This recording called Sri Chinmoy plays the Esraj 2 offers more Bengali compositions from 1976. Sri Chinmoy started playing the esraj in that year, 1976, and it became his favourite instrument; the esraj is known for its haunting, reverberating tone.
Sri Chinmoy Plays the Esraj 2
Last modified January 4, 2014
Sri Chinmoy played his favourite instrument during the opening of the new Jharna – Kala gallery in New York on April 3th 1976. The block-long gallery was located right next door to the former Jhama-Kala gallery in the Soho art district Gallery in Manhattan, 224 Mercer Street in Greenwich Village. It was given to the Sri Chinmoy Centre free of charge in exchange for renovation and painting work. The transformation of the building from a printing and greeting card warehouse into a sparkling new gallery took place in a week’s time, with members working almost round-the-clock. This third exhibit stayed open through the end of April.
During that month of April, Sri Chinmoy’s paintings were viewed by groups of artists, business executives, attorneys and other professional people. There were also cultural evenings and receptions at Sri Chinmoy’s gallery that included 12,000 of Sri Chinmoy’s paintings – 1,000 for each year of the Master’s life in the West since 1964. The visitors viewed the different paintings and listened to a concert of the Master’s music which included Sri Chinmoy on the esraj and several musical ensembles. The film Jharna-Kala that introduces Sri Chinmoy special art was also shown.
Also, staff members and officials from the United Nations visited the gallery during a special U.N. reception. Senior Juan Albors, Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico was received there by Sri Chinmoy on the afternoon of April 24th on his way to a conference in Europe. The Gallery was also visited by Mr.Henry Geldzahler, curator of the 20th Century Collection of New York’s famous Metropolitan Museum of Art.
On April 29th, just days before the gallery closed, Sri Chinmoy painted his largest painting yet – a 12 x 27 foot canvas expressing in visual terms the relationship between divine reality and divine vision.
Its harmonious beauty and majesty inspired one professional art critic who saw the work, to describe it as “the universe.” For part of the painting, Sri Chinmoy sat on a giant scaffold, previously used for painting the walls and ceilings of the gallery. At his instructions, students wheeled him from one side of the canvas to the other. The painting process was also filmed. Sri Chinmoy painted the giant work in two hours between 5:45 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. on April 29 and he gave its unique name Larger than the Largest.
Artist: Sri Chinmoy
Name: Sri Chinmoy Plays the Esraj 2
Release year: 1976 (MC)
Duration: 0:56:20
Acknowledgements: Sri Chinmoy
Page Created: Ashish / Tejvan
Format: Advanced Audio Coding
Photos by Shraddha and Bhashwar
