I learnt that the magic which can be created with a piece of bamboo was discovered when years and years ago, a person heard a sweet melody coming out of a bamboo bush. Intrigued, he probed and found out that bugs had bored holes in a bamboo and when wind was passing through these holes, it was creating this divine note.

A grateful salute to Goddess Nature!!!