I don’t know actual year when this event took place. It was some ten years ago. I had gone to Mumbai to enjoy my vacations. My aunt lives at Chembur, in Mumbai. It was a normal rule for all of us; study for the year and then go to Mumbai in vacations. This vacation, I was alone there because all of my cousins were out of India. I used to sleep for the days and nights.
One evening, my aunty introduced me to one of her guests who was learning vocal music from Ajit Kadkade. When he came to know that I was also learning music, he gave me a free pass for a concert featuring three artists which starting from the next day in Chembur itself. At that time, I was very choosey about the music I listened. Still as there were no other things to do I decided to go for the concert. I do not even remember the names of other persons who performed in the concert but I still remember Pt. Nityanand Haldipur. I had no big understanding of music at that time so I used to attend concerts just as a formality. But something happened after the performance of Pt. Nityanand Haldipur and hence though I cannot remember what he played that day I can very easily remember Pt. Nityanand Haldipur.
Pt. Nityanand Haldipur was going to conclude the concert. One man was sitting beside me attending the entire concert. From his appearance it was sure that he had come from some faraway place. Pt. Nityanand Haldipur was performing for almost one and half hour and this man near me was totally submerged in the magic of flute while I was seating like a dumb. When this performance by Pt. Nityanand Haldipur was over, the man stood up and joined his hands. He was a man in his sixties. With his hands joined he said, “He is such rare person, at least I could see him” At that time it was beyond my capability to understand what kind of man Pt. Nityanand Haldipur is. Two days before, while listening to Raga Shuddha Sarang performed by him, I was totally lost. Suddenly I fixed an appointment to meet him. I will be meeting him on this Sunday, 10-02-2013
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