The Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan which is celebrating its golden jubilee year in London is the number one hub for Indian arts and culture in the UK, said sitar maestro Anoushka Shankar at the Bhavan’s annual Diwali celebration.

The 42-year-old UK-based classical musician relived her childhood memories of visiting the Bhavan with her late father, Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar. She was just 15 when she collaborated with artists of the centre in the late 1990s, assisting her father on the iconic ‘Chants of India’ album produced by late Beatle George Harrison.

“That was my first time starting to learn how to conduct a real ensemble and I got to work with them on that album, working closely with artists from the Bhavan,” shared Shankar, the guest of honour at the event on Saturday night.

“Then fast forward a few years in London, when I would be asked: 'I want my child to learn the sitar or the flute' where would I send them, it’s the Bhavan. I always say call the Bhavan. It's the number one place, an incredibly special place that we have… for children to have that kind of exposure to their roots, to arts, to culture, to mythology, it’s so beautiful and meaningful,” she said.

The Bhavan UK was established in London in 1972 and moved to its current premises in West Kensington in 1978. Its core activities involve the teaching and promotion of classical Indian arts, Yoga, languages and culture, with some of the current cohort of students showcasing their Kathak, Bharatanatyam and classical music skills at the annual Diwali celebration.

“The Bhavan’s work in the last 51 years has made India and its culture accessible to all. It has brought a whole new generation of young people into a greater understanding and celebration of what it means to understand Indian art and culture; and it has made this accessible to a broader audience,” said Vikram Doraiswami, Indian High Commissioner to the UK and chief guest at the event.

“That says a lot, of course, for this country to start with, that the connection with India continues to be celebrated through its culture, and that makes the Bhavan one of the wonderful bridges that connects the UK with India,” he said.

The event opened with some Vedic chants by Bhavan chairman Subhanu Saxena and Executive Director Dr M.N. Nandakumara, the Sanskrit scholar conferred an honorary MBE by King Charles III for services to Indian classical arts in Britain earlier this year.

“Just a few months shy of our 51st year here in London, I feel an immense sense of gratitude as I look back over the Bhavan’s activities over the last 12 months and most of all the fact that we are able to provide our students and audiences a place where they can fully dive into creativity and connection in so many forms,” said Dr Nandakumara.

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