Balgandharva
A commemorative postage stamp on the Birth Centenary of Bal Gandharva, renowned Marathi singer and stage actor (female impersonator) :
Issued by India
Issued on Feb 22, 1988
Description of Designs : The stamp is designed by India Security Press, Nashik Road. The stamp and first day cover are based on material provided by the Directorate of Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra. The cancellation is designed by Smt. Nenu Gupta.
Type : Stamp, Postal Used
Colour : Single colour
Denomination : 60 Paise
Overall size : 3.91 x 2.90 cms.
Printing size : 3.55 x 2.54 cms.
Perforation : 13 x 13
Paper : Indigenous unwater marked P G Matt coated paper
Number Printed : 10,00,000
Number per issue sheet : 35
Printing Process : Photogravure
Printed : India Security Press
Name : Narayan Shripad Rajhans
Born on Jun 26, 1888 at Pune, Maharashtra, India
Died on Jul 15, 1967 at Pune, Maharashtra, India
About :
- Balgandharva, given this title by Lokmanya Tilak for his beautiful voice, was born Narayan Sripad Rajhans at Pune on 26.6.1888.
- At the time when he entered the Kirloskar Natak Mandali in 1905, it was the premier dramatic company of Maharashtra and the founder of the Marathi musical drama. Women did not enter the dramatic profession for fear of social ostracism; young and handsome men played female roles. Balgandharva won the hearts of his audience with his first performance as Shakuntala in an adoption of Kalidasa’s drama of the same name at Miraj in 1906. He never looked back since then. In 1913, he founded the Gandharva Natak Mandali through which he brought his performances alive on the stage till 1955 when he retired from drama. His success is attributed to his handsome appearance, a beautiful voice and excellent acting.
- Balgandharva was fortunate in having good dramatic material as well as proper direction to achieve his phenomenal success. His enactment of female roles such as Subhadra, Vasantasena, Bhamini, Shakuntala, Devyani, Meerabai and Rukmini among others, earned for him the justified encomium of his audiences. He received the guidance of dramatists like Govind Ballal Deval and Krishnaji Prabhakar Khadilkar and a singer like Pt. Bhaskarbuva Bakhale. His own power of concentration and capacity to interpret a role resulted in his excellent performances. He spent lavishly on scenery and dresses. Endowed with a keen aesthetic sense, he experimented with new styles in hair-dressing and sarees. His own theatre group was contented and cohesive.
- Balgandharva played an important part in the cultural revival of Maharashtra. The appreciation of drama and classical music itself became an art. The women he personified on stage were mostly independent-minded, leading to an awareness of the need to improve the status of women.
- In 1929, he was President of the Dramatic Conference at Pune and in 1954 of the Centenary Celebrations of the Marathi Theatre at Bombay. National recognition came when he received the Sangeet Natak Academy Award for acting in 1955, and the Padmabhushan award in 1964.
- An era of Marathi theatre ended with him when he passed away at Pune on 15th July, 1967.
