SMT. MANJU MEHTA is a well known performer of the Indian sitar from Ahmedabad,. She belongs to the very well known Bhatt family of Jaipur.She had her training in sitar from Shri Shashi Mohan Bhatt, her elder brother. She won the Central and State Government scholarships and received training from Damodarlal Kabra and Pdt. Ravi Shankar. She won the coveted AIR Talent Search competition. She did her Masters of Music in which she cleared first class first.
This familial devotion to music continues in Mehta's own clan. Her husband, Shri Nandan Mehta, is a top-notch tabla player and a disciple of Pandit Kishan Maharaj. Her older daughter, Purvi, plays sitar. Younger daughter Hetal plays tabla and will accompany Mehta.
Manju Mehta's professional career is impressive. She has performed in various places in India and abroad. She is a grade "A" artist on AIR and TV. She has 30 years of experience as a teacher in Jodhpur University and "Darpana" of Ahmedabad. She is presently teaching at the Saptak School of Music in Ahmedabad in which she is also a trustee.
Her Words:
In Northern India instrumental music has traditionally been considered a male domain. Fathers pass on both their technical prowess and their acquired lore to their sons or closest male relatives. Until recently, women have been left out of the loop. "The one instrument where females have made some inroads is the sitar," says Manju Mehta, who speaks from personal experience. Mehta is one of Indian classical music's most renowned female sitaryas. "In amateur venues it is no longer uncommon for females to study and play the instrument. Even so, there are only a handful of female sitaryas who perform professionally."
While being a female sitar player does set Mehta apart from the pack, "my contribution is not one associated with gender," she says. "Rather it's the ability to bring out the rasa, the emotional qualities of a particular raga, whether they be devotion, love, pathos, or joy."
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