Actress Mischa Barton criticized for gripeing over not finding a sitar teacher in India

Welcoming actress Mischa Barton for “amazing spiritual exploration visiting Hindu temples”, Hindus have criticized her for her blog where she complained of difficulty to “procure a great sitar teacher”.

Barton was in India regarding filming of “Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain”, an upcoming historical-drama set amidst 1984 Bhopal industrial disaster in which she plays Eva with Martin Sheen. She wrote in her blog titled “Hii it’s Mischa checkin in!”: “I must say my goal coming here was to learn to play the sitar and it’s coming along real slow as apparently it’s not that easy to procure a great sitar teacher here, I guess it not late 60’s with Ravi Shankar and George Harrison roaming around unfortunately!!!!”

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that India, whose music roots went back to Vedic period, had abundance of great sitar players. If Mischa could not “procure” a great sitar teacher in India, chances of finding the teacher outside India would be even slimmer. It was a very immature statement and kind of mocking the rich musical heritage of India, Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, added.

But hailing Barton’s Hindu temples experience, Zed urged her to undertake a deeper study of Hinduism saying that Hinduism offered rich philosophical thought and Hinduism concepts evolved over thousands of years. If Mischa needed any assistance in her study of Hinduism, he or other Hindu leaders would be glad to share their knowledge, Zed pointed out.

Twenty-three year old Mischa Anne Marsden Barton, winner of Teen Choice Award, is best known for her role as Marissa Cooper in the American television show “The O.C.”.

Sitar is a plucked stringed instrument developed around 13th century CE and is used throughout Indian subcontinent. Beatles, Rolling Stones, Metallica, Ricky Nelson, Turtles, Elton John, Bon Jovi, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Janet Jackson, Coldplay, etc., have used sitar in their songs.

Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion with about one billion adherents and moksha (liberation) is its ultimate goal.

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