These bhajan entrepreneurs are busiest artistes this season

Nagpur: Twelve years ago, Pushpa Pohankar had moved with her family to one of the NIT flats in Nandanvan, where she started Shivnath Mahila Bhajan Mandal along with few ladies in the vicinity. She used to run a bhajan mandal in Gurudev Nagar earlier.

Throughout the year and especially during festive times like Navratri, Ganpati or Shravan month, she and her troupe members are among the busiest artistes in town.

Sometimes, her group performs at four venues in a day. "For Navratri, we have been singing Jas get, along with Bhajans in Hindi and Marathi. We sing about all Gods not just one. During busy days, we restrict our events to only an hour, where we don't waste time in even eating or drinking water," says 48-year-old Pohankar. You might even find them crooning to tunes of popular movies.

The group not only sings, but also plays its own music. Dhol, Manjira, Khanjari, Ghungroo are some of the instruments that the ladies have self-learned and are now masters at. "When I was a child, my father used to sing bhajan of Tukdoji maharaj, and my mother sings it till now. I learnt to sing and imbibed a sense of rhythm from home.

"After marriage and children, I thought it was time I rekindled the interest in singing bhajans, and that's how my group was formed. People say I lie that I have self-learned everything," Pohankar laughs, adding that all of them play the instruments well.

The group doesn't decline requests. Instead, they fix venues according to their convenience and give a suitable date to their customers. "We don't give dates in advance. We wait till we can adjust a couple of places in the same area," says 55 year old Tara kalode, another member in the group.

"Apart from the city, we have even travelled to places such as Mauda, Saoner, and Besa and not just during festivals, we have sung at baby showers, naming ceremony and even haldi ceremony at weddings," Kalode adds.

This little enterprise brings the ladies a strong sense of satisfaction, Pohankar shares. Whatever money the group makes, is donated either in a temple or for a social activity.

"We don't ask any particular amount from people. Whatever we are given, we contribute it for a good deed. What is the need for us to make money?" says Pohankar.No practice is required now after these years.