Rajeev Goenka Profile

The Goenka family (Shri Sevakramji), around 1807, migrated from Navalgarh in the Shekhawati area of Rajasthan to Dundlod, just seven km away. In 1896 the seventh-generation Ramchandraji (born in 1844) founded the Hindu Vidhava Sahayak Fund and the Ramachandra Goenka Charitable Trust (RCG), which is still being managed and run fruitfully by the Goenka family for charitable causes; prime thrust being given to Dundlod.

The Rajeev Goenka Academy (RGA), an offshoot of RCG, was set up initially in Kolkata with a branch in Mumbai for furthering the cause of Hindustani classical music.

Rajeev Goenka, (born 1945), the founder of RGA, is the fourth generation scion of Ramchandraji. Born and brought up in Kolkata, Rajeev Goenka, who belonged to a family of music connoisseurs, got an initiation in classical music at the tender age of 5. His passion for music blossomed in Mumbai to where he had migrated in 1964 to run the family business. Baithaks at his residence were organized, live recordings done and a vast collection of both live music and studio recordings was rapidly amassed.

Rajeev Goenka’s passion for music took shape in the creation of RGA, which he formed to not only preserve the heritage of Indian classical music but to encourage the music buff to learn more and revel in the rich diversity of a treasure trove of music, which was fast disappearing from public attention due to neglect.

Dundlod was selected to be the home of the Academy instead of the more conventional Kolkata or Mumbai. It was only befitting that this venture be in Rajasthan and in particular in Dundlod, since the Goenka family had been associated with the village for generations with their charitable activities for the wellbeing and social upliftment of the residents. As Dundlod makes a transition from a sleepy village in rural Rajasthan to a hub of education and cultural activities, RGA could very well be its jewel in the crown in times to come.