By Arun Pratap Singh
my uttarakhand news Bureau
DEHRADUN/PAURI, 11 Mar: Indian classical musician Mohan Singh Rawat, a resident of Pauri and a music teacher at Bhatkhande Music College in Pauri, has achieved a significant milestone by introducing a new instrument to the field of Hindustani classical music. The instrument, named the “Classic Banjo”, is his own invention. Rawat has now also received recognition from the Government of India for this achievement. The design developed by Rawat has been registered by the National Innovation Foundation of the Government of India. Speaking to my uttarakhand news, Rawat shared that the process for obtaining a patent for the instrument is currently underway.
In its letter the National Innovation Foundation lauded Mohan Singh Rawat for his innovation. The letter also informed him about the rights he has gained as the creator of the instrument following its registration with the Government of India. A friend of Rawat, Manu Panwar shared the copies of the certificate issued to Rawat with my uttarakhand news.
Speaking to my uttarakhand news, Mohan Singh Rawat explained that the conventional Banjo is quite inadequate to fulfil the subtle requirements of Indian classical music as several musical notes are missed while performing classical compositions. He therefore carried out substantial structural modifications to the instrument and eventually developed what he has called as the Classic Banjo. Rawat has claimed that the instrument developed by him is a complete musical instrument fully capable of meeting the requirements of Indian classical music.
Rawat also shared that he had been working on this experiment for several years. Before receiving recognition from the Government of India, Rawat had to undergo a lengthy and rigorous process related to the invention. This included multiple rounds of demonstrations and detailed question-and-answer sessions, along with extensive documentation. After a comprehensive evaluation, the invention was finally granted recognition. Rawat asserted that once the patent process is completed, he will be able to present the instrument on various national and international platforms.
Through his experiments, Rawat has transformed the simple instrument known as the Banjo into one suitable for Hindustani classical music, and he is now performing classical ragas on this instrument. Manu Panwar claimed that Rawat’s innovation is comparable to earlier transformations in Indian classical music, such as the contribution of Bismillah Khan who elevated the shehnai, once played primarily at weddings, into the mainstream of Hindustani classical music. Similarly, Shiv Kumar Sharma transformed the santoor, earlier associated largely with Kashmiri folk music, into a major instrument of Hindustani classical tradition through his pioneering experiments. In the same manner, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt refined the guitar and adapted it for classical music performances, which came to be called as Mohan Veena.
It may be reminded here that Mohan Singh Rawat is regarded as one of the most gifted musicians from Uttarakhand. His musical journey began with the tabla. However, while living in Pauri, he further went on to master several instruments associated with Hindustani classical music. Apart from classical vocal music, he has developed strong command over instruments such as the santoor, sitar, sarod, sarangi, violin, flute and guitar. His latest innovation, the Classic Banjo, is now being seen as a significant addition to the evolving landscape of Indian classical musical instruments.
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