Alipurduar (West Bengal): There was a time when the tune of Dholak echoed in every corner of a building, which had seen better days, in West Bengal's Alipurduar district.
The building is the residence of renowned Dholak player Late Balaram Hajra. When he was alive, his residence "Gurukul" was filled with melodious tunes. Students from faraway places used to come to Gurukul for the blessings of the renowned musician Balaram Hajra.
Even Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was among the admirers of Hajra's magical tunes. Whenever she visited Alipurduar, she made it a point to listen to the ace Dholak player's tunes.
Balaram Hajra indeed was a magician. His expertise with dholak and his Gurukul made Patkapara-Hajrapar, a remote village of Alipurduar, famous. He had won the hearts of millions of people across the country with his dholak.
Throughout his illustrious career, Hajra had received various awards, including the state government's prestigious Bangaratna award.
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However, soon after Hajra's demise, the picture entirely changed, with the musician's wife and specially-abled child suffering through severe financial crisis.
Hajra passed away in 2017 at the age of 70. He was suffering from cancer during the final phase of his life.
Earlier, Hajra was honoured every year by the district administration. Many political leaders used to visit his Gurukul from time to time. However, all that has now faded away.
After his demise, his wife did not receive any allowance or government benefits. Facing financial crunch, they were forced to close down the Gurukul and open a small grocery store in the same house with a loan from the bank.
When Hajra was around, it was impossible to imagine his home without the beats of the dholak, but in the current crisis situation, the late musician's family members have discarded any sort of attachment with the dholak.
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