A proud and joyous moment for the music-loving community of Pandu, as one of its own, renowned tabla artist Debashis Bhattacharya, has been awarded the prestigious ‘A’ grade recognition from All India Radio, Delhi. This honor comes based on his recorded tabla performance at the Guwahati radio station, bringing waves of celebration across Pandu and Maligaon.
Debashis Bhattacharya’s musical journey began at the tender age of six. Observing his deep passion for the tabla, his late father, Devi Prasad Bhattacharya, and mother, Pratibha Bhattacharya, took the initiative to train him in the art. He initially learned under the guidance of Guru Asim Das and Mridul Gupta, later refining his skills under the mentorship of Ranjan Chakraborty, his brother Subrata Chakraborty, Sadhan Sengupta, Abhijit Sengupta, and Amulya Nidhi Bhattacharya. Subsequently, he received advanced training from Guwahati’s renowned tabla maestro Guru Pramod Chakraborty and the eminent Kolkata-based tabla artist, Pandit Shankar Ghosh.
His formal education in music was shaped at Suratirtha Sangeet Vidyapith and Geet Bharati Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, where he pursued institutional training in tabla. He later earned the Visharad degree under the Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal in Mumbai.
Debashis’s musical journey flourished further under the guidance of the esteemed music scholar, Sangeetjyoti Shiben Banerjee. He accompanied Banerjee for over 20 years, gaining profound knowledge of accompaniment techniques. His introduction to classical instrumental accompaniment began under the tutelage of the late Lakshmi Baishya, a distinguished behala (violin) player. Over time, he gained valuable experience and insights by accompanying Assam’s renowned sarod maestro, Agragya Pratim Tarun Kalita, for nearly two decades.
Encouraged and advised by Tarun Kalita, Debashis appeared for the All India Radio A grade audition, ultimately securing the prestigious recognition.
His musical journey has also been greatly supported by his wife, the talented singer Pomi Bhattacharya. Additionally, the encouragement and affection of Shiben Banerjee’s wife, the noted vocal and dramatic artist Anurupa Banerjee, have played a significant role in motivating him to continue his musical pursuits.
Debashis has excelled in various state and national-level music competitions. Notably, he secured first and second positions in inter-college competitions at Gauhati University and achieved third place in the inter-university youth festival held at Nagpur University. Furthermore, he represented the Northeast Frontier Railway in inter-railway music competitions, winning first and second prizes at the inter-mandal level. Currently, he serves as the music secretary of the Northeast Frontier Railway’s cultural organization.
Professionally, Debashis Bhattacharya is a postgraduate teacher of Philosophy and Logic at Netaji Vidyapith, Maligaon. Prior to this, he worked as a music teacher at Kamakhya Vidyalaya, Maligaon, for nearly six years.
His extraordinary achievement has opened a new chapter in the cultural landscape of the Pandu-Maligaon region, as he is likely the first artist from this area to receive an A grade from All India Radio. His dedication to music, relentless hard work, and deep respect for the guru-shishya tradition have propelled him to this remarkable success. His musical journey will undoubtedly serve as an inspiration for future generations of aspiring musicians.
