First appeared in www.scroll.in on July 25, 2015. The guru-shishya relation today is no longer what it once was. In the past, the search for a guru for Hindustani music was arduous. The shishya (disciple) had to locate a good guru and convince the master of his or her capabilities and dedication. The shishya was often expected to perform menial tasks in the guru’s household in the hope that the guru would turn benevolent at some point and impart