Vinayak Narayan Patwardhan Indian Classical Musician
Meher Baba embracing Vinayak Rao Patwardhan
In the afternoon that day, Sardar Raste* brought a famous classical singer of Poona, to give a performance. The 62-year old singer was named Vinayak Narayan Patwardhan. Baba was highly pleased with the quality of his voice. He removed the garland around his neck and gave it to the master singer. Afterwards, Patwardhan said he had never in his life sung as well. The Maharani of Gwalior was also present that day.
[LM – Page 4701]
Pandit Vinayak Narayan Patwardhan (22 July 1898 – 23 August 1975) was an Indian vocalist of Gwalior gharana (style of singing) of Indian classical music. Vinayakrao Patwardhan was a prominent and multifaceted figure of his time. As a distinguished disciple of the legendary Vishnu Digambar Paluskar, the founder of Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal, he dedicated his life to the promotion of Hindustani music.
He was awarded the Padma Bhushan award in 1972 by the President of India. He led the Indian cultural delegation to the USSR and other countries. The Film & TV Institute of India supported a documentary on him by Aruna Raje. One of his disciples, L.R. Kelkar, settled down in Madras (Chennai). Author Rohiniprasad learned sitar from him initially. Among Kelkar’s better-known disciples is violinist N. Rajam, who also studied with Omkarnath Thakur in Benares.
[Source]
*Sardar Raste was the maternal uncle of Madhavrao Peshwa, the son of Nanasaheb Peshwa. Rasta Peth is a locality in Pune named after the family. (Refr Wiki)