Education > Professional Colleges > SANGEET SADHANA MANDIR
Affiliated to Prayag Sangit Samiti, Allahabad
Course on Music are held: In May-June Only
Director: Rev. Fr. Stany Michael D’Souza
Correspondence in May-June:
Sangeet Sadhana Mandir
Pachmarhi P.O. 461 881
(M.P.) INDIA
Phone: 07578-252447
Correspondence from July to April:
C/o Sadhana Sanchar
Kalkheda Village
P.O. Surajnagar
Bhopal – 462 044
Phone: 0755 – 2802389
Mobile: 09424485810
A BRIEF HISTORY OF S.S.M. FROM ITS VERY BEGINNING:
In 1956 Fr. Edmond O.F.M. Cap. got the idea of beginning a Music School in the North, as Fr. George Proksch S.V.D. had begun in Maharastra. Thus the Summer School of Hindustani Music (S.S.H.M.) began with Fr. Edmond OFM Cap as its Founder –Director, with Fr. Vijayanand as his helper, with the kind permission of his Bishop, Rt. Rev. Leonard Raymond. It was situated in Naukuchia Taal in the Naini Taal district. From 1956 till 1961 approximately 413 students attended the Summer School of Hindustani Music at Naukuchia Taal.
Fr. Edmond expired on 29th December 1961, when providentially Fr. Vijayanand graduated in Music. The Bishops of the U.P. and Rajasthan gathered at Bishop’s House, Allahabad and suggested that Fr. Edmond’s work should carry on and that he should take the Music School in his kind control, as Fr. Vijayanand had just graduated in music.
After Naukuchiatal, Fr. Vijayanand, assisted by Fr. Bernardine and Bro. Augustin OFM Cap shifted the SSHM to Mussoorie, which then belonged to the Meerut Diocese and the Archbishop, Rt. Rev. Evangelish, OFM Cap willingly gave their Childers Villa and surrounding area to continue the Music School, which now began to be called School of Hindustani Music (SHM). It carried on at Mussoorie from 1963-1967. In course of time Fr. Philip Noronha of the diocese of Allahabad was asked to help in the place of Fr. Bernardine.
From 1963 till 1967 approximately 342 students attended the School of Hindustani Music (S.H.M.) at Mussoorie. Already in 1967 Mussoorie became sensitive spot for foreigners and Christians; so we had to think of vacating that place also. After looking for various places, which may be cool in May and June, Pachmarhi in the Hoshangabad District in M.P. and in the nascent Diocese of Bhopal, under Rt. Rev. Eugene D’Souza, was chosen as a central and likely place in Madhya Pradesh.
Since 1968, more than 2750 students have passed through the portals of the now known as Sangeet Sadhana Mandir at Pachmarhi. Of these about 500 came for the first time; the others continued their further studies – some for the second time and others even till the sixth time to gain the coveted Degree of Sangeet Prabhakar equivalent to B. Music. SSM so far has produced 123 Sangeet Prabhakars.
SSM has been functioning only during the summer months of May and June, right from 1956. It is affiliated to Prayag Sangit Samiti, Allahabad for its academic purpose. The students fall into the category of priests, religious brothers & sisters, seminarians and lay people both Christians and non-Christians.