Smt. Jayavanti Hirebet - A Tribute

First Encounter

Year - December 2015

Event - Sawai Gandharva Mahotsava

On the last evening, as usual, Pt. Upendra Bhat was performing and before starting off his rendition of Pt. Bhimsen Joshi's Bhagyada Lakshi Baramma, he had mentioned about a version by a lady named Smt. Jayavanti Hirebet, that he used to sing when young.

I was interested in finding if this version mentioned by Pt. Bhat was the one we too sang in our homes, and found it easily on youtube. It was slightly different from the version we sang, but it was no mistaking that my Grandma and her daughters had been inspired from here.

Second Encounter

I discovered the absolutely mesmerizing version of Endaro Mahanubhavulu, by Chittoor Nagaiah, from his super hit movie, Tyagaiah ('46), based on the life of Tyagaraja Swami. Slowly i realised that each and every song from this movie is a masterpiece. Most of them have been performed by Nagaiah garu himself, in his chaste and beautiful manner, as well as by B. Jayamma, who played the role of Dharmamba, Tyagaiah's dharmapatni.

Tyagaiah - Film Poster

The movie (thankfully available on youtube) has a scene, when Maharaja Sarabhoji enters his darbar, and is mesmerized by the performance of a Hindustani singer. The actress performing the song was both pretty as well as a proficient singer. Curiosity to find out about her, pointed out to one Jayavanti Devi from Mysore. A little more digging made me realise that she is none other than 19 years old Smt. Hirebet!!

Credits - Jayavanthi - Court Singer

As a court singer

I have snipped the scene, for anyone wishing to see it.

Also, the track for listening is below (with some basic improvements)



The association of Shri. Nagaiah and young Jayavanti seems to have been beyond this movie, as they had collaborated on an entire album containing her famous Kannada bhajanas, including the famous version of Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma was recorded and composed by Nagaiah himself.

The version is here. Check the LP image carefully:)

About Smt. Hirebet

There have been many great artistes, whose lives have been not adequately documented and popularized due to many reasons. This is a humble attempt at sharing a little about her life, from material available online.

Jayavantidevi Hirebet (of ‘Bhagyada Lakshmi’ fame)

1927-2018

Sushama Arur, Goa

Jayavantidevi Dinkar Hirebet recently passed away in the month of May at the ripe age of 91 largely unsung and unheard at Pune’s ‘Athashri’, a home for the old. My brother, Prakash Burde, had visited Jayavanti at her Athashri house in Pune along with his daughter Aparna probably in 2010/11 where he had recorded an interview with her as he was prone to documenting music and musicians. In her last two decades,she spent her time in the serene and beautiful surroundings amidst the sound of birds. She would speak in Konkani to mainas and sparrows who were her regular visitors. After having tasted the glamour world in her younger days as a singer and an actor, in later life this smiling and soft-spoken lady had kept away from the hubbub. Born to Sitadevi and Shri Ramanand Padukone in Puttur, South Kanara district of Karnataka, Jayavanti had the privilege of being born in a highly cultured family. Shri Ramanand Padukone was known for the writing of humorous essays in Kannada. Her grandfather Narasingrao was a sculptor. Jayavanti’s uncle Shri Prabhakar was a profound singer, tabla and dilruba player. Their house was naturally a centre of literary, musical and dance activities and young Jayavanti was brought up in this atmosphere. Her two sisters too — Chandrabhaga Devi (who went on to become very famous) and Yashodhara — were dancers.

Jayavanti initially learned music from her mother, and later got trained in Carnatic music from B.G Ramnath of Madras. She was an ‘A grade artist’ on AIR Dharwad and Bangalore. She cut many records with HMV. Her popular songs are based on lyrics of great Kannada poets of Karnataka Unification Times or from Dasa Sahitya ( Kanaka or Purandhar) “Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma”, “Tallanisadiru ele manave”, “Huva taruvara manege hulla taruva”, “Sadaa yen Hrudayadalli”, Kannada ace poet K.S Narasimha Swami’s poems “Hattu Varushada Hinde”, “Mattura Santeyalli”, and “Attitta Sulidavaru Neevallave?”. These lyrics were set to music and sung by her in 1948 and they continue to retain their freshness.

After her marriage to Dinakar Rao, she moved to Pune where she continued her pursuit of learning, took to Hindustani classical music and learnt to sing Marathi and Hindi light music (bhavgeet) from music director, Yashvant Deo, from 1950-60. She also honed her skills by learning from Babanrao Navadikar as well, another music director.

Jayavanti also had an opportunity to sing in Udayshankar’s internationally famed, exceptional dance-drama movie called ‘Kalpana’. She sang along with Devilal Samar, ‘Sadiyonke hosha me’ and probably ‘Bahti jaa’ too. Prakash who was bent upon identifying the female voice from this movie had got the answer!

Jayavanti was in a nostalgic mood the day Prakash and Aparna met with her. She pulled out a documentary made on her three years ago by the Karnataka Government. In this 40 min documentary, they depicted Jayavanti’s acting-singing role in the film, “Tyaagayya” ( poet laureate Tyagaraj during Tanjavur Maratha king Sarabhoji’s times) in which she had sung a ghazal. Directed by V. Nagayya in 1944, Jayavanti must have been a pretty lass of 17 years. Jayavanti reminisced, “There was strong opposition from my father for further music learning, but my uncle persuaded and took all the responsibility of training me. He bought a Dilruba and taught me to play.” The documentary showed her uncle playing the dilruba very efficiently. The making of the documentary, however, was quite stressful at the time as Jayavanti had recently lost her husband and her health was not very good at the time.

Jayavanti also shared some bitter experiences from her days as a singer with Prakash and Aparna. During the conversation, Aparna brought up the song ‘Saang Lakshman Saang’ sung by Geeta Dutt. Jayavanti had a story related to this song, written by Ga Di Madagulkar of Geet Ramayan fame. Jayavanti told them that Geeta Dutt used to come to learn Marathi songs along with her from Babanrao Navadikar who was a music director. Most of his songs were sung by Jayavanti and she had already done rehearsals for the ‘Saang Lakshman Saang’. But, at the last minute, HMV decided that Geeta Dutt would sing the song because she had star value!

Jayavanti did not take this setback personally because she knew Geeta Dutt was genuine who always felt guilty aboutsinging this song, and till the end she reiterated that the song belonged to Jayavanti. Jayavanti only rued the unfairness in the industry for some playback singers who did the rehearsals only to be replaced by a famous singer. Despite these hurdles, Jayavantidevi Hirebet, the melodious singer of Kannada light music did achieve welldeserved recognition when she was awarded with the prestigious first ever ‘Shishunala Sharif Prashasti’ in 1997 for being the early bird of Kannada Sugam Sangit. Akashvani Bangalore’s interview with Prakash Burde on Jayavanti Hirebet was later added to the documentary which was specially made for the occasion.

Jayavanti could have been a bigger name if she would have remained in Karnataka. Just when she was getting recognition as a singer she had to move to Pune, a transition which every woman faces after marriage. But she had no regrets, she said. She continued to sing in Kannada Associations and in Akashavani Mumbai, and will always be remembered as one of the pioneers of the tradition of singing Kannada lyrics.(Sugama Sangeet).

May Her Soul Rest in Peace.

Courtesy - Prakash Burde’s ‘Sangit Sarasi’

References-

1. http://www.kamat.com/database/janata/jayawanti_hirebet.htm 
2. http://www.kanarasaraswat.in/Admin/Master/MagzineDocs.aspx?MagzineID=a3d7a117-e594-4db6-a362-8ef6228e1541&FileName=2018%2008%20final%20issue.pdf 

RSS and Kashmir

With Kashmir finally being officially united with Bharata, after a really long and costly delay, there is an urgent need to define its relationship with Bharata again and drill it down in the heads of modern Indians as well as brainwashed Kashmiris.

The anti-Bharatiyas have always questioned how RSS has contributed to the building of India. The extent to which the contributions of Sangh have been kept out of our curriculum and the rabid propaganda against this nationalist group of people should be fought with fiercely. This share is a contribution to this continuing fight.

Source - https://hillpost.in

The below article was written by Late Shri. V Sundaram, a retired IAS officer and appeared first online in 2006, but since has been taken down for unknown reasons. I was fortunate to get this in web archives and sharing it from now.

Late Shri. V. Sundaram, IAS

The idea of the article is to document the contribution of the Sangh during the Kashmir days as well as to put on record some really obscure episodes of Indian history.

Original URL - http://newstodaynet.com/2006sud/06jan/1201ss1.htm

Archived - https://web.archive.org/web/20081204190403/http://newstodaynet.com/2006sud/06jan/1201ss1.htm

Salutations to Guruji Golwalkar - V. Sundaram, IAS

Unshakable faith, the antiseptic of the soul Shri Guruji was noted for his burning patriotism for Akhand Bharath and he had spoken strongly against the partition of India right from 1943. 

Responsibilities often gravitate to the person who can shoulder them. Many people today may not be aware of the fact how Shri Guruji was deputed by Sardar Patel on a political mission in a special plane to Srinagar to meet Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu & Kashmir and the stellar role he played in the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to the Indian Union after independence.

Source - http://vsktelangana.org/

This is indeed an interesting story about the historic role played by Shri Guruji as a responsible and patriotic citizen at a crucial time in our national history.

Soon after independence, the most serious challenge to the freedom and integrity of independent Bharath was posed in Kashmir. The British government declaration of 3 June 1947 left the princely rulers of independent Bharath to join either Bharath or Pakistan or remain independent.

Hari Singh, the Maharaja of Jammu & Kashmir, was in an awful fix. He was a devout and patriotic Hindu and could not think of joining Pakistan. In view of the marked Muslim majority in the State, he was a little hesitant. Lord Mountbatten flew to Kashmir in the third week of June, 1947 in a bid persuade the Maharaja to join Pakistan. The Maharaja resisted the pressure. R C Kak, the then Prime Minister of Kashmir, however, advised Maharaja Hari Singh to remain independent. Amidst these conflicting pulls, the Sangh leaders in the State of Jammu & Kashmir began exerting every possible influence to persuade the Maharaja to declare his accession to Bharath before the deadline of 15 August, 1947. 

The State Sanghachalak of the R S S, Pundit Prem Nath Dogra, submitted several petitions and followed them up with personal interviews with the Maharaja. The Sangh also persuaded several social, political and cultural organisations in the State to pass resolutions urging the Maharaja to join Bharath without delay. At the same time, Shri Badridas, Sanghachalak of Punjab, whom the Maharaja held in high esteem, rushed to Srinagar to meet and advise him. However, forces inimical to Bharath would not let Maharaja Hari Singh have his way. When 14 August, 1947 (one day prior to independence) came, the postal authorities in Srinagar hoisted the Pakistani flag in their office, because the post offices in the State came under Sialkot Circle which was to become part of Pakistan from that day. Promptly, the Sangh Swayamsevaks and sympathisers saw to it that the postal authorities pulled down the Pakistani flag. On the next day, 15 August 1947, the Indian tricolour flew over most of the houses and shops in Kashmir. The tricolour had been prepared in thousands in the Sangh Karyalaya in Srinagar and distributed to the people. Meanwhile, the pro-Pakistani Muslim elements in Kashmir intensified their propaganda to pressurise the Maharaja to join Pakistan.

Large-scale smuggling of arms into the State to foment internal rebellion started taking place from the month of August 1947. At the diplomatic level at the Centre, too, Sangh had made certain strategic moves in the crucial mid-October days in 1948.

Sardar Vallabhai Patel, knowing the mind of Maharaja Hari Singh, had pitched upon Shri Guruji to talk to the Maharaja. Patel knew that Shri Guruji commanded the implicit and full confidence of the Maharaja.

At the instance of Sardar Patel, Shri Guruji flew to Srinagar on 17 October, 1947. He explained to the Maharaja, the futility of entertaining any idea of retaining Kashmir as an independent Kingdom, and advised him to join Bharath straightaway. Consequently, the Maharaja expressed his readiness to sign the instrument of accession to Bharath.

Shri Guruji returned to New Delhi on 19 October, 1947 and reported to Sardar Patel about the Maharaja's readiness to accede to Bharath. Unfortunately there was a sudden and massive invasion of Kashmir on 23 October, 1947 by Pakistani tribesmen which was instigated by the government of Pakistan and the Maharaja appealed to government of India for help, agreeing to the accession of the State to Bharath and the flying of Indian troops to save Kashmir - all these historic events following in lightning succession.

Within the city of Jammu itself, the local Muslims numbering about 20,000 were in a rebellious mood. The fate of Jammu city and the entire countryside in Jammu, with no troops on hand, was in a precarious state.

The young men of Sangh rose to the occasion. They faced the pro-Pakistani Muslim elements inside and repulsed their repeated attacks and shattered their designs. But for the Swayamksevaks' valiant efforts, Jammu could never have been saved; and without Jammu, there was not the ghost of a chance to save Srinagar even by Indian forces. This inspiration to defend our motherland against the Pakistani marauders was provided by the clarion call of Shri Guruji to all the Swayamsevaks and not by the indecisive government of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

On the contrary, it was Pandit Nehru who stopped the Indian Army from driving out the Pakistani invaders from a portion of Kashmir by taking the matter to the United Nations. Nehru took this disastrous and abrupt decision against the advice of Major General Kulwant Singh, Corps Commander, General Thimmiah and General Cariappa of the Indian Army. He did not trust his countrymen. He had greater faith in the machinations of Lord Mountbatten and his British officers. The country is still paying the price for that inexcusable political blunder.

Against this background, it will be clear that Shri Guruji was no less patriotic than either Nehru or Patel or for that matter any Congress leader of that time. Shri Guruji had a good equation with Mahatma Gandhi who addressed the RSS Swayamsevaks at Bhangi Colony in New Delhi on 16 September, 1947 where they were posted to keep guard at various points.

At that point of time, Shri Guruji was not aware of the capacity of the Congress party for infidelity and intrigue. The Nehru government, in a most uncivilised way, ordered the arrest of Shri Guruji on 1 February, 1948 and charged him with the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. To crown it further, the same mindless and soulless government withdrew the charge of conspiracy for assassination against Shri Guruji and issued a new ordinance ordering his internment under the National Security Act on 7 February, 1948.

On 6 August, 1948 Shri Guruji was released subject to certain restrictions placed on his activity. Shri Guruji immediately wrote to Nehru and Patel protesting against his unwarranted and illegal detention without assigning any reasons. He also jokingly commented about the restrictions placed on him by saying: 'I have been transferred from a smaller jail to a bigger one! Only my prison walls have been extended'. He also wrote another strong letter to Nehru in October 1948 requesting him to lift the ban on the RSS.

He wrote: 'It is now almost eight months and nothing can remain to be investigated into against me or the RSS. I am sure you are convinced that the allegations against the RSS have been found to be without foundation in facts. It is therefore a case for simple justice, which we have a right to expect from a government which we have always considered our own.'

Sardar Patel sent a reply to Shri Guruji stating 'there can be no doubt that the RSS did service to Hindu society. In the areas where there was the need for help and organisation the young men of the RSS protected women and children and strove much for their sake. I am strongly convinced that the RSS men can carry on their patriotic endeavour only by joining the Congress and not by keeping separate or opposing'.

At the same time, Nehru wrote to Shri Guruji stating that the RSS was a communal and anti-national organisation. He indirectly seemed to share the view of Patel that the RSS should merge with the Congress.

Was it not a moment of great national disgrace that the Prime Minister Nehru and the Deputy Prime Minister of independent India Patel, whose government had baselessly charged Shri Guruji with the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and arrested him on 1 February, 1948 and detained him illegally for six months till 6 August, 1948, should now somersault and invite Shri Guruji to join the Congress party in October 1948(!) even while the trial against Nathuram Godse was still on and he was to be hanged only in November 1949? Were they not guilty of perfidy and travesty of truth? Was it not a sordid act of great national betrayal by both Nehru and Patel? Nathuram Godse only liquidated the body of Mahatma Gandhi. Nehru and Patel spiritually destroyed Mahatma Gandhi and all that he represented for ever. 'Secular Spiritual Baptism' even at that time perhaps meant joining only the Congress party and no other political party!

On 13 October, 1948 all restrictions on Shri Guruji's activities were unilaterally removed. Shri Guruji went to New Delhi and met Sardar Patel on 23 October, 1948. Sardar Patel insisted that the RSS should merge with the Congress.

Shri Guruji gave him a firm 'no' stating that the RSS was a cultural organisation and not a political party. Emotionally upset by Shri Guruji's spirited reply, Sardar Patel spoke imperiously to Shri Guruji stating that no more discussions were possible and that he could go back to Nagpur. Sardar Patel failed to realise that he was dealing with a Maharishi and not with a Congress mercenary who would sell his soul for a mess of pottage. Unsurpassed courage of conviction was the footstool of the virtues upon which he stood. Shri Guruji then moved like a hurricane to show his 'Vishwaroopa' form, even as Lord Krishna did to Arjuna at Kurukshetra, to both Nehru and Patel and indeed the country.