Music and Society

Introduction to Indian Musical

Dynasties
This page aim to provide a general introduction on the traditional
Indian musical institution called gharana. Indian Classical music
can be described a religion whereby the music, knowledge and
musical research was traditionally passed down from guru to
disciple by word of mouth. In many old musical families the guru
or teacher, is the father and the disciple or student, the son. A
gharana, or musical dynasty is formed when this process of
teaching is passed down for five or six generations. There are two
types of gharana in India, direct gharanas in which music has
remained within a family and indirect gharanas, where in the
absence of sons or musically talented sons, the teacher chooses to
pass on his knowledge to a talented student. In India there are
very few direct or true gharanas left. Students will find here few
articles written by renowned specialists in the field of Indian
classical music.
THE GHARANA
David Courtney, Ph.D.
The concept of gharana was peculiar to orth Indian music. The
word "Gharana" literally means !house! and it implies the house
of the teacher. It was linked to the very ancient concept of the
Guru-Shishya-Parampara "linage of teacher #disciple$ but it had
some interesting twists. The names of the gharanas were almost
always derived from a geographical location. This was usually the
city, district or state that the founder lived in. Two examples are
the Gwalior Gharana (vocal) or the Farukhabad Gharana (tabla).
The gharana system as we think of it today was not really very
old. %ost of the gharanas began not more than &''()'' years
old. The modern gharanas were generally traceable to the period
when the %ogul empire collapsed. Gharanas were found
throughout the orth in every field of dance, vocal and
instrumental music. They tend to be distinct among themselves.
That is to say that you generally do not find tabla players saying
that they are from a vocal gharana or a vocalist claiming to come
from a kathak gharana. This is reasonable. *ne would not expect
an accountant to use his golf skills as and endorsement of his
abilities as an accountant. In the professional sense a gharana had
some of the characteristics of a guild. It was always understood
that tracing ones linage to a ma+or gharana was a prere,uisite for
obtaining a position in the royal courts. The gharanas were
entrusted with the duty of maintaining a certain standard of
musicianship. In the artistic sense the gharana was somewhat
comparable to a !style! or !school!. *ver the years poor
transportation and communication caused the various gharanas to
adopt their own particular approach to presentation, techni,ue and
repertoire. In the -'th century the gharana system had a negative
impact on the standard of musicianship. Improvements in
communications made it a professional imperative for musicians to
have as broad of a background as possible. The secretive nature of
the gharana system coupled with the fact that gharanas tended to
speciali.e in only one techni,ue or approach was inconsistent with
modern pedagogic and professional re,uirements. In the end of
the -'th century, musicians who proclaim loudest that they were
!such(and(such! gharana often had the least rounded background.
It is for this reason that many of the aspects of this system were
abandoned by modern music colleges in India. Today the gharana
exists in its vestigial form. Although musicians routinely declare
that they are such and such gharana, it usually has no practical
meaning. The loss of royal patronage coupled with the loss of
artistic identity have virtually destroyed the system. /harana is
used in 0indi and 1rdu to refer to the core component in the
organi.ational structure of orth Indian "or 0industani$ music and
dance, in other words a family of hereditary occupational
specialists. Traditionally the gharana is headed by an authoritative
musician(teacher called the 2halifa, and comprises members
related by blood and#or musical knowledge "talim$.
3avid Courtney, 4h.3. has been performing on the tabla since
&56-. 0e first studied pakhawa+ "an ancient barrel shaped drum$
under the famous 7akir 0ussain at the Ali Akbar College of
%usic. 0e then moved to India and spent a number of years
learning tabla under the late 1stad Shaik 3awood 2han of
0yderabad. 0e has performed extensively on stage, T8, disk, and
radio, in India, 9urope and the 1nited States. Along with his wife,
he composed the theme music for 0ouston:s Indian T8 program
called !ASIAA! and recorded the theme music for the radio
program !I3IA ;I<9! which aired in the Austin area. 0e has
accompanied many great musicians including Ashish 2han,
<akshmi Shankar, and 4andit =asra+ 0e is well versed in the
academic side of music. 3uring the >'s he received great acclaim
in academic circles for his pioneering work in the application of
computers to Indian music. This work is found in his doctoral
dissertation !A <ow Cost System for the Computeri.ation of orth
Indian Classical %usic!. 0e is the author of numerous books and
articles on the sub+ect of Indian music including, Introduction to
Tabla, 9lementary orth Indian 8ocal, <earning the Tabla,
;undamentals of Tabla, Advanced Theory of Tabla, %anufacture
and ?epair of Tabla and ;ocus on the 2aidas of Tabla. 0is articles
have appeared in !%odern 3rummer! and !4ercussive otes!. 0e
is presently on the @oard of 3irectors of the Texas Institute for
Indian Studies. ?ecently along with his wife Chandra, he was
given an award of recognition for outstanding contributions to the
arts by the American Telugu Association. 0e is very active today
in musical activities. 0e is an artist with Aoung Audiences. 0e is
also the percussionist in the fusion group 8ani, and has several
C3s to his credit. ?ecently he composed and performed some
music for the film !3ancing in Twilight!, a film staring 9rick
Avari, <ouise ;letcher, %imi ?ogers, 2al 4enn, Sheetal Shet.
4lease visit his Beb site at this address.
www.chandrakantha.com
Genealoical !usins
A "rie# discussion o# the Delhi ta"la harana
$a!es %i&&en
3elhi has been a locus for tabla playing since the early to mid(
eighteenth century. %any people argue it was !invented! there, and
that its inventor:s lineage is the oldest continuous tabla tradition.
This is a brief outline of the 3elhi lineage, including genealogical
information and a little historical analysis#commentary. The
information comes largely from the gharana:s khalifa, or head, the
late 1stad Inam Ali 2han and his uncle, 1stad %unnu 2han. It
was collected during the early &5>'s, and recorded interviews with
these gharana members took place in 3elhi in April &5>C. I hope to
add further information about the repertoire as time goes on.
QuickTime and a
TIFF(LZW) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
1stad %unnu 2han
CavatD I do not wish to get into a debate with my friend 3aniel
euman "The <ife of %usic in orth India. ew 3elhiD %anohar,
&5>'$ about the validity of the term !gharana! for tabla lineages.
0e and others know my views, and I am using the term here as
those 3elhi informants used it when speaking directly with me in
the 1rdu language. I am aware that the term came into existence
only around the end of the nineteenth century, that it was used
primarily by !soloists! "using eumanEs term$, and that
FaccompanistsG like tabla players probably began using the term to
validate their knowledge, raise their music to the status of an art,
and to elevate their own social status. As with all genealogies, the
one I give here is incomplete and probably somewhat selective. In
anthropology we call this kind of selectivity !structural amnesia!. I
take the view that history is a reconstruction of the past that
+ustifies the present. otwithstanding, my primary source was the
genealogy I saw written in 1rdu. I read and speak 1rdu, and I have
therefore been able to verify what 3elhi gharana members believe
to be true. Bhether the document reflects this knowledge, or the
knowledge has been crystalli.ed because this version of the family
tree exists on paper, is worthy of a future debate.
*rigins
o documentary evidence yet exists for the !invention! of tabla.
%any scholars have tried to show either that "&$ tabla existed over
-,''' years ago "temple carvings seem to indicate hori.ontally
played drums, but alas with no organological similarity$, or that "-$
tabla resulted from the chopping in half of a pakhava+. The
pakhava+ theory has some credibility because of the similarity of
the smaller head of that drum to the right head of the tabla pair
"dahina, dayan, or simply tabla$. As the excellent study of tabla by
?ebecca Stewart has suggested "The Tabla in 4erspective.
1npublished thesis, 1C<A, &56C$, tabla was most likely a hybrid
drum set resulting from experiments with and adaptations of
existing drums such as pakhava+, dholak, and na,,ara. The origins
of tabla repertoire and techni,ue may be found in all three, and in
physical structure and playing techni,ue there are also elements of
all threeD for example, the smaller pakhava+ head for the dahina,
the na,,ara kettledrum for the bayan, and the flexible use of the
bass of the dholak. Tabla first appears in writings and in miniatures
from the &6C's on. Be therefore assume tabla to have first
appeared sometime in the early eighteenth century. The first tabla
players were undoubtedly also experts on other drums. Socially
these early tabla musicians were mainly from the 3hari community
"%irasi !caste!$. Some were Sunni %uslims, but a large and
significant group belonged to "or at some stage had opted to
convert from 0induism to$ the Shia %uslim sect. *ne of these
Shias was Sudhar 2han 3hari. Sudhar 2han is the earliest tabla
player we know of through genealogical record, and many believe
he was responsible for creating this instrument. Sudhar 2han is the
forefather to whom members of the 3elhi tabla lineage trace their
ancestry. It seems natural, therefore, that Sudhar 2han would be
attributed with the tablaEs invention by default.
/enealogy
It is not easy to visuali.e a family tree from a linear description
such as the one I provide below. There is a graphic representation
on page H> my book, The Tabla of <ucknow, Cambridge
1niversity 4ress, &5>>. 0owever, it can be ,uite useful and
instructive if readers map out the relationships for themselves on a
sheet of paper. Sudhar 2han 3hari had two sonsD Chote 2han and
0usain 2han. <et us deal with the younger son first, 0usain 2han.
*n the 3elhi genealogical chart I saw noted that 0usain 2han had
four sons, only one of whom was namedD Cha++u 2han. @oth 3elhi
and <ucknow lore tell of two brothers from 3elhi leaving to seek
patronage in <ucknow. *ne of these brothers might well have been
the founder of the <ucknow tabla gharana, %iyan @akhshu 2han
3hari. There is a professed clan linkage between 3elhi and
<ucknow, and they are both Shia. 0owever, somewhat
confusingly, <ucknow lore tells of @akhshu 2han arriving in
<ucknow from Iasur in the 4an+ab "now in 4akistan, +ust south of
<ahore$. Chote 2han had three sonsD @ugara 2han, Chand 2han,
and <alle %asit 2han. @ugara 2han had two sonsD Shitab Ali 2han
and /ulab Ali 2han. Chand 2han had no sons. <alle %asit 2han
had one son, anne 2han, who in turn had no sons. Shitab Ali
2han had two sonsD %uhammad 2han and a.ar Ali 2han. /ulab
Ali 2han had no sons. %uhammad 2han had one sonD Chote
2han. a.ar Ali 2han had no sons. Chote 2han had two sonsD
/amay 2han "&>>)(&5J>$ and %unnu 2han "K&5''(5'K$, who was
one of my informants. /amay 2han had one sonD Inam Ali 2han
"&5-C(5'$, who was my other informant. Inam Ali has several
sons, but the only one who plays tabla is /hulam 0aider 2han
"though reports suggest he is not particularly accomplished$. There
is another twist in the genealogy. ?emember @ugara 2han had two
sonsK 0e also had a daughter "her name not recorded$ who was
married to one %akkhu 2han. %akkhu 2han had a son, @are 2ale
2han. @are 2ale 2han had a son, Bali @akhsh 2han "K some
uncertainty about the name$. Bali @akhsh 2han had a son, atthu
2han. atthu 2han "&>6J(&5C'$ was one of the great players of his
age. Bali @akhsh 2han also had a daughter who married /amay
2han. ow perhaps you see what I mean about structural amnesia.
9verything in this lineage explains the evolution of 1stad Inam Ali
2han and his links to the two 3elhi greats of recent timesD /amay
2han and atthu 2han. Bhether all these other ancestors actually
had no sons is debatable. Also, women do not figure in the
genealogical tree unless they +ustify the existence of certain male
figures. %any of these female links could indeed be important,
specially since there is in Indian %uslim society a pattern of
endogamous "i.e. within the clan$ marriage. evertheless, there is
likely to be a high degree of accuracy in the names and
relationships that are mentioned, even if it is selective. And as for
dates, no one is very clear about this but it seems reasonable to
suggest that Sudhar 2han 3hari was born in the early &6''s. @y
adding )' years "as an average$ for each generation thereafter one
obtains a reasonable diachronic mapping of generations to the
present day. There has been no mention so far of <atif Ahmed
2han "&5C&(5'$, arguably one of the greatest tabla players of the
-'th century, though in later years he suffered greatly from alcohol
abuse and died an untimely death. A Sunni %uslim, he was a
disciple of both /amay 2han and Inam Ali, though relationships
with Inam Ali soured in later years. %y assessment is that this
tabla tradition died with Inam Ali and <atif Ahmed. They in turn
left a number of disciples in India and 9urope, but none that I
know of has the range of knowledge or the techni,ue to pro+ect
that knowledge as a living performance tradition into the future.
James Kippen teaches a range of ethnomusicoog! courses at the "ni#ersit! of
Toronto. $e studied %ocia &nthropoog! and 'thnomusicoog! under John
(acking and John (ai! at Queen)s "ni#ersit!* (efast. $is doctora research in
Luckno+* India* deat +ith tabla drumming in its socio,cutura conte-t*
particuar! as interpreted .! his teacher* the hereditar! master &fa/ $ussain
Khan0 the stud! +as ater pu.ished as The Tabla of Lucknow: A Cultural
Analysis of a Musical Tradition (1am.ridge "ni#ersit! 2ress* 3455). $e hed t+o
post,doctora feo+ships for computer,assisted musica ana!sis* and taught
&nthropoog! and 'thnomusicoog! courses at Queen6s .efore 7oining the
"ni#ersit! of Toronto in Januar! 3448. %ince then he has .een a+arded t+o
ma7or research grants from the %ocia %cience and $umanities 9esearch 1ounci
of 1anada to pursue an in#estigation of cutura concepts of time in Indian music
and societ!* and the changing theor! and practice of rh!thm and metre in
$industani music. $e continues to stud! and practise .oth tabla and pakhavaj
drums.
James Kippen has pu.ished in a #ariet! of schoar! 7ournas such as
Anthropological Quarterly* Music Perception* Coputers and the !uanities*
Minds and Machines* "orld of Music* #ournal of the $ndian Musicological
%ociety* Asian Music etc.* and has contri.uted a ke! artice on :orth Indian
metric theor! and drumming to the &arland 'ncyclopedia of "orld Music. $is
most recent .ook* &urudev(s )ruing Legacy: Music* Theory and +ationalis
in the Mrdang aur Tabla ,adanpaddhati of &urudev Patwardhan* transates*
transcri.es and ana!ses an ear! reformist te-t on Indian drumming* and paces
the +ork in rich historica and socio,cutura conte-ts. It is soon to .e pu.ished
ate in ;88< .! &shgate as part of its %choo of =rienta and &frican %tudies
>usicoog! %eries.
2ease #isit his We. site at this address.
http?@@+++.kippen.org@

The G'alior Gharana( Music Pro#iles
Susheela Mishra
In the history of 0industani classical music /walior stands out as
prominently as, if not more than 3elhi, <uck now, ?ampur, =aipur
and 3eccan(0yderabad. The traditions of this music are
inextricably associated with /walior. *ur sources of information
about the modes of Indian music prior to the %uslim period are
scanty and so our notions on them are rather ha.y. The !@haratha
atya Sastra! of @harat %uni, the !@rihaddesi! by %atanga and
!Sangeetaratnakara! are the earliest treatises we have. It was
during the %uslim period that the music that we now call
0industani music blossomed, thanks to unforgettable names like
Amir 2husro, who not only invented and introduced new ragas,
tolas and instruments, but effectively blended 4ersian touches into
Indian music. !Art being a living organism, it is bound to expand!
and music being pre(eminently an Art, it is of an extremely
changing nature. %usical fashions, like all other fashions, have
always undergone change after change and have been molded and
remolded to suit changed tastes and trends through every era. In
this process, 0industani music, as it is to(day stands inseparably
associated with, and deeply indebted to /walior.
3hrupadD The inception of music all over the world has been from
?eligion. In today:s classical music, the :3hrupad! occupies the
most exalted place, and this originated from the old !Temple(
music!. It has, therefore, had a long and checkered history. Its
themes are sometimes devotional, sometimes didactic, sometimes
descriptive "of the beauties of creation$, sometimes heroic "recital
of heroic actions$L they may also pertain to 4uranic stories or
3ivine ?omances. @ut these 3hrupads having originated from the
ancient 4rabandhas "in Sanskrit and other provincial languages$,
and being sung in temples, we do not know how far these old
3hrupads afforded scope for the display of musical skill. To ?a+a
%an Singh Tomar of /walior goes the credit for making them part
of classical music and thus popularising them. ?a+ah %an is
remembered to this day as one of the greatest patrons, scholars,
and lovers of music we have ever had. %emorials to his patronage
of music are still visible in /walior. *nce, he summoned a great
conference of artists and musicians$ and the essence of the
valuable discussions held there has been compiled by him into a
book, !Banakutuhal.! It throws valuable light on the condition of
music in the early %uhammadan period, and is still available for
reference in certain State libraries. The 3hrupad(style of singing
was a great contribution of the /walior school to 0industani
:ragdari: "Classical$ music. This brings us to the eve of the brightest
period in the history of 0industani music ( the era of Tansen and
his illustrious descendants.
QuickTime and a
TIFF (LZW) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Tansen
In the history of Indian %usic, who has not heard the immortal
name of TansenK 0e was +ustly idolised in his time, and today we
worship him almost as a saint. 0e was the greatest of all
3hrupadiyas "a 2alawant$ and was a product or the /walior school
of music. *riginally he was a /aud @rahmin and his name was
Tanna %isra "son of %akarand 4ande$. 0e became the disciple of
Swami 0aridas 3agur of @rindaban. Still later, he came under the
influence of a great %uslim Saint or 4ir, %ohammad /haus of
/walior under whose guidance, Tansen achieved unprecedented
fame. 0is fame spread so far and wide. that 9mperor Akbar
personally fetched him to his Court and kept him in the highest
esteem. Tansen and his descendants were strict 3hrupadiyas and
have been the leaders of, and authorities on, 0industani classical
music.
Adarang and Sadarang
yamathkhan and aubatkhati who later on adorned the court of
%ohmad Shah of 3elhi, were Tansen:s descendants and naturally
3hrupadiyas. @ut 3hrupad(singing, as it existed then, was bound
down by strict and scientific rules which left very little scope for
the singer to show his flights of fancy. %oreover, the particular
type of voice necessary for 3hrupad singing is very difficult to
cultivate. 0ence the 2hayals. The slow 2hayals were patterned
very much like the 3hrupads but in such a way as to afford plenty
of scope for alap(singing, tanas, and other niceties along with the
composition. 2hayals, as such, existed long before Adarang and
Sadarang. The fast 2hayals were based on the Iawwal style and
were thus the contribution of the Iawwal @ani. @ut the credit for
composing hundreds of 2hayals and popularising thumri forever
goes to Sadarang and Adarang. yamat and aubat assumed the
pseudonyms Adarang and Sadarang while composing their
2hayals, and it is by these pseudonyms, rather than by their real
names, that they are known today. In many khayals, they have
mentioned the name of their patron %ohammed Shah. They
composed hundreds of khayals and taught them to their disciples.
These khayals have come down to us, and to(day, not a day goes
without our hearing( their immortal names in some khayal or other.
'&: the three kinds of khayals, the slow "vilambit$ khayals were
modeled after the 3hrupads, whereas the medium "%adhyalaya$
and fast "drut$ ones were couched in the Iawwal 8ani The
originator of Iawwalis was Amir 2husru, the versatile poet(cum(
musician(cum(statesman. As Islam forbade music strictly, these
Iawwalis or %uslim @ha+ans were composed for purely
devotional recitations are the model of the 0indu @ha+ans that
existed already. /radually, however, there arose a class of
professionals who earned their livelihood by Iawwali(singing.
These singers known as !Iawwals!(began to make free use of
!tans! and !paltas! in the course of Iawwal(singing. *ut of these
!Iawwals!, Adarang, Sadarang and %anarang composed their
beautiful rnadhyalaya and drut khayals. Bhat Amir 2husro and his
followers contributed to Indian music arc probably the modes of
expression, the style, the broad open(mouthed voice(production,
tanas, li,uid pronunciation of words and so forth which have
certainly made the music ,uite effective.
@ye and bye, however, these. khayals became so popular as to oust
the 3hrupadsM To(day one notes with immense regret that
3hrupad(singing is almost becoming extinct. The day the
3hrupads regain their old popularity will be an auspicious day for
our %usic. ;or, training in 3hrupad(singing alone can make the
voice at once steady, strong, full(throated and sweet. <ately,
however, ,uite a few seem to have been attracted by the sublime
words and meanings of 3hrupads. This is a healthy and hopeful
augury. The names of @ade %uhammad 2hanL 0addu, 0assu,
athu and Ba.irkhans, Tanaraskhan, %ahmud Ali, Ali @ux,
%iya+an, etc., are unforgettable. *f these, 0addu, 0assu and @ade
%uhammad 2han were court(musicians of /walior. This last was
the son of Shakkar 2han and considered peerless in the matter of
tan(singing(. 0e was employed as court(musician "on a four(digit
salary$ by 3aulat ?ao Scindia M 0e sang khayals in the Iawwali
style, i.e., with various delicacies and dexterity. In the same durbar
were 2adir @ux:s ) sons, 0addu, 0assu and athu who won
precocious mastery in music at very early ages. They were
2hayalists of the elaborate 2alavant style. <ater on, they evolved a
beautiful and ex,uisite combination of the 2alavant and Iawwali
styles of 2hayal(singing. It is( interesting to note that this uni,ue
combination too should have been evolved in Tansen:s birth place M
Is it then, any wonder that 2hayal singers have looked upon
/walior as a sort of sacred(spotK It was the birth(place of the
3hrupad and the 2hayal as well as of all the eminent 3hrupadiyas
and 2hayalists. early all the reputed musicians of Akbar:s court
were from /walior. It gave us Tansen.
%aharashtrian %usicians at /waliorD(
The populari.ation of classical music in %aharashtra began
through /walior. The %aharashtrian(@rahmin singers of /walior
were greatly benefited by the current /walior school of music.
%any of the pupils of 0assu and 0addu were %aharashtrian
@rahmins among whom were eminent singers like @abasabib
3ixit, 8asudeva ?ou =oshi, and @alasoheb Curu+i. Their disciples
have preserved classical traditions to a great extent. Be also owe a
lot to the %aharashtrian disciples of issar 0ussain "of 0assu(
0addu family$. The late reputed musician Shanker.?ao 4andit was
a favourite pupil of his. %usic(lovers still recall Shanker 4andit:s
name with great love and respect. 0is son 2rishna ?ao Shanker
4andit is today a court musician of /walior, and is running a
%usic school in his father:s name(!Shanker /andbarv 8idyalaya!.
?a+a @haiyya 4oonchwaleD(the 4rincipal of the !%adho Sangeet
%ahavidyalaya! is another reputed disciple of Shanker 4andit. 0e
had the privilege of learning a large number of 3hrupads from the
great 3hrupadiya, Bamanbuva 3eshpande L and later on, 2hayals
from Shanker 4andit. Bhat was more, since the opening of the
4andit music school, he was fox( a long time able to avail himself
of @hatkhand +i:s valuable association and /uidance (thanks to
which today ra+a @haiya is regarded as a skilled singer and a
learned scholar in the art of music. Chaturpandit @hatkhande+iD(
The %adho Sangeet %ahavidyalaya is the triumphant fruit of
/uruvarya @hatkhande+i:s selfless endeavours and a proof of
%adhav ?ao %ahara :s lofty musical tastes and patronage of
music. This and similar schools of music have contributed in no
small measure to the revival of interest in classical music which
had cooled down to a deplorable level. Among the long array of
%aharashtrian musicians who went to /walior and achieved
(commendable mastery over the /walior(style of ragdari sangeet,
comes the name of @alkrishnabuva(a pupil of 8asudevrau =oshi
"0assu:s Npupil$( After under going a prolonged training, he
returned to his native town and devoted the rest of his life
rekindling musical tastes among his people. The most eminent of
his pupils of course was 8ishnu 3iagambar 4aluskar whose name
is familiar to all. Be all know how ceaselessly lie strove to
popularise music by establishing music schools at various places.
@ut his training and efforts were not comprehensive. The limitation
may have been due to the ,ueer circumstances of those days when
musicians selfishly concealed their art. Anyway 3igambar did
revive interest in one aspect of our music(namely, the devotional
aspect of it "@ha+ans$ and for this we shall be always grateful to
him. @alakrishnabuva:s son Annabuva was a good musician but he
died prematurely. The former:s disciples Anantbuva =oshi of
*undh and %irasibuva of 4oona are two of our contemporaries.
They have tried to 4reserve the musical traditions of their schools.
Another pupil is /unduhiiva whose son is still the court musician
of Ichalkaran! Classical music penetrated into %aharashtra from
/walior, but since its penetration there, it has undergone numerous
changes, under various influences. ;or instance, good musicians of
Aera, 3elhi, =aipur etc., migrated into the big cities of India
"@ombay, Calcutta and %adras $ when they ceased to get royal
patronage L and in these big cities they were forced to earn their
livelihood by giving music performances. The names of
Tanaraskhan, 0aider 2han, ath ti 2han, %ahmud 2han,
%iya+an, etc., are familiar in this connection. They have influenced
music in %aharashtra to a great extent. Though the original /
/walior(style is rarely to be heard in its pristine purity today, the
traditions have been preserved to some extent luckily.
Characteristics of the /walior styleD(Some of the re,uisites of
good 2hayal(singing areD(a clear(cut presentation of !Asthai! and
!Antara! "the - portions of the songs$ with proper pauses, a
skillfully slow pace, and proper combinations of Swaras "notes$
and Sahitya "words$. Those who have luckily had training in the
/walior(style of 2hayal singing are very particular about the niffat
presentation of the !asthayi! and !antara! at the very outset.
Inability to do this, is rightly considered disgraceful by them, and
so they pay special attention to the neat presentation of the song
with correct pronunciation of the words. !Alap! at the outset is
usually done in !akar! "without words$ but consistent with the
tempo of the song. After finishing slow alaps, the speed is slowly
increased, and what is known as @ol(alaps "words of the song
deftly presented in various combinations of notes$ are started.
Cleverly the @ol(tans "words woven into ,uick combinations of
notes$ and plain tans are introduced. Bhen the tempo and pace
have been somewhat ,uickened, the skilled musician harmoniously
passes on to a ,uicker song "drut$ or a fast !tarana! in the same
raga. In the fast 2hayal also, the parts of the song are legibly
presented at first, after which the singer begins his extempore
elaborations, rapid tans and various other beautiful intricacies and
delicate embellishments which afford plenty of scope for the
display of personal skill, or industry. The tans of the /walior
school are +ustly famous and admired. :The tans are straight, clear,
full(throated and varied. 9ffective little !running passages of
notes! are interwoven into the 2hayals. *n the whole, there is
something extremely dignified and impressive about the /walior(
style of classical music. !%usical /walior! that wasM ( There had
been a time when /walior used to be so intensely music(mad that
!the very leaves would not tremble but to the sounds of music,!.
%usic(festivals used to be part of the daily routine in the durbars.
The 4rinces and the people were alike absorbed in the ecstatic
en+oyment and appreciation of music day and night. 9ven half(clad
street(urchins would try to hum tans !Bill that idyllic state of
affairs ever come back to be! one wonders........ @ye and bye the
.eal for khayal(singing and for classical music began to flag and
ebb to a very low level, because good musicians "like isar
0ussain 2han, ?ahmat 2han, and other @rahmin singers$ began to
become thorough stay(at(homes, teaching only those who went to
them in their seclusion. 1nder such circumstances, one cannot
guess what would have become of the /walior (style of classical
music, had not 4andit @hatkhande+i dedicated his life to the revival
of classical music and succeeded in opening the Classical %usic
colleges at /walior and <ucknow whose branches have sprouted
up in numerous other cities now, like @ombay, Calcutta and so on.
The Sarod Gharanas o# India
S. P. )hattacharyya
!n this articl w discuss, in"ormally, th volution o" th Sarod
and th art o" Sarod playing as dvlopd by som outstanding
musicians and Gharanas (musical "amilis) o" th #orth !ndian
classical music tradition, ovr th last "our hundrd yars$
GHARANAS *R ST+,ES

2hayal music is represented by a number of more or less
stylistically different schools called Gharanas. These schools have
their basis in the traditional mode of musical training and
education. 9very /harana has a few discernible features, which
allow us to distinguish between schools and also enable us to
identify different approaches to interpretation of the ragas. The
main areas where differences arise, relate to the raga repertoire
adopted by the /harana, the manner in which the notes are sung,
particularly the relative emphasis given in the /harana philosophy
to swara and laya, the role and importance of the %andish in the
aesthetic viewpoint of the /harana, the manner in which the raga is
presented, and the type of Tans employed.
G'alior( This is the oldest among all the 2hayal /ayaki "vocal$
styles. The distinctive feature of this style of singing has been
noted as its lucidity and simplicity. This gayaki is also
characteri.ed by serious mien and slow singing pace. This
/harana involves presenting familiar and well known ragas such
as Alakya @ilawal, Aaman, @hairav, Sarang, %ultani, Sri, @hoop,
2amod, 0amir, @asant, etc. It also pays great attention to singing
2hayals using traditional @andishes. This /harana is also noted for
its straight and simple Tans, while stressing on the use of %eendh
and /amak in its 3hrupad(style khayals. The best known artistes
of this /harana were @alkrishna @aIchal 2aran+ikar "&>C5 ( &5-6$
and his student 8ishnu 3igambar 4aluskar "&>6- ( &5)&$, 4andit
*mkarnath Thakur "&>56 ( &5H6$ and in recent times, 8eena
Sahasrabuddhe and %alini ?a+urkar.
%irana( This /harana derives its name from the birthplace of
Abdul 2harim 2han "&>6- ( &5)6$, 2irana near 2urukshetra. This
style of singing was influenced by the distinctive style of playing
music on the @in "8ina$, with emphasis on the resonance of notes
and maintaining note continuity through %eendh and /amak.
Importance was also given to Alap and 8ilambit laya in the course
of performance. This style also stresses on the role of individual
notes and their study "swar-sadhana$. In the 2irana style of
singing, the swara is used to create an emotional mood by means
of elongation and use of &ana(s. This effect is further heightened
by tuning the Tanpura "a drone instrument$ for certain ragas to the
seventh note, the ishad, rather than 4ancham. In this /harana, the
practice of rendering the Alap as @ol(Alap using the bols of the
@andish and not in Akar is to enable the Alap to be developed
gradually. The /harana repertoire consists mainly of ragas like
Shuddha 2alyan, 3arbari, %alkauns, @himplasi, Todi etc. %any
Carnatic ragas feature in this /harana. Another aspect of the
2irana /harana is that it is one of the few /haranas of 2hayal
/ayaki that includes Thumri singing as a part of its performances.
The important singers in this /harana are Abdul 2arim 2han,
0irabhai @arodekar, @egum Akhtar, and in recent times, @himsen
=oshi, /angubai 0angal and 4rabha Atre.
Atrauli - $ai&ur( Another of the important ones, this /harana is
associated with Alladiya 2han "&>JJ ( &5C)$, the great singer of
the late &5th and early -'th century. This style has great
complexities because of its use of melodic phrases having 'akra
"twisted#crooked$ turns. The most distinctive feature of the =aipur
/harana can be best described as its complex and lilting melodic
form which arises out of the involuted and undulating phrases that
constitute the piece. The %adhat is very clear and is done in short
se,uences, each lasting for an Avartan and the Tans are very
intricate. As a conse,uence the term Ofiligree(like workmanshipE is
often used in the context of the =aipur /harana singing. This
impression is created by the linking of successive notes through a
particular manner of delivery without blurring their individual
characteristics or shapes, while continuously varying the swara(
patterns to avoid repetition. This is done through a slow tempo,
which continues uncharged from the beginning to the end with the
duration of its cycle being kept constant. The /harana, in its
repertoire, has a dominance of rare and compound ragas such as
Sampoorna(%alkauns, @asant 2edar, @asant(@ahar, 2aunsi(
2anada and at(2amod. This /harana tends to use the traditional
@andishes and shuns the creation of new compositions. The @adhat
is sung using the bols of the @andish instead of the Akar. The
Tans are also full of spiral shaped fast passages or 8akra passages.
The important vocalists of this tradition are Alladiya 2han,
%allikar+un %ansur, 2esarbhai 2erkar and in recent times, 2ishori
Amonkar, Shruti Sadolikar, 4adma Talwalkar and Ashwini @hide
3eshpande.
;aiya. khan
Ara( This style of 2hayal gayaki is usually associated with
;aiya. khan "&>>H ( &5J'$. The founders of the Agra gharana
were originally singers of 3hrupad. 3hamar and 2hayal singing
came to be adopted in the /harana. It was 1stad ;aiya. 2han who
transformed the traditional and austere Agra style and left his
colourful imprint on the /harana. The Agra /harana places great
importance on developing forcefulness and deepness in the voice
so that the notes are powerful and resonant. This /harana pays
special attention to ragas like %egh and 3arbarikanada. In the
Alap, the shape of the raga is broadly outlined through key
phrases and structures, rather than in a note by note manner. The
@andish plays a very important role. The purity of the @andish is
stressed and the entire @andish forms the central point of the
performance. The use of the %eendh in order to make the
presentation effective is stressed. The Agra /harana maintains this
aspect of 3hrupad by the fre,uent use of %eendh and /amaks for
Alapchari and shuns the use of ornaments such as %urkis. *ne of
the most notable features of the Agra /ayaki is its <ayakari and
the manifestation of rhythm in all the aspects of the khayal
presentation. The important singers of this /harana are C ? 8yas,
S ?atan+ankar and of late, =itendra Abhisheki, 8i+ay 2itchlu
and Sumati %utatkar.
Patiala( This /harana is regarded as an offshoot of the 3elhi
/harana and the famous duo OAllu(;attuE, NAli @aksh "&>J' (
&5-'$ and ;ateh Ali 2han "&>J' ( &5'5$P, are usually acclaimed
as the originators of this style. It was 1stad @ade /hulam Ali
2han "&5'& ( &5H5$, who populari.ed this style of singing and
brought this /harana to the public notice. This style was
influenced, to a large extent, by the ,ualities of @ade /hulam
AliEs voice and its wide span of three octaves. Bhile the 4atiala
/harana gives pride of place to speed in execution of Tans, the
4atiala /harana repertoire also includes slow Tans, which are akin
to the /amak. Thus, the 4atiala /harana is characteri.ed by the
use of greater rhythm play and by <ayakari with the abundant use
of @ols, particularly @ol(tans. As part of its aesthetic approach,
this style focusses more on emotion and sensuality. This style was
criticised for neglecting musical form and organi.ation and also
lacking in aesthetic balance. The ragas preferred by this /harana
are %alkauns, @hoopali, /unakali, %egh %alhar, etc. 9k(tal and
Teen(tal are usually chosen by this /harana. This is another
/harana, which considers Thumri singing as its forte. The ma+or
singers in this style @ade /hulam Ali 2han, A+oy Chakravarti,
4arveen Sultana and others.
Ra!&ur-Sahas'an( The ?ampur(Sahaswan /harana can be said
to have been established by 1stad Inayat 0ussain 2han "&>C5 (
&5&5$. There is a stress on the clarity of swara in this style and the
development and elaboration of the raga is done through a
stepwise progression. The characteristic features of the ?ampur(
Sahaswan /ayaki are that the development of the Alap adheres
closely to the structure of the @andish that is being sung and is not
sung as a free exposition before the @andish. It is presented in the
form of a @ol(alap. The stress in the Alap is on developing the
%hava "mood$ and the rasa "emotion$ of the raga. Singing in Akar
is given great importance in training and also the use of natural
voice. The preferred tempo is %adhya laya "medium tempo$ and
the use of a very slow tempo is discouraged. This /harana lays
stress on the literary content of the @andish. The speciality of the
?ampur school lies in its Tans, which cover a much larger range
and are marked by their speed of execution. These Tans, which are
noticeable for their boldness and clarity, are employed to bring out
the <ayakari. This style is also marked by a wide variety of Tans
and its repertoire consists of ragas like @hupali(Todi, @ahaduri(
Todi, /audsarang, Aaman, 2edar, Chhaya at, @ihag, etc. The
main representatives of this /harana are /hulam %ustafa 2han,
1stad issar 0ussain 2han and in recent times, 1stad ?ashid
2han.
Me'ati( The founder of %ewati /harana was /hagge a.ir
2han. This /harana adopts the Sapat (an and )rkhand in its
ornamentation. This style gives importance to developing the
mood of the raga through the notes forming it and its style is
%hava Pradhan. It also gives e,ual importance to the meaning of
the text. The /ayaki regards words as important and does not
believe in stretching words to make the text and rhythm
synchroni.e. It resorts to Tans and Sargams in case the words fall
short. This /ayaki also adopts %eendh as a prominent ornament.
This /harana presents semi(classical music in the form of @ha+ans
and there is a strong 8aishnavite influence in their style. The
current exponents of this style are San+eev Abhyankar and ?attan
Sharma, both students of 4andit =asra+.
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4andit =asra+.
)hundi )a.ar Gharana( This /harana is less known in
comparison to others. The most distinctive feature of this /harana
is that their presentations of 2hayals are open voice, using Akar.
There is a stress on breath(control and singing of long passages in
one breath is highly regarded in this /harana. Another feature is
the intricate method of Sargam singing in which permutations and
combinations of a given set of notes are made to give rise to
complex note and Tan patterns This /ayaki makes use of this
method for the raga @adhat in order to have an extended Alap.
This method also permits play with rhythms. In addition, this
/harana stresses clear note intonation and word articulation.
*rnaments such as Sapat-tans, Gamak-tans are given precedence
along with the use of %eendh. The important singers are 1stad
Aman Ali 2han and An+anibai %alpekar.
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An+anibai %alpekar

&. The 9volution of Sarod
The Sarod is one of the most exotic musical instruments in the
world today. Its tonal ,uality, emotional range and dynamics are
unmatched by any other instrument. The present form of the
Sarode was developed about -''(-J' years ago in India. Since
then the art of Sarode playing has undergone continuous
improvement in the hands of some exceptional and dedicated
geniuses and it has now reached a level that seems difficult to
improve upon. It is believed that the predecessor of the modern
Sarode is the ?abab, an instrument that originated in the %iddle
9ast. The ?abab has a wooden Qngerboard and strings of catgut
and was used mainly as an instrument to accompany military
marching bands. The ?abab was already in use in India in the &Hth
century during the reign of Akbar, and the Akbar(ama of the &Hth
century traveler Abul ;a.l mentions several ?abab players in
AkbarEs court.
The Sarod, however is believed to have been developed initially
by the ?ababiyas of Afghanistan after their migration to India.
/hulam @andegi 2han of @angash, Afghanistan, who was a ?abab
player, soldier and horse trader, migrated to India about )'' years
ago. 0e was commissioned as a soldier in the army of ?a+a
8ishwanath Singh of ?ewa. @andegi 2han trained his son 0aider
2han and grandson /hulam Ali 2han in the art of ?abab playing.
/hulam Ali also received musical training from 4yar 2han and
=affar 2han, who were distinguished ?abab players and direct
descendents of Tansen. ?a+a 8ishwanath Singh also gave him
instruction in 3hrupad singing, the slow, ornate and digniQed style
of vocal music, that was prevalent then.
/hulam Ali later became a court musician in /walior, the most
important musical center for orth Indian music at that time. 0is
exposure to the /ayaki "vocal music$ style of /walior as well as
the 3hrupad style of the Seni /harana "TansenEs musical family$
must have inRuenced him to improve the relatively unsonorous and
staccato sounding ?abab into one capable of executing the %eends
"glides$ and curves necessary in the /ayaki style. 0e is generally
credited with the idea of modifying the ?abab by adding a metal
Qngerboard and metallic strings and also with the addition of the
Chikari "=hala$ and Tarab "sympathetic$ strings. Thus the Sarode
was born. ;urther embellishments to the Sarode were made by
1stad Allauddin 2han in this century, and the modern Sarode has
&J Tarab strings, H Chikari strings and C main strings.
The name Sarode is linked to the Arabic FSahroodG or 4ersian
FSaroodG meaning music, as well as the Sanskrit FSho(rodeG
"Fgood noiseG$. It is important to mention that 1stad Ali Akbar
2han has stated in recent times that the Sarode was known in
ancient India as it has been found depicted in the -''' year old
Champa temple in %adhya 4radesh.

-. The ?ababiya /haranas
The early Sarode players were the descendents of the Afghan
?ababiyas. There were three such families but the most important
such /harana was the one founded by /hulam Ali 2han "see the
accompanying chart$. /hulam Ali 2han had three sons, 0ossain
Ali "eldest$, %urad Ali and anhe 2han "youngest$ who were all
Sarode players. anhe 2hanEs son was the <ate 1stad 0aQ. Ali
2han "&5>>(&56-$ one of the outstanding Sarode players of the last
generation. 0aQ. Ali 2hanEs musical education was completed by
his training under the <ate 1stadBa.ir 2han of ?ampur who was
the leading representative of the Seni @eenkar /harana in the last
century. 0aQ. AliEs son Am+ad Ali 2han is one of the most
accomplished Sarode players of the present day.
%urad Ali 2han was childless, and on a certain occasion, when
taunted about this, decided to leave home, vowing to adopt a son
and give him such a Taleem "musical training$ that he would Frob
the brothers of their sleepG. 0e moved to Shah+ahanpur and
adopted an orphan boy, Abdullah 2han, who under his training
became an outstanding Sarode player. %urad Ali 2han passed
away in &5)-, but his musical line continued with Abdullah 2han,
whose disciple %ohammed Amir 2han was the /uru of the <ate
?adhika %ohan %oitra "&5&6(&5>&$ a brilliant Sarodiya of the last
generation. 4andit @uddhadev 3as /upta is the foremost disciples
of ?adhika %ohan %oitra and is one of three most outstanding
Sarode players of India today. 0is playing reRects the beauty of his
/uruEs melodic style which is a perfect blend of the ?ababiya and
@eenkar traditions.
). The Seni @eenkar /harana
To complete our story we need to establish a most important link,
namely the connection between the great Sarode players of the last
generation and the Seni @eenkar /harana. ;or this let us go back
to 9mperor AkbarEs court in the &Hth century. The brightest sun in
AkbarEs court was Tansen "&J-'(&J>5$, a musical genius from
/walior whom the 9mperor had brought and installed as one of the
ine =ewels of his court. Tansen composed many new ?agas, such
as %iya(ki(%alhar, 3arbari 2anhra and %iya(ki(Todi, and laid
down the foundations of orth Indian classical music through )''
3hrupad compositions. Although Akbar had a policy to convert
talented people to Islam his reverence for Tansen was such that he
never forced him to convert, but tactfully gave him the title %iya
Tansen.
Tansen had a 0indu wife as well as a %uslim wife, called
%ehrunissa. ;rom the latter he got a son @ilas 2han "composer of
the ?aga @ilaskhani Todi$ and from the 0indu wife he had three
childrenL Tan(Taranga, Suratsen and Saraswati 3evi. Suratsen later
founded the =aipur Sitar /harana. Saraswati was a famous
3hrupad singer who married ?a+a %isar Singh, a noted @eenkar
"8eena player$ of ?a+asthan. %isar Singh eventually became a
state musician in AkbarEs court and was converted to Islam and
renamed aubat 2han.
The descendants of Saraswati and %isar Singh were @eenkars as
well 3hrupadiyas and they continued and developed the traditions
of Sitar, Sursringar and ?abab playing as well as vocal music.
They established what is now known as the Seni @eenkar /harana,
the most important musical family in orth Indian music.
Although they officially had %uslim names, they also had dual
0indu namesL thusBa.ir 2han, for example was also called
Chhatrapal Singh. These descendents include iyamat 2han
"vocalist, also known as Sadarang in many 2hayal compositions$,
Amritsen "=aipur Sitar /harana, &>&C(&>5C$ , *mrao 2han "8ina,
Surbahar, Sarode$, /holam %ohammed 2han "<ucknow Sitar
/harana$, @ahadur 0ussain 2han "inventor of Tarana$ and 1stad
Ba.ir 2han.
1stad Ba.ir 2han was a brilliant teacher, performer and composer
and the leader of the Seni /harana in the last century. 0is family
line could be traced back directly to Tansen and his musical
knowledge included many of TansenEs original 3hrupad
compositions. 4erhaps the most important occurence in the history
of Sarode playing is the fact that two of the foremost Sarodiyas of
the last generation Allauddin 2han and 0aQ. Ali 2han came to be
Ba.ir 2hanEs disciples. Thus the full power and accumulated
musical knowledge of the Seni /harana was incorporated into the
Sarode art of these two outstanding musicians. The result was that
a style of Sarode playing developed in which the vocal traditions
of 3hrupad and 2hyal and the instrumental traditions of 8eena
"slides and glides$ and ?abab "rhythmic, staccato and plucked$
came to be blended beautifully and aesthetically into this one
ma+estic instrument. This is why todayEs Sarode playing has such a
wide dynamic range from the most tender %eends to thunderous
=halas and lightning speed Taans "musical sentences$.
1stad @aba Allauddin 2han "&>H-(&56-$ as we know is a
legendary Qgure in Indian music. 0e was born in Tripura, 9ast
@engal and from a very young age developed a thirst for music and
musical knowledge that eventually led to one of the most
incredible musical +ourneys of this century. 0e mastered many
instruments including Tabla, violin, Sursringar and Surbahar but
Qnally turned to the Sarode and became a student of the Sarode
wi.ard Ahmed Ali 2han. After six years of living with Ahmed Ali,
@aba had learnt everything that Ahmed Ali had to offer and the
teacher recommended that @aba should seek training from his
/uru the great Ba.ir 2han of ?ampur. @aba had to confront many
difficulties in becoming Ba.ir 2hanEs disciple, but eventually
Ba.ir 2han opened up his treasure house of musical compositions
and taught @aba for &- years after his eldest son, who was being
trained to succeed him, died suddenly.
@aba Allauddin lived only to serve the cause of music. 0e was a
lifelong devotee of the /oddess 2ali and later as a court musician
in %aihar worshipped Sharda 3evi, also known as %aihar 3evi,
and a form of /oddess 2ali. 0e avoided fame and wealth, pursued
music as a path to spiritual salvation and offered his creations at
the feet of Sharda 3evi. In later years @abaEs salary was paid from
the earnings of the Sharda temple. 0e was regarded throughout
India as a musical saint and many students +ourneyed to %aihar to
learn from him. 0e himself remained a student of music till the age
of 6' completely mastering the 3hrupad and instrumental
compositions of the Seni /harana and adding innumerable new
compositions and many new ?agas, such as 0emant, Shobhavati
and 3urgeshwari. 0is eventual contributions are so outstanding
that today this /harana is known as the Seni Allauddin /harana.
@aba openly and generously transferred the vast wealth of his
musical knowledge to a large number of disciples. *f these the
most famous are his son the supreme Sarodist 1stad Ali Akbar
2han and the Sitar %aestro 4andit ?avi Shankar. The da..ling
virtuosity, musical depth and brilliance of these two musicians and
their extensive touring over the last C' years have exposed
audiences all over the world to the treasures of the Seni /harana,
the art and magic of Sitar and Sarode, and the ex,uisite beauty,
creativity and sophistication of orth Indian classical music.
Bith such a fantastic heritage the future of instrumental music and
the Sarode in particular is bright indeedM
(Portions o" this articl ar basd on convrsations with Pandit
%uddhadv *asGupta$)
S$P$ %hattacharyya is Pro"ssor o" +lctrical +nginring and a
"aculty advisr to SP!C),C,- at (.as ,/) 0nivrsity$ 1 is
also a discipl o" Sarod mastro 0stad ,li ,kbar &han and a
pr"orming concrt artist
The %irana Gharana
The origin of the 2irana gharana is shrouded in an air of mystery
and, to some extent, controversy. It is generally believed that
/opal ayak, a contemporary of Amir 2husru, is the fountainhead
of the gharana. 0e lived on the banks of the =umna in a town called
3utai. <ater, when 3utai was ravaged by floods he moved inland
&' 2irana, a small town in the %u.affarnagar district. 0e is
believed to have embraced Islam. ;our different offshoots of the
2irana dynasty are claimed to have descended from him. *ne of
the branches boasts of great names like 1stad A.im @aksh, %aula
@aksh and Abdul /hani 2han. The second branch is studded with
names like 1stad @ande Ali 2han, anne 2han, 2ale 2han and
the legendary 1stad Abdul 2arim 2han. Aet another offshoot
includes in its 2irana lineage the names of /afoor 2han, Abdul
Bahid 2han, Shakoor 2han, %ashkoor Ali and %ubarak Ali.
;inally, the distinguished family tradition of %ehboob @aksh,
?ehman 2han, Abdul %a+id 2han, Abdul 0amid 2han, Abdul
@ashir 2han, followed by his sons ia. Ahmed and ;ayya.
Ahmed 2han, express their allegiance to the 2irana tradition. The
precise roots of the gharana are lost in anti,uity and shrouded with
controversy. There are some who believe that 1stad Abdul 2arim
2han is the true fountainhead of /andharva, ?oshanara @egum,
@alkhshnabuva 2apileshwari, @ehrebuva, Sureshbabu %ane and
0irabai @arodekar. ;rom this mainstream of 1stad Abdul 2arim
2han, in turn, came 4andit Sawai /andharva whose centenary was
recently celebrated with great Hclat in @ombay, and the ranks of
the gharana have swelled, ma+estically. The leading lights include
/angubai 0angal, 4andit @himsen =oshi, 4andit ;ero.e 3astoor,
3r 4rabha Atre and 4andit Sangame(shwar /aurav. Among their
disciples, 2rishna 0angal Shrikant 3eshpande, %adhav /udi,
arayanrao 3eshpande, ?amkrishna 4atwardhan, %ilind Chittal
and Alka =oglekar have already made their mark and ensured the
continued popularity of the gharana. This phenomenal popularity
has been achieved through the characteristic expansive alapchari
which unfolds the raga note by note with tantalising languor. The
induction of sargams was another alankar which Abdul 2arim
2han inducted into 0industani music with a Carnatic flair
Admittedly, the gharana has undergone a vigorous transformation
with the vibrant personality of 4andit @himsen =oshi, who has
brought into play his own stylistic nuances. It is obvious that the
2irana gharana is riding the wave of popularity. the gharana and
the lineage that emanates from him is the main stream of the
gharana, while the rest are tributaries. @e that as it may, it is an
incontrovertible fact that the 2irana gharana remains the most
popular and prolific in the sheer number of its practitioners on the
contemporary scene.1stad Abdul 2arim 2han ushered in a new
era of romanticism in the rendition of 0industani classical music
which was captivating because it was at once sweet, soothing,
serene and sensuous. Although the ustad:s own singing seemed to
lack fullbodied masculine sonorousness, his romanticism won for
the 2irana gharana a strong following which included names that
have become legends like Sawai

The Ara Gharana
The Agra gharana derived from the dhrupad tradition of the
auhar @ani and was founded by Saras 2huda during the reign of
9mperor Aurang.eb. Thereafter, his grandson /hagge 2hudabaksh
received rigorous training from atthan 2han of the /walior
gharana in khayal gayaki and thus developed a happy synthesis of
the ma+estic dhrupad tradition and the melodious khayal gayaki.
Apart from this, a series of alliances between the
houses"gharanas$of the original Agra gharana and the Atrauli
gharana have further brought together these two great tradition and
it would be more correct to describe the gharana as the Agra(
Atrauli gharana. It is significant that the gharana now has within its
fold no less than three. @anisD the /obarhar @ani or the /walior
gharana as derived from %ehboob 2han alias 3aas 4iya the 3agur
@ani of the original Atrauli 3hrupad gharana which underwent a
transformation when 1stad Alladiya 2han took to khayal gayaki
from %ubarak Ali of =aipur "since then called =aipur(Atrauli
gharana$ and finally the inflow of the auhar @ani of the third
Atrauli offshoot as derived through 4uttan 2han, maternal uncle of
1stad %ushta, 0usain of the ?ampur Sahaswan gharana. 4robably
this is what accounts for the manysplendoured appeal of this
:?angeeli: gayaki as it came to be known, particularly since the
advent of Aftab(e(mousi,i 1stad ;aiya. 2han whom many regard
as the fountainhead of Agra(Atrauli gharana.
Great artists o# India
/stad )ade Ghula! Ali %han
&5'-(&5H>
1stad @ade /hulam Ali 2han can be described as an artiste who
has had the maximum impact on the -'th Century 0industani
Classical %usic scenario. @orn in &5'- into a great musical lineage
from 2asur in the Bestern 4un+ab, this great savant amalgamated
the best of four traditionsL his own 4atiala ( 2asur style,
sculptures,ue @ehram 2hani elements of 3hrupad, the intricate
gyrations of =aipur and finally the robust behlavas
"embellishments$ of /waiior. @ut what actually characterised @ade
/hulam Ali 2han was an effervescent melodic ,uality which was
concertised in a masterly flow of ideas which were delivered with
a uni,ue sense of alacrity, aided by one of the most pliable and
dextrous voices ever heard in living memory in this land. @ade
/hulam Ali 2han had a relatively short career span. 0e bla.ed the
trails of Calcutta in &5)> and in the &5CC All India %usic
Conference in @ombay, was virtually anointed <ord of all he
surveyed in the field of Indian %usic. @ut -C years later, he was
dead, prematurely at HH, having given the Borld less of himself
than it would have wished to have. The maestro:s approach to
khyal was essentially traditional ( as seen in the medium pace of
his vilambit 2hayal presentation and his style of straightforward
sthaibharana avoiding permutations. The character of his /ayaki
was derived from an inclination towards looking beyond the
traditional method of intoning a Swara to discover unchartered
facets of beauteous melody, often achieved by very subtle
inflexions of notes. This approach was bom of a mind which
always strove to find that beauty in Indian %usic which went
beyond the ?aga itself. ;or @ade /hulam Ali 2han, :Taleem: was
but a means to a greater end where sheer melody and freedom of
movement became unified 0is music was the +oyous expression of
an unfettered musical psyche. In :Thumri:, @ade /liulam Ali 2han
looked beyond the tradition of bol(banav where verbal and musical
expressions are unified. 0e saw in Thumri an avenue for playing
with notes with even greater abandon than was possible in the
raga(restrained 2hayal. ;rom this perspective was born the now
well(established 4un+ab(ang of Thumri.
Pt. Pannalal Ghosh
)& =uly, &5&& ( -' April, &5H'

@orn in @arisal, 9ast @engal "now @angladesh$ on =uly )&, &5&&,
Amulya =yoti "nicknamed 4annalal$ /hosh was a child prodigy.
0e inherited his love of music and the bamboo flute "bansuri$ from
his grandfather, 0ari 2umar /hosh who played sitar,tabla,and
pakhawa+ and learned sitar from his father, Akshay 2umar /hosh.
0e also learned music from his maternal uncle, @havaran+an
%a.umdar who was a vocalist. The family first lived in the village
of Amarnathgan+ and later moved to the town of ;atehpur.
Two apocryphal incidents happened to young 4annalal which had
an influential bearing on his later life. ;irst, at age 5 while looking
for a stick, 4annalal found a flute floating in the river. 0e retrieved
the instrument and so began his lifelong relationship with the
bansuri. Two years later at age && 4annalal met a sadhu who held
both a conch and a flute. The sadhu asked 4annalal if he could play
the flute, and young 4annalal obliged. The sadhu gave him the
flute and told the boy that music would be his salvation.There was
a political unrest in &5->, and every youth was possessed with the
freedom movement. 4annalal also +oined this freedom movement.
0e enrolled in a gymnasium where he learned martial arts, boxing,
and stick fighting and practiced physical culture. 4annalal was very
fond of physical culture. 0e became the best student and champion
of this gymnasium. 0e became more involved in the freedom
movement and the @ritish /overnment started keeping a watch on
his movements. So at the age of seventeen 4annalal left @arisal and
went to Calcutta in search of livelihood. In the teeming metropolis
he found himself without any credentials except that he was a
boxing champion and had won the All @engal competition in
boxing. Bith his skill as a boxer and martial art expert he landed a
+ob as a coach in an athletic club. *ne year later, at the age of &>,
4annnalal lost his father.
At this time 4annalal, who was already playing sitar, began to
focus his attention on bansuri. 9conomic necessity drove him into
performing music for the silent films in Calcutta. At an All India
music competition he met music director and composer Anil
@iswas and began to play in his musical productions. It was during
one such production when Anil @iswas was directing music for a
dramati.ation of a work by the renowned poet 2a.i a.rul Islam
that 4annalal decided that he needed a bigger flute who:s pitch and
sonority would be more appropriate for both classical and light
music. 0e met an old %uslim toy vendor who was also proficient
in making flutes. Bith his help 4annalal experimented with various
materials including metal and other types of wood, but decided
bamboo was still the most suitable medium for a larger instrument.
0e finally settled on a bansuri which was thirty two inches long,
with a sa "tonic$ at kali doe "the second black key on the old
harmonium scale$. As a flute of this si.e was hitherto unknown, a
rumor arose that 4annalal had had surgery to cut the webbing
between his fingers to facilitate the large span re,uired to cover the
finger holes of the instrument. *f course, he had no such surgery,
but through dedicated riya. "practice$, 4annalal invented and
perfected the techni,ue to play the large instrument. At this time he
would get his bamboo to make flutes from discarded packing
materials found at 3iamond 0arbor, the large port of Calcutta.
3eforestation had not yet consumed the forest around Calcutta, and
the bamboo was believed to have grown close to the city itself. 0e
practiced hard and perfected the techni,ue of vocal music on flute.
At this time he reali.ed the need for meend from madhyama swar
to nishad or dhaivat shrutis in ragas like @ihag, Aaman, @ageshree
and many others. 0e experimented and invented the seventh hole
of madhyama.
0e became famous for his flute playing and started getting
performances at the ma+or music conferences. At this time he came
in close contact with great maestros like 1stad Inayat 2han "sitar$,
1stad 3abir 2han "@een$, 1stad Amir 2han "sarod$, 1stad @adal
khan "sarangi$, and vocalists such as 1stad ;aiya. 2han, 1stad
Abdul 2arim 2han, 1stad %a+id 2han, 4t. Tarapoda Chkraborty,
4t. @hismadev Chattopadhyay and many others. 0is ,uest for
knowledge and purity of tradition made him ac,uire intricacies of
music from these erudite musicians. In &5)H 4annalal began
working with ?aichandra @oral, music director of the well known
:ew Theater: and one year later he met his first guru, 2ushi
%ohammed 2han ( the :0armonium Bi.ard:. In &5)> as music
director of the dance troupe of the princely kingdom of Seraikella
State, 4anna @abu "as he was affectionately known$ was one of the
first classical musicians to visit and perform in 9urope, which he
found rather agitating and unsettling. Soon after his return to India
his guru expired. Thereafter he underwent training from /iri+a
Shankar Chakravarti. In &5C', 4annalal moved to @ombay on the
advice of his first disciple 0aripada Choudhary "who had himself
recently moved to @ombay$. There he +oined the @ombay Talkies
film studio and gave music to ,uite a few films including :@asant.:
4anna @abu:s wife, 4arul @iswas, "sister of Anil @iswas$, was a
graceful singer of kirtans who became one of the first well known
playback singers for the new :talking: films. 4annalal first met the
legendary 1stad Allaudin 2hansahib, "reverentialy known as
:@aba:$ in &5CH, when @aba came to @ombay with his disciple,
4andit ?avi Shankar. Initially, when 4annalal asked @aba to teach
him 2hansaheb replied, !Aou are already great, you don:t need to
study more.! 4annalal implored @aba to please teach him so that
he could learn !authentic music and sur.! In &5C6, 4annalal:s
lifelong yearning to learn music from a true guru was fulfilled
when Allaudin 2hansaheb , convinced of 4annalal:s sincerity to
learn, accepted 4annalal as his disciple. 4annalal then accompanied
@aba to his home in %aihar, where he received intensive taalim
"training$ from 2hansaheb for the next six months. 1nder @aba:s
firm yet understanding tutelage, he blossomed into the wi.ard of
the bamboo reed. 4anna @abu earned fame through his regular
broadcasts on AI? "All India ?adio$ and his many live
performances at music festivals throughout India. The eminent
vocalists 1stad ;aya. 2han and 4andit *mkarnath Thakur
appreciated his music very much and re,uested 4annalal to
accompany their vocal recitals on bansuri. 0e was praised for his
adaptation and rendering on the bansuri of the khayal(ang( gayaki
"the classical vocal style$, particularly influenced by the great
master of the 2irana gharana, 1stad Abdul 2arim 2han. 4annalal
also incorporated alap, dhrupad(ang(gayaki, tantrakari, +hala,
thumri, dadra and folk music into his performance style on bansuri.
Bell versed in tabla and rhythm, he would perform in such
difficult tals as +hoomra and tilwara. 0is music was steeped in
devotion and had an intangible ethereal element, immense
emotional depth and was infused with spiritual profundity. In
addition to introducing the larger instrument, 4annalal /hosh is
credited with inventing the bass bansuri and introducing the six(
stringed tanpura, high(pitched tanpuri and the surpeti or sruti box
into 0industani music. 0e created and populari.ed several new
ragas including 3eepawali, 4ushpachandrika, 0ansanarayani,
Chandramauli, 4anchavati and upurdwani, as well as
multitudinous vilambit and drut compositions in many well known
ragas. 4anna @abu practiced daily meditation and observed maun
by not speaking on Thursdays. 0e took the vows of ?amakrishna
and put his faith in music. 0e took %antra 3iksha from Swami
@ir+anand+i %ahara+ who was a direct disciple of Swami
8ivekananda. @ecause of his intense spiritual practice he started
loosing interest in day to day life and decided to take Sanyasa.
Bhen he expressed his desire to Swami+i, his /uru, he was told
that he would attain %oksha through music only. 0e should
practice music as religiously as his spiritual practice. 0is music
showed total spirituality, simplicity and purity. 4annalal continued
composing and recording music for films, but began to find film
work distasteful. 4anna @abu:s impressive rendition of ?aga
3arbari 2annada in his &5JH ational 4rogramme broadcast from
AI? 3elhi fetched him further acclaim and at this time @.@
2eskar, director of AI?, awarded him the meritorious post of
composer(conductor of the Indian ational *rchestra and producer
for AI? 3elhi. 0e held the post and maintained his devotion to the
interpretation of classical music on the bamboo flute until his
untimely and sudden death due to heart attack at the age of C5 on
April -', &5H' in ew 3elhi. 0e left his musical legacy in the
capable hands of his principal disciplesD the late 0aripada
Choudary, 3evendra %urdeshwar, 8./. 2arnad and ityanand
0aldipur .
Re#erences
Raa ShreeD vilambit "slow$ Tilwara Tal "&H beats$ and fast Teen
Tal "&H beats$ This is the entire original 0%8 ?ecording ( &5
minutes. It was the first <4 recording of bansuri, with ?ag Aaman
on the A side.