Baba Harballabh Ji, a saint and a Hindustani Classical vocalist, has been an essential element of India’s cultural legacy, as he had established World’s first Hindustani Classical Music Festival-known till date, after almost 150 years-‘Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan’.
The Indian Department of Tourism declared the festival a national festival in the 1950s, and it has been an integral symbol of Jalandhar’s status as a Musical City.
The first festival was held in 1875 at the Devi Talab Temple, in Jalandhar. Since then, it has been held every year in the month of December, commemorating India’s rich classical music traditions.
This musical fair was initiated in the winter season, aligning with the slackest period of the agricultural cycle. This timing increased multitudes of people pouring in the fest from rural to urban areas. Many cultivators found it to be a time of leisure and festivities, ideal for enjoying and relaxing. The festival, thus, has seen presence of a large peasant-listeners and that has made it acquire the local epithet of ‘Mela’ (Fair/Sammelan).
The festival attracts music enthusiasts from around the globe. The mammoth festival in the history of Music has featured some of India’s top musicians like Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Zakir Hussain and many more. It is believed that even Mahatma Gandhi was among the attendees in the 1919 edition of the festival.
It is declared as one of the National Festivals by the Department of Tourism, Government of India. One of the main aims of the festival is to attract and encourage more people to pursue and develop Hindustani Classical Music. The festival is held at the Devi Talab temple, near the samadhi of Baba Harballabh ji.
The Harballabh festival’s origins lie in the tradition of singing “dhrupad” couplets in Sanskrit, practiced by Brahmins in Punjab and associated with Hindu spirituality.
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Jee, the First Guru of Sikhism, himself is believed to have sung dhrupad, a practice that survives in Sikh tradition.
The festival initially commemorated Swami Tuljagiri, the erstwhile mahant of the Devi Talab Shakti-Peeth site, and was organised by his successor, Baba Harballabh, in the winter of 1875.
This event, which began as an annual tribute, grew into a larger celebration featuring dhrupad musicians from the region. Swami Hemgiri, Tuljagiri’s predecessor, had established the site as a Hindu ritual spot, attracting numerous sadhus and sants, and sanctifying its revered status.
Although Baba Harballabh came from a long line of saints known for singing devotional songs, he received formal training under Pandit Duni Chand of Ujahan (now in Sialkot district). He continued the guru-shishya tradition at Devi Talab, where many disciples learned the art from him and other masters. Baba Harballabh had numerous disciples and worked to instil a love of music in them. The place where he sang thus became a revered site for musicians and classical music enthusiasts.
The Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan, known for being a melting pot of various music genres and fostering a rich culture of listening, played a significant role in nurturing the talent of the acclaimed film singer K.L. Saigal. The popular singer, known for his classical style, found his initial creative inspiration in this musical haven of Jalandhar.
The Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan spans three days, beginning each afternoon with a documentary film. This is followed by incredible performances from some of the greatest musicians, showcasing a variety of musical instruments like tabla, flute, santoor, sitar, and sarangi, as well as vocal acts and melodic rhythms. Young generation from the fields of Music get golden chances to showcase their inherent qualities, here.
Numerous disciples of Baba Harballabh attend the festival, sharing their passion for music with visitors. The festival is free to attend, with complimentary dining and accommodation provided.
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