the goan I network
PONDA
Padma Shri Pandit Tulshidas Borkar (84), noted harmonium player and music maestro of Goa, passed away on Saturday morning at a private hospital in Mumbai, where he was admitted three weeks ago.
He is survived by wife Pratibha, daughter Kanchan, son Abhay and Uday. The family had settled in Mumbai decades ago.
Yoganand Borkar said that he had been operated for hernia a month ago and later, had developed a chest infection and had difficulty breathing.
Born in Borim on November 18, 1934, Borkar started his musical journey at the age of 5 and had gone on to perform with several maestros of India, including Chhota Gandharva, Pt Mallikarjun Mansur, Bhimsen Joshi, Ustad Amir Kha Saheb, Kishori Amonkar, Pt Jitendra Abhisheki, Nirmala Arun, Pt Ram Marathe and Padmavati Shaligram.
He was recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, which was bestowed to him at the hands of former President of India A P J Abdul Kalam in 2006.
He was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri award in 2016 for his achievements in the field of music.
In an earlier interview with The Goan, Pt Borkar, had hoped that Goa would adopt the concept of ‘Gurukul’ system to foster music.
“It is definitely needed. But one should have the will power to set up a Gurukul in Goa. Kala Academy has given some gurus to students, but much more is needed in Goa,” he had said in the interview.
Pt Borkar admitted that poverty was the main reason he left Goa almost seven decades ago. It was in 1948 when barrister Khajgiwala wanted children for his ‘natak company’ that his elder sister Nalini mother Jayshreebai and he had left for Pune. Nalini worked for this natak company.
But after the Mahesh Sangeet Natak Akademi of the barrister was shut down, his sister had joined the Kalavikas group and it was there that Pt. Borkar got his second guru, the late Vishnupanth Vasht from whom he learnt to play the harmonium.
Besides a number of prestigious awards to his credit, Borkar has also described his life and times in an autobiographical book ‘Saathsangat’.
