OdishaLIVE Bureau
The NASA Voyager 2 mission completes 40 years in space and it is proud moment for India because the mission carries Indian Classical Music in space. The music is ‘Jaat Kahan Ho’ by Surshri Kesarbai Kerkar. It is a Hindustani classical piece by Kesarbai, an eminent khayal singer of her times.
The NASA Voyager 2 mission started its journey on 20 August 1977. The music is one of the four tracks recorded on a gold plated copper disc. The music was chosen by a NASA appointed committee where ‘Jaat Kahan Ho’ featured as the best of world music for outer space by Robert Brown, ED of Centre for World Music, Berkeley.
Kesarbai was conferred the title of Surshri by Rabindra Nath Tagore on behalf of Bengali people in Kolkata. The music committee also found Indian mrudangam and tabla beats to be the most relaxing.
Listening to the music, we are transported across the Himalayas straight to the North of India in the melodious voice of Surshri Kesarbai Kerkar says Timothy Ferris, producer of the NASA Golden Record.
“Indian classical music commands so profound respect abroad that most concerts and artists play the numbers as encore at the end of the performance irrespective of day or night which otherwise is meant for playing at the start of the day” Ferris adds further.
Apart from the music, a message in Hindi says “We are citizens of the Earth. We greet you”. Apart from Hindi, other Indian languages aboard the Voyager include Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Telugu, Urdu and Odia. We should be proud of our classical heritage and culture and look up in space with beaming pride.
