Nearly seventy students belonging to a wide range of ages attend these classes, and receive a solid exposure to the rich and varied musical heritage of India. The classes are taught by two accomplished musicians, Dr. Mohan Deshpande and Shri Arun Bhowmick. Dr. Deshpande teaches vocal music while Mr. Bhowmick teaches tabla. Both the tabla and vocal classes consist of three groups- beginners, intermediates, and advanced students.

The novice vocal students began the program with alankaars performed by the whole group. This was followed by several individual performances in various raags such as Durga, Kafi, and Hansadhawani.

The second half of Sangeet Saurabh comprised of the more advanced vocalists and all of the tabla players. The boys' and girls' groups separately presented two raagamalikas, or selections combining numerous different raags. Each student also did a rehearsed individual rendering of a composition in a pre-selected raag.

The tabla students performed several taals and kaidas, or variations in a set number of beats per cycle. Arun Uncle, as he is known to his students, led his students by reciting the vocal representations of each stroke on the tabla. The beginners replicated these sounds and demonstrated the basic strokes of the tabla to the audience. Next, the intermediate students played teen taal and bhajani, two taals that often accompany vocal and instrumental music. Finally, the advanced students ended the tabla selections by performing multiple kaidas in Teen, Rupak, and Dadra taals. Each one exhibited his/her skill by playing complicated rhythm patterns to the beat of the accompanying veena, violin, and flute.

The program culminated in the performances of the advanced vocal students. These students have received voice lessons for several years and are able to sing compositions as well as timed alaaps. Many students presented difficult variations and extempore aalaps within their compositions. Overall, the skill of all the performers made the 4 hour program a most delightful experience for all.

Around 12:15 p.m., all gathered under the shade for a delicious lunch. Each family had brought a dish, and everyone shared all the food. Blankets and sheets covered an entire section of the park, as children and adults sat together, conversing and eating heartily. For me, lunch at family picnic is the highlight of the day, as it consists of a large variety of dishes that taste so good and completely satisfy my appetite! Over the years, I have attended every single family picnic and come home tired, but very happy after a fun time with all friends and family. This year’s family picnic, my last one as a Vidyapith student, was no exception. Overall, the 2002 Picnic was surely one of the best times this year for the Vidyapith family.

The reading from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna: “They (worldly minded people) are like-worm. They can come out of the cocoon of their worldly life if they wish. But they cannot bear to; for they themselves have built the cocoon with great love and care. So they die there. Or, they are like the fish in a trap. They can come out of it by the way they entered, but they sport inside the trap with other fish and hear the sweet sound of other murmuring water and forget everything else….”

The narrow channel first is made, and there the trap is set;
But open though the passage lies,
The fish, once safely through the gate,
Do not come our again.

The silk-worm patiently prepares its closely spun cocoon;
Yet even though a way leads forth,
Encased within its own cocoon,
The worm remains to die.

The Master continued: “Man may be likened to grain. He has fallen between the millstones and is about to be crushed. Only the few grains that stay near the peg escape. Therefore men should take refuge at the peg, that is to say, in God. Call on Him. Sing His name. Then you will be free. Otherwise you will be crushed by the King of Death.”

The Master sang again:
Mother! Mother! My boat is sinking, here in the ocean of this world;
Fiercely the hurricane of delusion rages on every side!
Clumsy is my helmsman, the mind; stubborn my six oarsmen, the passions;
Into a pitiless wind
I sailed my boat, and now it is sinking!
Split is the rudder of devotion; tattered is the sail of faith;
Into my boat the waters are pouring! Tell me, what shall I do?
For with my failing eyes, alas! Nothing but darkness do I see.
Here in the waves I will swim,
O Mother, and cling to the raft of Thy name!”.