It has been 25 years since ITC set up the Sangeet Research Academy, the cradle of talented musicians. The silver jubilee is being celebrated with a three-day Sangeet Sammelan featuring music maestros across India. The Sammelan was inaugurated on Friday by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.

"Though we started with only vocal training, about one-and-a-half years back, training in various musical instruments was initiated and the response has been positive," said Amit Mukherjee, executive director of SRA.

YC Deveshwar, chairman, ITC Ltd said, "SRA is a pantheon of Hindustani classical music where, over the years, many maestros have assembled. Slowly, however, we will broaden its horizon and introduce global appreciation of music." He also spoke of plans to digitise SRA so that it is available to the Indian diaspora. "Then, at some point, we will ask people accessing SRA to provide a user’s charge, which would be utilsed to improve the academy," he added.

Among the invitees at the show was Sangeet Shiromoni Girija Devi, who was awarded this ITC Award. "I consider Sangeet Academy as a garden, which has produced so many flowers and fruits. I have given many years to the students here and will continue to do so," declared Girija Devi. "There is no lack of big companies in India, who do not mind spending crores on sports but what about music? ITC can be considered a glorious exception," said Girija Devi. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee appreciated the gurukul method followed at the academy. Those who performed on the first day was SRA scholar Shatavisha Mukherjee, who is just 10 years old, sitar player Sugato Nag and vocalist Ajoy Chakraborty. Among the guests were Budhhadeb Guha, Dipali Nag, Jaya Biswas and Kumar Prasad Mukhopadhyay.