“May Your Passion For Sitar Grow…”: PM Modi Applauds Singapore Deputy PM
“May your passion for the Sitar continue to grow and inspire others”, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took to his official X (formerly Twitter) handle and appreciated the incumbent Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong for his passion for learning Sitar. Sitar is an Indian plucked stringed instrument, looks like a guitar, but is larger and has more strings.
Mr Modi praised the Deputy PM’s attempt to learn the instrument and wished his passion would grow and inspire others. The Indian PM also took the opportunity to honour and acknowledge the country’s centuries long musical history. “India”s musical history is a symphony of diversity, echoing through rhythms that have evolved over millennia”, he said while sharing a tweet by Mr Wong.
May your passion for the Sitar continue to grow and inspire others. Best wishes on this melodious endeavour. India”s musical history is a symphony of diversity, echoing through rhythms that have evolved over millennia. @LawrenceWongST https://t.co/fewFAquSZL
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 14, 2023
Mr Wong’s post was from Sunday, November 12, the occasion in which Indian’s celebrated the festival of lights – Diwali. He posted a video on X in which he is seen instructed by an Indian-origin man named Karthigayan and was taking lessons on Sitar.
“Getting a quick intro to the beautiful tunes of the sitar”, said the Singapore Deputy PM. He also appreciated the “patience” of his tutor in teaching the instrument. “Karthigayan here has been learning for a while, and he has been very patient in guiding me through the basic techniques”, Mr Wong added.
He said, he enjoyed the experience of learning Sitar and greeted India as it is rich in terms of “classical music heritage”. “Enjoyed the experience, and the chance to learn more about the rich classical Indian music heritage!”, he wrote on X sharing the video.
The footage begins with a greeting from Mr Wong, “Hi everyone, I am here with Mr Karthik today and he is going to teach me how to play sitar”. Towards the end, he wishes everyone Diwali in Tamil language.
Sitar produces a unique sound due to its two layers of strings and deep, round chamber. It is typically 1.2 meters (4 feet) in length and has 18 to 21 strings, of which seven are played with the fingers while the rest are drone and sympathetic strings. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in 19th-century India. It is popular in northern India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
