Dhrupad Sansthan Bhopal Trust

Project Brief: Dhrupad Sansthan trains financially disadvantaged individuals in classical music to give them opportunities for employment they would not otherwise have. Asha helps fund the living expenses of these students.
Project Type: Vocational Training (description)
Primary Focus: vocational training (description)

Secondary Focus: other

Area: Rural
Supporting Chapter Contact: Seattle
Status: completed - requirements ended
Project Steward: Vibhavaree Gargeya
Project Partner(s): Sajan S
Other Contacts:
Project Address: , Dhrupad Sansthan, Behind Van Nidhi Nursery,Suraj Nagar, P.O. National Judicial Academy, Bhadbhada ,Bhopal,
MADHYA PRADESH  462002
Tel: 011 91 9425006681
Stewarding Chapter: Seattle
Aug 2020SeattleUSD 10054
May 2020SeattleUSD 9918
Jun 2019SeattleUSD 22268
Nov 2018SeattleUSD 21758
Jul 2017SeattleUSD 23436
Jun 2017SeattleUSD 28501
Jun 2016SeattleUSD 2113
Feb 2016SeattleUSD 20718
Sep 2014SeattleUSD 23132

Total = $161898

Dhrupad Sansthan was founded with an aim to provide Indian Classical (Dhrupad) music training to those who seek it, regardless of their financial background. The Sansthan is flexible in the courses it offers, so it is open to students who come for shorter courses, such as 15 days, 2 months or 4 months, as well as to those who wish to enroll in the multi-year course which trains students to become performing artists. Most students who come to the Sansthan for short periods are self-funded, and also make donations. Most of the full-time, multi-year course, enrollees are offered boarding and lodging free of cost. A few students are able to obtain grants or sponsorships for their expenses at the Sansthan, but a majority of the students come from financially disadvantaged backgrounds and are unable to afford fees. Asha provides funding for the financially disadvantaged students so that they too can study at Dhrupad Sansthan.
In the short term, the gurukul aims provides those individuals who wish to learn Dhrupad with world class music education. Students are taught in the guru/ shishya parampara. The Sansthan organizes workshops and concerts, and has an extensive library filled with a vast body of literature. Thus students are immersed in Dhrupad practice and theory as they develop their understanding of this unique art form.

Over the long term, the gurukul serves as a place where systematic teaching processes in the master/ disciple tradition of guru/ shishya parampara are brought within the modern educational context through extensive research. Students are prepared in a fixed time frame, with clear evaluation, including public performance, and evaluated under a clear set of standards and goals. With this continued research and development of best practice in teaching Dhrupad, the gurukul seeks to spread awareness and appreciation of an important part of Indian heritage.
Dhrupad Sansthan was started by the Gundecha Brothers as an effort to promote and preserve India's most ancient form of music. It was established primarily to provide quality instruction to financially disadvantaged students, whose parents can not afford expenses for their music education. Over this period,they have trained some 27 young dedicated performers, not only from India, but from various foreign countries as well, in Dhrupad vocal and pakhawaj, as well as in performance on surbahar, bamboo flute (bansuri), saxophone, and silver flute. The Gurukul also invites people from all around the world to come and learn both vocal and instrumental Dhrupad. Students stay at the gurukul itself where they are provided with room and board. The gurus do not take money for their teaching. Students who can afford it, pay fees which are used to cover their living expenses. Living expenses for students who cannot afford it continue to be covered by Dhrupad Sansthan, and are partially funded through organizations such as Asha