The Journey - A Sitar "Saadhak"

Coming from a musical family, I started this beautiful journey with this all-encompassing and more than fulfilling instrument at the age of five. I learned the Sitar from my grandmother, Smt. Sarojinidevi Patwardhan. I then graduated to advanced "taalim" or training from my father, Shri Kumar Patwardhan. This manifested into further, formal training by Pandit Partha Chatterjee, himself a student of the great Pandit Nikhil Banerjee.

This insatiable pull towards the Sitar and Indian classical music in our family was created by my grandfather, Shri Shrimangalmurty Patwardhan. It was an old recording of Pandit Nikhil Banerjee (Raag Yaman) that ignited this flame of Sitar and the Maihar Gharana, more specifically, Panditji's spiritual approach to the music and the Sitar.

I belong to the Maihar Gharana (the same Gharana to which Pandit Ravishankar, Pandit Nikhil Banerjee and many other prominent musicians belong).

In continuation of this journey, at the age of fifteen, I received the Center for Cultural Resources and Training scholarship from the Government of India.

As a part of this wholesome journey, I have performed several concerts at multiple venues in India including the Doordarshan National TV, ICCR, SZECC and several festivals in India.

I have also performed internationally in the US, UK, Japan and Dubai among others.

I feel I have a great responsibility to pass on this art to the younger generation. To achieve this, I teach Sitar and Indian classical music to several students across the globe.

Apart from an entertainment value, this instrument and music also has a very powerful quality to heal and soothe us.

Realizing this, I also conduct music therapy and meditation sessions with the Sitar.

Weaving electrons with Music!

Along with music, I have always pursued my education. I feel, education and music compliment each other wonderfully in weaving this tapestry of life.

I have a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Clemson University, USA.

I have 20+ years of work experience in the field of semiconductors and chip design. I have worked with multilple MNCs both in the United States and in India and continue my day job as a chip design engineer in an MNC in Bangalore.

I continue, with my most humble effort, to manage both my job as an electronics engineer and my life as a musician.

I humbly urge you all to explore my work and this beautiful ocean called Indian classical music.