A Wiccan in Pink City and the passing away of a legend

February 7, 2015: Yesterday was a very busy day again in Jaipur. In the morning, I went to Prakash Surana’s residence to pay my condolences to his family members. I wrote an obituary in the DNA After Hours in his memory which was liked by his family members and other well wishers.

May I mention that Prakash ji, who lived up to his name, had opened the doors of the Pink City for the Indian classical music fraternity. He wanted to be an engineer but fate had other plans for him. He entered the jewellery business and created and nurtured a jewellery brand for over five decades.

The A to Z of musicians from far and near knew him in person and had visited his house and dined with him one time or the other. Prakash ji was what legends are made of.

Prakash ji was a tireless worker who carved out a niche in the jewellery industry. He was a connoisseur of music and its patron. He, along with his friends, created a music society called “Shruti Mandal” in 1962. I was introduced to Prakash ji by singer Manesha A Agarwal.

Life is so full of uncertainties. Only last week I met Prakash ji for a short while at the Polo Club where Sudhir Mathur was hosting a Polo Exhibition match for his family trust. He seemed healthy and fine for his 76 years of age.

It is easy to run an institution successfully for few years, but it takes a Prakash Surana to run one for several decades, maintaining the same high standards. He was a gifted and self disciplined man. I think every auditorium in Jaipur and elsewhere would miss his presence.

In the afternoon, I had a meeting with Vishwamohan Bhatt for planning out the future of Rajasthan Forum. Later in the evening I took a flight back to Kolkata.

With Jane Himmeth Singh, Ipsita Roy Chakraverti, Rani Vidya Devi and Apra Kuchal

On Saturday evening I attended the event organized by FICCI FLO, an evening of mystery and revelations with Wiccan high priestess Ipsita Roy Chakraverti on The Spirit World & How does Wicca Interact with it. The event was held at The Sapphire Hall in Hotel Marriott where I was the Guest of Honour.

With Ipsita Roy Chakraverti

Ipsita Roy Chakraverti is a very interesting personality - a Wiccan high priestess who is adept in the occult. She is also an author and a woman activist. She is said to invoke the elementals as per the ancient Wiccan tradition and has worked her way up to become a high priestess in the Wiccan hierarchy. She is a woman of strong personality and at the same time mysterious and charming. In 2006 she founded the Wiccan Brigade where men and women come together to study the long lost ancient traditions and mysteries.

With Apra Kuchal and Ipsita Roy Chakraverti at the Ficci FLO event

Ipsita made some very interesting revelations at the FICCI FLO event regarding the haunted havelis and forts of Rajasthan. She said that besides the Bhangarh Fort, the Nahargarh Fort in Jaipur too was a spooky place that abounds in the presence of spirits which she found after a daylong stay. She and her team had investigated on the paranormal using scientific instruments and cameras. The results were startling. She said she gathered empirical evidence of strange orbs. A strange green light was also detected by the cameras in that fort during day time she said.

The FICCI FLO event was immensely liked by the members.

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