We are in The Bahamas at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, a place where Sachdev has been coming for over 40 years. This has been a second home to him, and continues to be for us. Right now, we are here for the Classical Indian Music Festival that Sachdev started here 16 years ago. This year’s festival, which Sachdev had been scheduled to perform at, is dedicated to his memory. We continue the festival to honor him and the music that he loved to share with all of us.
At the exact time of the Vernal Equinox, at 5:58pm Eastern Time today, the 20th of March, 2019, we will release his ashes into the warm blue ocean here. We will have a silent ceremony at the beach from 5pm-6pm.
Then, tomorrow, on the 21st – following the festival’s closing concert performed by his ‘little brother’ Swapan Chaudhuri with Habib Khan, We will have a puja with the Sivananda family.
The beach gathering will be a silent meditation, open-faith to honor and represent people of all beliefs:
Specifically, every person joining us is welcome and encouraged to express your connection to Sachdev in your own way. There will be no official speeches. You are welcome to create your own ceremony at the beach, say your own prayers, celebrate Sachdev ji’s life or mourn his passing as you wish. There is no dress code. Feel free to dress as you wish. This will be a gathering of presence.
If you wish to share your thoughts, photos, experiences with or stories of Sachdev, we will set up a page here on Sachdev’s website for dedications. You can send an email to sachdevmemories@gmail.com. We will periodically add to this page as emails come in.
Photos below are from Part 2 of the memorial ceremonies in India and Thailand.
We are about to embark on our trip to India with Sachdev’s ashes to visit the Ganga (Ganges) river in Haridwar, India on January 6th, 2019. This will be part 2 of our 3 part ceremony, which began on August 18th at Bolinas Beach in California, and will follow on the Spring Equinox (March 20th) on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.
We will gather on Sunday, the 6th of January, at the banks of the Ganga river between noon and 1:00pm. Ceremony will be at 1:30pm IST (India time) / 12:00AM PST (California time). If you wish to join us, and are able to be there in person, we will meet at the Raja Birla Clock Tower (Har Ki Pauri, Haridwar, Uttarakhand 249401, India). From there, at 1:30pm, we will go to Malviya Dveep Ghat (right by the clock tower) and walk to Gau Ghat (Note: Exact locations that we go to will be determined once we are there, but we will meet at the Clock Tower first and go from there).
All gatherings will be silent meditations, open-faith to honor and represent people of all beliefs: Specifically, every person joining us is welcome and encouraged to express your connection to Sachdev in your own way. There will be no official speeches. You are welcome to create your own ceremony at the river, say your own prayers, celebrate Sachdev ji’s life or mourn his passing as you wish. There is no dress code. Feel free to dress as you wish. This will be a gathering of presence.
Below are photos from our service on August 18th, 2018 at Bolinas Beach and at our home in San Rafael, where we had a tree planting ceremony. (full album on Facebook)
Sachdev ji left his body on the morning of June 24th, 2018, peacefully at home with his wife, Saroj, and a close family friend & student.
Sachdev ji was diagnosed with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma at the beginning of the year. He lived a full and amazing life for over 80 years, and shared his music and personality with so many of you.
While there was a period of a couple of months when he was undergoing treatment that he was unable to play his flute, he picked it back up and played a little bit every day, until his last day here. His flute was his breath. His students, audience, friends and family were his life.
He left us with a lifetime of music, love and inspiration.
On Sachdev ji’s behalf, we thank you for all of your support, Love, Saroj (Sachdev’s wife) and Amar (Sachdev’s son).
Friends, family, supporters of G.S. Sachdev:
Join us in celebrating Sachdev ji’s life and music. We are having a series of ceremonies to spread his ashes. His home is this earth, where so many of you around all parts of the world experienced his music and his personality. His family is you, every one of you who have known him in one form or another. Each of you shared your love and energy with him as much as he shared his with you.
Sachdev’s wife – Saroj, and son – Amar, will be coordinating a series of simple ceremonies to spread Sachdev ji’s ashes around the world.
We will begin on the 18th of August, 2018 at Bolinas Beach in California, from 11am – 1pm Pacific Daylight time. All who wish to come are invited to join us at the beach (details below). If you are unable to join us at the beach, you can join us from where you are. We will all be connected through the ocean and earth.
On January 6th, 2019, We will release some of his ashes into the Ganga river in Rishikesh, India.
On March 20-21, 2019, we will release some of his ashes into the warm blue sea at Paradise Island, Bahamas on the Spring Equinox. This will be part of the Sivananda Classical Indian Music Festival which Sachdev ji created and curated for the past few years.
During any of these times, you can join us from your location, or if you wish to join with us at the specified locations, you are most welcome.
All gatherings will be silent meditations, open-faith to honor and represent people of all beliefs:
Specifically, every person joining us is welcome and encouraged to express your connection to Sachdev in your own way. There will be no official speeches. You are welcome to create your own ceremony at the beach, say your own prayers, celebrate Sachdev ji’s life or mourn his passing as you wish. There is no dress code. Feel free to dress as you wish. This will be a gathering of presence.
If you wish to share your thoughts, photos, experiences with or stories of Sachdev, we will set up a page here on Sachdev’s website for dedications. You can send an email to sachdevmemories@gmail.com. We will periodically add to this page as emails come in.
Schedule of Services
August 18, 2018 Pacific Ocean Bolinas Beach, CA. 11am-1pm (Ashes to ocean at noon)
Gather at the entrance at the end of Brighton Road, at 11am. Ashes will be taken to the ocean at noon.
Arrive early, as parking may be difficult. Make sure to bring warm clothes and try to take public transportation or carpool, as parking is very limited.
TRANSPORTATION:
Marin Transit has a shuttle bus, Route #61 from Sausalito (Marin City) or Mill Valley.
Schdule and route: https://marintransit.org/routes/61 (Select the SAT schedule).
The 10am bus from Marin City Hub (10:14am from Miller Avenue & Camino Alto in Mill Valley near Tamalpais Highschool) arrives to Brighton Ave & Wharf Road corner at 11:14am. It is about 5 minutes walk to the beach down Brighton Ave. There is an earlier bus arriving at 9:34. Return bus leave the same stop at 1:36pm.
GATHERING LOCATION:
We will meet at the boat ramp at the end of Brighton Avenue. We will arrive a bit before 11am. You can enter the beach from the end of Wharf Road also, and walk along the beach to the ramp (about 3-5 min walk). For anyone who cannot walk far, the Brighton Ave. entrance is best. It will be best to be dropped off and have someone who can walk a bit to go park the car after dropping you off. At noon, Amar will take Sachdev’s ashes to the ocean in this area at the end of the ramp.
Bring a blanket or something to lay on the beach to sit on, or a portable chair if you wish. Note that there are no food facilities at the beach but there are cafes, a grocery store (Bolinas Supermarket) and health food store (Bolinas People’s store) in town. – about 10 minutes walk from where we will be.
PARKING:
There is very limited parking along the street, so we recommend coming early to find a parking spot. Pay attention to the “No Parking” signs that are on one side of the street at certain spots. It is a $99 fine.
DIRECTIONS:
Coming from Richmond – San Rafael Bridge:
Coming from Golden Gate Bridge:
RITUALS, OFFERINGS:
If you wish to bring a flower or offering to go into the ocean, Please make sure anything you bring is biodegradable / compostable, safe for the ocean environment and animals. Anything like a garland with string can be harmful, so please keep that in mind.
January 6, 2019
Ganga River
Rishikesh, India
Time and exact location TBA.
Will be noted on Sachdev’s website a couple of months before.
March 20, 2019
Atlantic Ocean
Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas
Sivandanda Ashram Yoga Retreat
Spring Equinox ceremony, spreading of ashes 5-6pm March 21, 2019
Concert celebration of Sachdev’s life 8-10pm
Details of the January and March ceremonies will be announced once exact times and locations are confirmed. There will be some additional ceremonies hosted by other organizations and people. Any additional public ceremonies and memorial services will be announced on Sachdev’s website. If you wish to host a ceremony or memorial, and wish for it to be public, feel free to send an e-mail to sachdevmemories@gmail.com with information for us to post on Sachdev’s website.
NOTES ON SACHDEV’S WEBSITE
Sachdev’s website will remain active with updates on any future memorial concerts or services, and will remain active to purchase Sachdev’s music. New Memorial pages will be added to the website as well. One page with our stories and photos of Sachdev’s music and life, and one page where friends and fans can send in notes, dedications, speeches, photos, videos, cards, etc. that can be submitted to sachdevmemories@gmail.com.
“Let my life be simple and straight, like a flute of reed for thee to fill with music”
– Rabindranath Tagore
Intimate Performance with Bansuri Master G.S. Sachdev,
joined by Nikhil Pandya on Tabla.
Proceeds will go toward replacing the roof of the Krishna Temple and building the new healing Dhanwanthari Temple at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm, Grass Valley, CA
We have started using the Square Marketplace for online orders of CDs. Digital Downloads are still through CD Baby, with more titles being added in the next months. Next release for download is Patterns (currently available on DVD).
The opening night of Other Minds 18 features traditional music from the outer edges of Scandinavia to the heart of North India. The genre-busting folk music trio Gáman will perform the U.S. premiere of Accvire by Sunleif Rasmussen, Other Minds’ first ever invited composer from the Faroe Islands, alongside traditional music from this untouched region. Gáman’s set includes the world premiere of Danish composer Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen’s Together or Not, commissioned by Other Minds for this concert. The music then turns to India and features the ultra-long bansuri, a tender low register sounding instrument, in the hands of the great Hindustani classical music master G.S. Sachdev. He will be joined on stage by the tabla virtuoso Swapan Chaudhuri in a performance of two ragas.
Gáman (Denmark)
Bolette Roed, Recorder
Andreas Borregaard, Accordion
Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, Violin
Brestiskvædi, Traditional from the Faroe Islands Accvire (2008, U.S. Premiere) by Sunlief Rasmussen Ormurin Langi, Traditional from the Faroe Islands Regin Smidur, Traditional from the Faroe Islands Two Polonesses, Traditional from Denmark Together or Not (2013, World Premiere) by Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen Two drum songs, Traditional from Greenland Stenselepolskan, Traditional from Sweden
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