OT Where did you travel to last for a holiday
Hariprasad Chaurasia I have never travelled on holidays. My music takes me around the globe and I am happy to travel like that. I feel blessed that my music gives me the opportunity to see new places, meet new people, experience different lifestyles and enjoy every moment of it.
OT Where did you grow up
Hariprasad Chaurasia My childhood was spent in Allahabad. And I have very fond memories of the early morning dips in the Ganga, the sumptuous desi khana and the carefree life I led there. Bansuri Guru, a documentary film on my life, released last month, revisits those early years in Allahabad and Orissa.
When I was a musician at All India Radio, Cuttack, in the 1950s and 60s, I used to travel with Odissi dance troupes to every corner of the state &mdash in small towns and villages. Back then travel was not so comfortable but I still miss the fun-filled trips in crowded trains and buses. Today, when I have the good fortune of flying in jumbo jets across the world, I remember those days and thank God for giving me that opportunity otherwise, I might have never realized the worth of what I have now.
OT Where was your first concert abroad
Hariprasad Chaurasia It was in London in the late 1960s with a big group of musicians from India. We were on a cultural exchange programme. I jumped straight out of a well into not a pond, river or lake, but a vast ocean. I was completely awestruck. The concert was at the Royal Albert Hall and I was performing for the first time in front of foreigners, and among the audience were Ravi Shankar, George Harrison and Mr and Mrs Yehudi Menuhin. I was so nervous. I can&rsquot recall what or how I played.
OT Your favourite city in the world
Hariprasad Chaurasia Rotterdam, Holland. It has been my second home for twenty-five years. I spend a few months teaching Indian music at the Rotterdam Conservatory every year. It&rsquos a very nice and vibrant place with cordial, music-loving and culturally active pupils. That&rsquos the only city where I go cycling. Sometimes I used to cycle in Orissa and Allahabad but I really miss being able to do that today.
OT Is there a place where you&rsquove been longing to go
Hariprasad Chaurasia No. I&rsquom at peace in Vrindavan Gurukul in Mumbai. There is no better place on earth for me. I have two gurukuls in Mumbai and Bhubaneswar, where I stay with my students and staff. We stay busy with our musical activities, riyaaz and puja. Of course, now I read a lot about these plans to go to space. If I ever get a chance, I&rsquod love to perform in space or on the moon
OT What are the three things you always pack
Hariprasad Chaurasia I am a light traveller. I never check my baggage in. Even when I go for long tours, I try to manage with just one suitcase. Of course, I am lucky that my instrument doesn&rsquot require much space. Three things that I always carry are my instrument, Indian clothes and betel nuts.
