A 42-years-old artist from Mathura, Manmohan Kaushik, has been learning music through the age-old tradition of Haveli Sangeet of their family. Being part of a musical family allowed him to learn at a very young age taking inspiration from his ancestors, most importantly, his Father, Hari Babu Kaushik. He has been working hard towards achieving mastery in his craft and pursues it with soaring passion. He considers Hari Babu Kaushik as his guru and speaks very highly of their teaching, calibre, and achievements in music. He has also done an MA in music. He also believes that music has been passed on to him from ancestors traditionally, who have a natural desire for mastering the art of singing Haveli Sangeet and playing the Sarangi. Kaushik Gharana is believed to be one of the primary flag bearers of Haveli sangeet for the past five generations. When he was a child, he would try imitating his father, an eminent Sarangi wadak (player) apart from being a great singer and thus picked up the Sarangi and never stopped learning. He also knows how to sing Haveli Sangeet apart from playing the Sarangi and has performed in various locations with various artists within the state and the country. He is a very soft-spoken and shy person but when it comes to playing the sarangi, he never shies away and pulls off brilliant performances at different festivals and musical conventions in Hyderabad, Delhi, Karnataka only to dazzle the crowds and regards his performance at his hometown Mathura as the most memorable experience. He is also a regular artist in All India Radio and has done many recordings to his name. He lives in a family of four people and has his wife and three children. Music is his only source of income. He is dependent on shows and charges around 5000 rupees per show. He believes music is everything and the future lies in music.
- Braj
- Uttar Pradesh