Pandit Mohan Singh Rawat invents ‘Classic Banjo’ for Indian classical music, receives recognition from the Government of India

Pandit Mohan Singh Rawat invents ‘Classic Banjo’ for Indian classical music, receives recognition from the Government of India

Dehradun, March 11

Pandit Mohan Singh Rawat, a resident of Pauri and a music teacher at Bhatkhande Music College, has achieved a significant milestone. He has introduced a new instrument to Hindustani classical music. This instrument is his own invention and is called the “Classic Banjo.” The creation of Mohan Singh Rawat has also received recognition from the Government of India. The design of the instrument he developed has been registered by the Government of India’s National Innovation Foundation, and the process to obtain a patent for it is currently underway.

An official letter from the Government of India  explained that the National Innovation Foundation congratulated Mohan Singh Rawat for this invention. It also informed him about the rights he has gained as the creator of the instrument after its registration with the Government of India.

Mohan Singh Rawat had been working on this experiment for many years. Before receiving recognition from the Government of India, he had to go through a long process regarding this invention. There were several rounds of demonstrations and question-answer sessions, along with detailed documentation. Finally, the invention was granted recognition. After the patent process is completed, Mohan Singh Rawat will be able to present this instrument on various platforms.

Through his experiments, Mohan Singh Rawat has transformed the simple instrument known as the Banjo into an instrument suitable for Hindustani classical music. He is now playing classical ragas on this instrument. Manu Panwar, a journalist from Pauri Garhwal explained that Mohan Singh Rawat’s creation is similar to the way Ustad Bismillah Khan elevated the shehnai, once played mainly at weddings, into the realm of Hindustani classical music. Likewise, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma turned the santoor, once associated with Kashmiri folk music, into an essential instrument of Hindustani classical music through innovative experimentation, similarly, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt refined the guitar and adapted it for classical music.

Mohan Singh Rawat is considered one of the genius musicians of Uttarakhand. His musical journey began with the ‘tabla’. However, while living in the small hill town of Pauri, he mastered several instruments of Hindustani classical music. In addition to classical vocal music, he has strong command over instruments such as the santoor, sitar, sarod, sarangi, violin, flute, and guitar.