Acharya Ranchhodlal Goswami from Ahmedabad was selected for the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar 2025, it was announced by the Sangeet Natak Akademi under the Union Ministry of Culture for the 2024–25 awards. This recognition celebrates his outstanding contribution to preserving and promoting Haveli Sangeet.
What Is the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar?
The Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar is one of India’s most prestigious cultural honours, which is presented by the Sangeet Natak Akademi. It recognises the exceptional young artists who have made significant contributions to India’s performing arts, including music, dance, and theatre.
It is named after the legendary shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan. This award encourages talented artists while preserving India’s rich artistic and cultural heritage.
For the 2024-25 cycle, Acharya Ranchhodlal Goswami has been selected for his dedication to safeguarding the ancient tradition of Haveli Sangeet.
Who Is Acharya Ranchhodlal Goswami?
Acharya Ranchhodlal Goswami is the 16th-generation Acharya of the historic Goswami Haveli, which is situated in Doshiwada ni Pol, Kalupur, in the old city of Ahmedabad.
This haveli is approximately 450 years old and it serves as an important center of the Pushtimarg tradition.
At just 32 years of age, Goswami has emerged as one of the leading custodians of the Haveli Sangeet.
His achievements include composing more than 22,00 devotional verses, author of eight books, serving as an academic expert for the Gujarat University’s Haveli Sangeet curriculum and pursuing the doctoral research in music after completing his postgraduate degree and M.Phil. from the Upasana School of Performing Arts, Gujarat University.
His compositions are written in multiple languages, including the,
- Vrajbhasha
- Gujarati
- Sanskrit
- Charani
- Mewari
- Marwari
What Is Haveli Sangeet?
Haveli Sangeet is a unique devotional music tradition which is closely associated with the Pushtimarg sect, founded by Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya around 550 years ago.
Compared to the concert-based classical performances, Haveli Sangeet forms an integral part of the daily worship in the Pushtimarg temples, which is also known as havelis.
This music is performed as the seva-kirtans, where devotional compositions are sung according to the different times of the day, seasonal changes, religious festivals and temple rituals.
Special music styles are also observed during the spring, summer, shravan and autumn.
This close relationship between the music, devotion, and ritual gives the Haveli Sangeet a unique identity within Indian classical traditions.
Living Tradition of Indian Classical Music
According to Acharya Goswami, Haveli Sangeet preserves some of the earliest forms of the Indian classical music.
He explains that ancient traditions such as the,
- Prabandha
- Dhrupad
- Dhamar
it later influenced the evolution of the Khayal singing, while these original forms continue to survive within Haveli Sangeet.
This tradition also preserves the devotional compositions of the Ashtachhap poets, including renowned saints like the,
- Surdas
- Parmananddas
For the followers of the Pushtimarg tradition, these compositions are not just artistic performances but they are acts of worship offered daily to Lord Krishna.
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