Dr. Meeta Pandit is a leading name among vocalists belonging to Gwalior Gharana, the oldest and most influential school of Khyal singing in Hindustani classical music. Born into a musical family which follows the Gwalior tradition, she is the granddaughter of Padmavibhushan Krishnarao Shankar Pandit. Meeta Pandit is the 6th generation in her family to continuously practice and master this art form, and the first woman from the family to take music as a profession. She stepped into the ocean of music full-time after the death of her elder brother, who was groomed by the 5th-generation successor of her musical family.
Meeta Pandit – Hindustani Classical vocalist of Gwalior Gharana
She was trained by her father and grandfather
Meeta Pandit hails from Delhi. She was born on September 14, 1974. Pt. Laxman Krishnarao Pandit and Abha Pandit are her parents. Her father is a veteran who practises and performs Khyal singing of Gwalior Gharana, while her mother is a homemaker. Her father is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. With a 150-year-old family legacy related to the Gwalior Gharana, she is currently the torchbearer and 6th-generation member of the musical family.
Meeta was trained by her grandfather, Shankar Pandit and her father since the age of 3. She was brought up in a family where everything was connected to music. However, during her teens, her parents advised her to take a stable profession, as they felt the music profession is associated with irregular working hours and solo travels. She graduated in commerce from Lady Sri Ram College, Delhi University.
Death of her elder brother proved to be a turning point
Her elder brother Tushar Pandit was being groomed to take the family legacy forward. He was pursuing a PhD in Hindustani classical music when he met with a fatal road accident in New Delhi in 1994. His sudden, untimely passing created the profound crisis of lineage for the family, and Meeta Pandit courageously stepped forward, abandoning her corporate ambitions. She completed her PhD in Hindustani Classical music by the age of 27 and pursued music full-time.
Meeta gave her first performance on stage at the age of 9
While continuing her training under her grandfather, she performed on stage for a 3-day music festival, ‘Prasang’, organised for the 75th birthday celebrations of her grandfather in Bhopal. It was her first concert. After that, she started giving performances. She was only 15 she performed at the Sankat Mochan festival in Varanasi. Since then, she has performed at almost all the major classical music festivals of India and abroad. She has travelled extensively to France, Germany, London, Switzerland, Norway, Rome, the United States, Russia and Bangladesh.
In 2008, Meeta presented a music appreciation series called “Swar Shringar” on World Space Satellite Radio. She has also collaborated with many musicians and artists. Meeta sings in different genres such as bhajan, thumri, tappa and ghazal and has proved her mastery over khayal and tappa.
The Unbroken 6-Generation Lineage of the Gwalior Gharana
Meeta Pandit published a book, titled “India’s Heritage of Gharana Music: The Pandits of Gwalior” in 2018, based on the life of the Pandit lineage.
1st Generation: Pandit Vishnupant Chattra (The pioneer who brought the roots of this classical style into the family lineage).
2nd Generation: Pandit Shankar Rao Pandit (A towering figure who solidified the Gwalior style in the late 19th century).
3rd Generation: Pandit Krishnarao Shankar Pandit (Her grandfather—a legendary doyen who was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his unmatched mastery).
4th Generation: Pandit Laxman Krishnarao Pandit (Her father—the current living maestro who trained her).
5th Generation: Tushar Pandit (Her late elder brother, who was originally being groomed as the 5th generation successor before his tragic accident).
6th Generation: Meeta Pandit (Meeta herself, who stepped up to ensure the 6th generation of her family’s musical DNA did not fade away).
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