Krsna Kirtana Songs est. 2001 www.kksongs.org

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My Photo Album

Click on the image to see an enlarged version of it.

1985: This is me when I was 1 year old in Heidelberg, Germany. I was soon to meet Sacinandana Swami, Krsna Ksetra Prabhu, and Navina Nirada Prabhu for my mundana samskara that day. My early blessings! :-D

1985: My very first blessings from Sacinandana Swami from Heidelberg, Germany. (Much thanks to Syamerz didi who kindly introduced me to his mercy of which I was unaware of for nearly eighteen years!).

1989: In Fort Bragg, North Carolina, I was five years old. It seems like my habit of wearing sunglasses indoors started pretty early.

1999: “The year with the beard!” I was playing tabla and singing “Sundara Mora Mana Kisora.” I was fifteen at the time. (Scary, ain’t it?) It was Balarama Jayanti that day.

1999: I finally lost the beard! Nonetheless, during winter break of 1999, my friends came over to my house and we shared a great Krsna Conscious weekend. From L to R: Herald Surya, Manu, Abhijit, and me. (December 28, 1999)

2000: (April 12, 2000) This was a tabla performance I did back at James I. O’Neill High school in Highland Falls, NY. This was one of my better tabla solos (yes, even better than the one posted on the audio page).

2000: (August 22, 2000) After a successful recording of Gaura Mangala, this is a shot of me with my friend’s grandparents. From L to R: me, Abhijit’s paternal grandmother, Abhijit’s maternal grandmother (Gandharvika DD), Abhijit’s maternal grandfather (Radha Mohan D).

2000: This was the cassette cover of Gaura Mangala on the first design back in 2000.

2000: This was the second and better used design for Gaura Mangala.

2001: (June 7, 2001): This was a picture of me accepting the award of outstanding achievement in mathematics presented by the United States Military Academy. From L to R, my dad, my sister, my mom, and me.

2001: (June 9, 2001): Few days later from the math award, I was at the New York Ratha Yatra, before the rathas were going to be pulled. From L to R, Abhijit, Manu, Nanda Dulal D, and me. The person in the white with sunshades and the person with the white hand behind me were bystanders.

2001: (June 9, 2001) L to R: Abhijit and me. We were playing mridanga before the Ratha Yatra started.

2001: (June 9, 2001) L to R: Me and my friend, Gerry Surya at the New York Ratha Yatra.

2001: (June 9, 2001) L to R: This is me singing at the New York Ratha Yatra. My friend, Gerry Surya, is also there.

2002: (March 28, 2002) At the New Jersey temple at Gaura Purnima festivities. I am in the sweater with the Gaura Nitai bead bag with the yellow mrdanga inside hot kirtana!

2002: (March 28, 2002) The NJ youthgroup on Gaura Purnima night. Back (L-R): Anuj, Chaitanya, Manu

Middle (L-R): Srinivasa D, Nimai Mahajan, Aksh, Nimai Patel, Front (L-R) me, Abhijit, Amul, Mohit, Rohit (aka Gopal).

2004: From West Point, NY to Hanover Park, IL. This is me posing on the guitar. I also wear my "thick-framed" glasses to give it that authentic Bengali look!

2004: (November 29, 2004) Me playing a Balarama khol (Balarama mridanga) classical style.

2004: (November 29, 2004) Just as location changes, I also get my newer bolt tuned tabla, as I am playing them.

2004: (November 29, 2004) On the Yamaha singing away in Raga Bhupali. I hope to have a real harmonium in the future, even though I have harmonium and esraj sounds in the Yamaha.

2004: (March 29, 2004) At the State University of New York at Buffalo, I performed a solo song at India Nite.

2004: (August 16, 2004) Just me relaxing and enjoying a nice game of golf in the night.

2004: (August 30, 2004) After being taken down in New York in 2001, They come back up again. My altar which I hope to learn and accept how to serve Them nicely by Krsna’s mercy.

2004: (November 25, 2004) The project for Matchless Gifts, my album using better recording techniques, with rare devotional songs with rare ragas and rare talas was conceived around this time.

2005: (May 16, 2005) I learned more about music, I converted most of my basement into a mini-studio. I am just composing music for a Westernized mahamantra I wrote.

2005: (May 16, 2005) Still recording. Recording never became complete. Though I sure hope to find a chance to complete it though.

2005: (July 2, 2005) Me in a more traditional outfit (kurta/pujama) playing bulbul vina (a three stringed instrument which I did some modifications to make it sound like an electric sarod).

2005: (July 2, 2005) From traditional outfit to traditional drum! Finally, a clay khol! Ever since I got my new clay khol on June 19, 2005, I rarely ever turn back to the Balarama mridanga!

2005: (July 2, 2005) Finally, added some chikari strings to make the guitar sound more remiscent to the sitar.

2005: (July 2, 2005) My most dearest instrument, the esraj. I got a new one on December 11, 2004. Since this is my most favorite one, I took many takes with my Bengali pandit glasses! Here is Take 1.

2005: (July 2, 2005) The pain of playing the esraj. I play it inserting the string inside my fingernail and slide up and down for gamaks.

2005: (July 2, 2005) The komal-dha fret went out of tune. Time to retune!

2005: (July 2, 2005) I am playing Raga Bhairava on the esraj.

2005: (July 2, 2005) Time to play tabla now!

2005: (July 2, 2005) Close of up the tabla action!

2006: (February 9, 2006) As of 2006, this is my gallery of instruments. From tabla clockwise: tabla set, guitar-vina, pakhawaj, esraj, tanpura, khol, dholak-dayan, bulbul vina, bongo, harmonium, flute.