Medicine, Music and Meditation

First I would like to pay my heartfelt gratitude to God who initiated the love towards Music. In my very childhood Krishna’s flute touched my heart. It happened when I went to a fair and the love at first sight happened when first I heard one basuri seller playing flute, the Hero movie song. The flute music touched my feelings making its footprints in my heart and I started enjoying the flute music. 

One of my Brother’s friend suggested me not to play flute without learning raaga from an able Guru and then he gifted one of his flute which was small sized and made of bamboo. 

I was very happy to play bamboo flute and I lost interest in everything and spending most of the time with that flute , some time sitting on the terrace of my House playing for hours. I started searching flute guru but unfortunately i could not find any one in my native place and then joined the vocal classes of Smt Angarkar and learnt basic swaras for 3 months. 

After finishing my post-graduation study in Homoeopathic science I came to Dharwad in 2003 to continue the medical practice. Thirst for music made me to choose dharwad as it is a place famous as the musicians paradise. 

I came to know about Shri Venugopal Hegde Sir and the flute classes. I rushed to his home which is filled with peace and loving hearts. Venugopal ji taught me the basics and advanced flute playing techniques for many years. Along with beautiful flute music he also introduced a great mediation method to me by which the 3M's of my life were formed; Medicine, Music and Meditation. I think these 3 essence made my life most beautiful. Thank you very much Sir for giving me the opportunity to express my heartfelt feelings.

Dr. Santosh Mathapati, MD

Dharwad, India