While flute maestro Hariprasad Chaurasia is undoubtedly the most admired Indian musician in Israel, it turns out that many Israeli women have relied on the soothing effect of his music to take them through testing times - pregnancy and labour pain.

“I have special yoga classes for pregnant women once a week and I always use Chaurasiaji’s music during these lessons. Most of the women develop a liking for it and have told me that his CDs were the first thing they put in their labour pack, while arranging the essentials", Tamar Bental, an India enthusiast and a Jerusalem based yoga teacher told agencies.

Hari Prasad Chaurasia
“I am a big fan of his and listening to his music makes my conviction stronger in the ability of arts to heal mind. I have been to all his four performances in Jerusalem", Bental added. An Israeli woman, Boggie, with a year and seven month old daughter, Eden, confirms this by saying that Chaurasia’s music was a big help in keeping her calm during a very prolonged contraction period in the labour room.

“I believe his music saw me through those difficult hours. I had instructed the staff to play his CD again and again. Though i do not have much exposure to India, I am hooked to his music", she said. Yet another Israeli woman, Anat, appreciated the “balming effect” of Chaurasia’s music which see feels can relieve one of all stress.

“I listened to his music all through my pregnancy. I was so certain about what music to carry with me to the Labour room. I took all the four CD’s of Hariprasad that i have in the house and nothing else", she said adding, “my daughter would certainly have developed a liking for it having heard it hundreds of times before facing the real world".

The maestro when posed with the question is a little surprised. “Bansuri is connected to nature in the true sense. It has no wires, no strings. It is possible that being a thing of the nature, it brings certain miraculous powers. After all it is also the instrument of Lord Krishna", he told.

Clearly the most popular Indian musician here, Chaurasia’s fourth performance in Jerusalem last Thursday was a much awaited event which drew his fans from all over the country.

The performance in front of a capacity crowd in Jerusalem Theatre’s biggest auditorium kicked off the musical segment, “On the wings of the Raga", of the three week long Indian festival to commemorate twenty years of Indo-Israel diplomatic ties.

Courtesy: http://wonderwoman.intoday.in