This is a recording from February 1988, in which Sri Chinmoy gives a concert on his most favourite, and most faithful instrument, the esraj. We hope you enjoy the soulful and elevating music of this recording.
Notes from CD
Esraj: My Most Faithful Instrument
Last modified March 2, 2025
In 1976 spiritual Master Sri Chinmoy told his disciples, “This is the year for me to explore my musical talents.” On February 17 of that year, he began performing on the Indian esraj. Over the next three decades, he gave hundreds of meditation-concerts throughout the world on this instrument.
On February 17, 1988 Sri Chinmoy gave a special concert at PS86 in Jamaica, New York to celebrate the 12th anniversary of his esraj music. He was 56 at the time and in the concert in played 56 songs, meditating silently before each one. All of the songs were composed by Sri Chinmoy except “Ami Phiri Ogo Pather Sandhane” and “Phire Chalo Apana Ghare.”
This recording also includes Sri Chinmoy’s comments and silent meditation from the concert. The photos reproduced here are from Sri Chinmoy’s second public esraj concert, which took place in the Calvary Episcopal Church on Park Avenue and East 21st Street in Manhattan, on November 27, 1976
Tuning the many strings of an esraj is an intricate task. Over the years several of Sri Chinmoy’s disciples tuned his esraj, with varying results. After the concert in this recording, Sri Chinmoy happily reported that he was pleased with the instrument’s tuning.
“We will now be observing and celebrating the twelfth anniversary of my most favourite instrument, esraj. My immense sense of gratitude to my esraj can only be felt by my soulful heart and can never be expressed, even by my powerful mind. Seriously, soulfully, devotedly and bravely I entered into the musical world twelve years ago. At that time my most faithful, and even now my most faithful instrument, my esraj, accompanied me. And it will always accompany me. My musical talents and this selflessness of my esraj will always remain inseparable. As you know, I play quite a few instruments but without the least possible hesitation I can say that my most favourite instrument is, and will forever be, my esraj. I will be playing fifty-six songs: for each year of my earthly existence I shall offer you a song soulfully and devotedly.”
– Sri Chinmoy, February 17, 1988.
