In May 2006 the singer Girija Devi tied a sacred thread on the wrist of the singer Malini Awasthi at her home in Varanasi. The ceremony is the ganda bandhan. “Gandabandh is a traditional knot-tying ceremony, which cements the relationship between a guru and his shishya,” wrote The Tribune. “Usually performed on an auspicious day, it heralds the beginning of teaching.”
Pandit Jasraj, the newspaper reported, holds the other side of the bond. A guru cannot demand respect. He has to command it with his conduct.