Chandra Nath Shastri

Born in the Dhakuria area of Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal, in a well-known Bramhin (pandit) family, Chandra Nath Shastri was raised in a musical atmosphere. Soon his parents and family relocated to Varanasi (a.k.a. Banaras, Benares, Benaras), Uttar Pradesh (UP), where he undertook training in the Benares gharana style. He was influenced by poet and lyricist Rabindra Nath Tagore. His grandmother, Smt. Indira Devi was niece of Rabindra Nath Tagore. His father, Dr. Mouli Nath Shastri, was a physician by profession but he was also a spiritual guru and musician (tabla player), vocal student of Rabindra Nath Tagore, and had directed and acted in theatre (Muktisnan, 1937; Sancharini, 1963).[2][3] His grandfather, Shri Priya Nath Shastri, was one of the first three trustees of Visva Bharati University.[1]

Pandit Chandra Nath Shastri on Tabla, accompanied by Pandit Ramesh Misra with Sarangi, 1972 File Photo, Calcutta

Shastri completed his intermediate schooling at C. M. Anglo Bengali Inter College, Varanasi, UP. He then graduated in science from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.[1]

Shastri's father noted his interest in Hindustani classical music from a very young age and taught him to play some taals on tabla. At age 5 Shastri began learning from his guruji, Pandit Anokhelal Mishra of Banaras, and later from his son, Pandit Ramji Mishra. Shastri and his elder brother, Partha Nath Shastri, would go to Pandit AnokhelalJi to learn tabla. Shastri became a fifth-generation tabla maestro of Benares gharana. As a young teenager he became close to Pandit Mahadev Prasad Mishra, Pandit Kishan Maharaj, Pandit Samta Prasad, Pandit Sarda Sahai, and Ustad Karamatullah Khan.[1]

Chandra Nath Shastri became the champion in an All India Radio (AIR) national competition at age 23, and from a young age was often referred to by the title pandit. He became an AIR staff artist, Indian National Television Channel (Doordarshan) artist and also a stage performing artist. As a regular performer on TV, radio and stage, he has made several thousand performances and recordings.[1] Now he is retired from AIR.

Shastri teaches tabla and other musical instruments, and has taught in many music schools, academies and institutes.[4]

Shastri also studies spirituality. His father, the late Dr. Mouli Nath Shastri, was grand disciple of spiritual guru Sri Bijoy Krishna Goswami and disciple of Sri Kiran Chand Darbesh Ji Maharaj. Shastri has researched the connection between music and spirituality and gives advice on this topic. He is also an expert astrologer.[1]

• Anokhelal Mishra
• Kishan Maharaj
• Samta Prasad
• Shankar Ghosh
• Zakir Hussain
• Anindo Chatterjee
• Swapan Chaudhuri
• Ashutosh Bhattacharya
• Kumar Bose
• Yogesh Samsi

• Official Website of Chandra Nath Shastri
• SBS Radio, Australia - Broadcast: Interview with Pundit Chandranath Shastri of Banaras Tabla Gharana about the specialty of Benares gharana
• About Pandit Chandra Nath Shastri : Raj Musicals