MSU Vadodara Celebrates 140 Years of Performing Arts with Rare Book Unveiling
Maharaja Sayajirao University in Vadodara will mark a significant milestone on Monday. The university plans to unveil nearly fifteen rare and historically important music education books. This special event commemorates two important occasions. It celebrates the 140th anniversary of the university's faculty of performing arts. It also honors the 125th birth anniversary of the esteemed Professor C C Mehta.
Treasures from the Past Come to Light
The collection features books that date back to the time of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. These materials include original copies and high-quality photo reproductions. Many of these books remained unavailable or completely inaccessible for several decades. They hold direct connections to the development and evolution of the university's music faculty.
University officials will also introduce two new publications during the ceremony. The first is a refresher course volume designed for music students and educators. The second contains proceedings from a national seminar that focused on the concept of 'riyaz' or dedicated practice in music.
Enhanced Facilities and Historical Documents
As part of the anniversary celebrations, MSU will inaugurate newly upgraded facilities. The Concert Hall and Sabha Vadan Hall now feature modern air-conditioning systems. These improvements will provide better comfort for performers and audiences alike.
Professor Gaurang Bhavsar serves as the dean of the faculty of performing arts. He shared exciting details about some of the rarest materials in the collection. "We have obtained minutes from the very first music conference held in the early 1990s," Bhavsar explained. "The original records remain preserved at Columbia University's library in the United States. We managed to procure soft copies of these documents. Our team has now printed them for permanent addition to our faculty library."
Notable Additions to the Collection
Another major highlight includes a set of eleven volumes published by the Maulabakhsh Trust. These books document India's first formal music notation system. Court musician Maulabakhsh Khan originally devised this innovative system. The collection even includes the original notation of the Baroda Anthem. Remarkably, people can still sing this anthem using the same notation system today.
University officials made another important discovery. They sourced an opening lecture delivered by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III himself. He presented this lecture during the second music conference. In his address, the Maharaja strongly emphasized the importance of learning Indian art and culture. The curated collection now includes several of the Maharaja's significant speeches.
Roots of a Revolutionary Institution
The faculty of performing arts traces its origins back to February 1886. During that time, court singer Khan Saheb Maulabakhsh established a Gayan Shala in Vadodara. Maulabakhsh earned recognition as India's first Sangeet Ratna. His establishment of formal music education represented a revolutionary step. At that period, structured music education was considered quite unconventional and groundbreaking.
