For that unforgettable voice

Aramendra Dhaneshwar and Neela Bhagwat

Classical singer Neela Bhagwat's wake-up fix in the mornings isn't filter coffee or chamomile tea. She has half a teaspoon of ‘chatan' a paste of honey, turmeric and cinnamon that in Marathi means ‘lick', mixed in hot water. Then, there are four Ayurvedic kaadas, remedies for coughs and colds, that she has as well, one made of bajra flour, and another of betel leaves called "paan pani".

Aramendra Dhaneshwar

The daily regimen for classical singers - for voice, posture and mental health - is the theme of Singing and Indian Medicine, which will be hosted on the lawns of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sanghralaya this evening. As part of the museum's ongoing exhibition, Tabiyat, the event will see the dhrupad-style nom-tom aalap performance by Bhagwat, and classical singer Amarendra Dhaneshwar, interjected by a conversation with Ayurveda expert Dr Swati Mohite, and Unani expert Dr Jalal Siddiqui. Expect music and lyrics, with a generous dash of health science.

Neela Bhagwat

"The strange phenomenon of the human body is that the voice is the last to age," says Dhaneshwar, who is now in his mid-60s, and starts his day with a practice session of the lower octaves. Did his guruji pass on this knowledge to him? "Mostly, yes. In my case, Neelaji [Bhagwat] is my guru, and my wife," he says. However, in a reversal of roles, it was Dhaneshwar who introduced the ritual of Shivambu Shastra or auto-urine therapy into their lives. "Shivambu can also be used to clear the nasal passages. When my husband and I started doing this, no one teased us," quips Bhagwat.

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