Raaga Based Song Of The Day #63

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Bhooli hui yaadon mujhe itna na sataao….
Raag Kalyan, Tal Dadra

Yesterday, I brought out that I hadn’t even given you a proper (melodic) song in this favourite raag of beginners in Indian Classical Music as well as favourite with Hindi films music directors. I had brought out that I had given you a song in Raag Kalyan earlier on the 14th day (Lagta nahin ahai dil mera ujade dayaar mein) (Please see: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #14‘). However, the entire song was in Alaap and hence didn’t have a Tal. Of course, I missed telliing you about having given you a song in Raag Shuddha Kalyan (Tal Kaherava): Rasik balma; being my #1 favourite of Lata Mangeshkar (Please see: Raaga Based Song Of The Day #33). Hence, with yesterday’s song in Shyam Kalyan, we have had three songs in Raag Kalyan and its variations so far: Lagta nahin hai dil mera (Alaap), Rasik Balma (Tal Kaherava) and Youn neend se vo jaan-e-chaman (Tal Dadra).

Today lets make up for not having given you a song in Raag Kalyan, the basic raag of Kalyan Thaat. It is in Tal Dadra.

Madan Mohan with Shekhar and Mukesh; the first recorded song of Mukesh was sung by Mukesh and picturised on Shekhar (Pic courtesy: anuradhawarrier.blogspot.com)

Despite the fact that Madan Mohan‘s first recorded song, in the 1950 movie Aankhen, was sung by Mukesh: Preet lagake maine, Madan Mohan and Mukesh, in 25 years, recorded only nine songs together and were together in just five movies: Aankhen (1950), Samundar (1957), Duniya Na Mane (1959), Sanjog (1961), and Akeli Mat Jaiyo (1963). In Sanjog, Madan Mohan gave Mukesh one of the finest song that the latter is rememberd by and I am giving you that today.

We have completed sixty-two days of Raaga Based Songs of the Day. Our first post in the series was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #1’ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1970 Shakti Samanta movie Pagla Kahin Ka: Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge.  It is in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava.

Our sixty-second post or the last post was titledRaaga Based Song Of The Day #62 and the song was a Kishore Kumar song from the 1978 Sunil Dutt movie Dard Ka Rishta starring Sunil Dutt, Smita Patil, Reena Roy and Ashok Kumar: Youn neend se vo jaan-e-chaman jaag uthi hai. It is in Shyam Kalyan, Tal Dadra.

This blog has a number of posts on Raaga based songs in Hindi movies titled similarly; for example: The Best Raaga Based Songs in Hindi Movies – Raaga Bhimpalasi – Part II‘.

In the last sixty-two days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati, Hamir, Bhatiyar, Gawati and Shyam Kalyan. The only five raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti and Bhairavi. That makes a total of 52 raagas so far. Today, I am giving you a song in a new raag Kalyan. It appears to be repeat; however, last time I had given the song in Alaap only.

Today, I give you a song sung by Mukesh on the lyrics of Rajendra Krishan and on a composition by Madan Mohan. As I said, it is in Raag Kalyan, Tal Dadra.

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall learn about Natya Shastra since I have referred to this ancient treatise a number of times.

Natya Shastra, written in Sanskrit by the sage Bharat Muni, in the years 200 BC to 200 CE, is the oldest surviving document on performing arts in the world. The word ‘surviving’ is used to convey the fact that Natya Shastra was based on a still older document called Natya Sutra but the latter didn’t survive.

Music is just one of the wide range of topics discussed in Natya Shastra. There are 36 chapters containing 6000 poetic verses describing performance arts. The subjects covered by include dramatic composition, structure of a play and the construction of a stage to host it, genres of acting, body movements, make up and costumes, role and goals of an art director, the musical scales, musical instruments and the integration of music with art performance. There is, as far as music is concerned, a detailed analysis of musical scales and movements (murchhanas). As far as dance is concerned, there is an analysis of dance forms that considers several categories of body movements and their effect on the viewer. The ‘‘Natya Shastra’’ posits that drama originated because of the conflicts that arose in society when the world declined from the Golden Age (Kŗta Yuga) of harmony, and therefore a drama always represents a conflict and its resolution.

Bharata’s theory of drama refers to bhavas, the imitations of emotions that the actors perform, and the rasas (emotional responses) that they inspire in the audience. The eight basic bhavas (emotions) are: love, humor, energy, anger, fear, grief, disgust and astonishment. In observing and imagining these emotions, the audience experiences eight principal responses, or rasas: love, pity, anger, disgust, heroism, awe, terror and comedy. The text contains a set of precepts on the writing and performance of dance, music and theater, and while it primarily deals with stagecraft, it has influenced Indian music, dance, sculpture, painting and literature as well. Thus, the Natya Shastra is considered the foundation of the fine arts in India.

After the Samaveda that dealt with ritual utterances of the Vedas, the ‘‘Natya Shastra’’ is the first major text that deals with music at length. It is considered the defining treatise of Indian Classical Music until the thirteenth century, when the stream bifurcated into Hindustani classical music in North India and Pakistan, and Carnatic classical music in South India.

While much of the discussion of music in the ‘‘Natya Shastra’’ focuses on musical instruments, it also emphasizes several theoretical aspects that remained fundamental to Indian music:

1. Establishment of Shadja as the first, defining note of the scale or grama. The word Shadja (षड्ज) means ‘giving birth to six’, and refers to the fact that once this note (often referred to as “sa” and notated S) is fixed, the placement of other notes in the scale is determined.

2. Principle of Consonance: Consists of two principles:

a. The first principle states that there exists a fundamental note in the musical scale which is Avinashi (अविनाशी) and Avilopi (अविलोपी) that is, the note is ever-present and unchanging.

b. The second principle, often treated as law, states that there exists a natural consonance between notes; the best between Shadja and Tar Shadja, the next best between Shadja and Pancham.

3. The ‘‘Natya Shastra’’ also suggest the notion of musical modes or jatis, which are the origin of the concept of the modern melodic structures known as ragas. Their role in invoking emotions is emphasized; compositions emphasizing the notes gandhara or rishabha are said to be related to tragedy (karuna rasa), and rishabha is to be emphasized for evoking heroism (vira rasa). Jatis are elaborated in greater detail in the text Dattilam, composed around the same time as the ‘‘Natya Shastra.’’

As I mentioned, today’s song is composed in Raag Kalyan, Tal Dadra.

Raag Kalyan is the basic raaga of Kalyan Thaat. Its Jati is Sampurna-Sampurna, that is, all seven notes in Aaroha and all seven notes in Avaroha.  All the scale notes (called swaras) in the raga are Shuddha, the exception being Teevra Madhyam or prati madhyamam. It is sung during the first prahar of the night, that is, between  6 to 9 PM. Raag Kalyan of Hindustani Music is also known as Raag Yaman in Carnatic Music; however, Raag Yaman Kalyan is a totally different raag. Considered to be one of the most fundamental ragas in the Hindustani Classical tradition, it is thus often one of the first ragas taught to students.

Some of the Hindi films songs composed in raag Shyam Kalyan are:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
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26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
Khuda Nigahbaan Ho
Main Kya Jaanu Kya
Aansoo Bhari Hai
Man Re Tu
Ang Ang Rang
Re Man Sur Mein Ga
Aapke Anorodh Par
Is Mod Se Jate
Jo Tum Todo Piya
Hamari Thodi Si Bewafai
Aaj Hum Apni
Nav Kalpana Nav Roop
Na Jao Saeeyan
Mithe Bol Bole
Mitwa Bole Meethe
Jane Kya Sochkar
Tarana
Mohe Maro Na Kanha
Dekho Ri Koi
Ehsaan Tera Hoga
Chale Ja Rahe Hain
Yahi Hai Tamanna
Gahar Se Nikalte
Saras Raat Man Bhaye
Salaam-e-Hasrat
Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein
Nigahein Milane Ko
Paan Khayo Saiyan Hamaro
Sabere Ka Suraj
Tera Chhehera
Woh Shaam Kuchh
Maangne Se Jo Maut
Mausam Hai Aashiqana
Sapna ban Saajan
Chhupalo Yun Dil
Woh Jab Yaad Aaye
Jhamela Jhoote Jag Ka
Diya Jalao Jagmag
Nukta Chi Hain
Mughal-E-Azam
Zindagi
Parvarish
Chitralekha
Sandhya
Lal Pathar
Anurodh
Aandhi
Meera
Thodi Si Bewafai
Pakeezah
Mrigtrishna
Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam
Kinara
Parichaye
Kinara
Pakeezah
Manavta
Ganga Ki Leherein
Junglee
Kinare Kinare
Aapki Parchhaiyan
Papa Kehte Hain
Suwarn Sundari
Babar
Kabhi Kabhi
Dil Hi To Hai
Teesri Kasam
Ek Baar Muskura Do
Aapas Ki Baat
Khamoshi
Sunehere Kadam
Pakeezah
Shokhiyan
Mamta
Parasmani
Bhajan
Tansen
Mirza Galib
Lata
K L Saigal
Mukesh
Rafi
Sulakshana
Asha, Manna Dey
Kishore
Lata, Kishore
Vani Jayram
Kishore, Lata
Lata
Rafi
Geeta Dutt
Bhupendra, Lata
Bhupendra
Kishore
Lata
Lata
Asha
Rafi
Manna Dey
Rafi
Udit Narayan
Rafi, Lata
Sudha Malhotra
Mukesh, Lata
Asha
Asha
Kishore
Kishore
Kishore
Lata
Lata
Lata
Lata, Hemant
Lata, Rafi
Mukesh
K L Saigal
Suraiya
(Poster courtesy: fridaycinemas.co)

The song Bhooli hui yaadon mujhe itna na sataao is from the 1961 Pramod Chakravorty movie Sanjog that starred Pradeep Kumar and Anita Guha.

The song was penned by Rajendra Krishan and composed by Madan Mohan (Kohli). It was sung by Mukesh, one of the nine of Madan Mohan songs that he sang in 25 years.

Please enjoy in Raag Kalyan, Tal Dadra: Bhooli hui yaadon mujhe itna na sataao….

Bhuulii huii yaado.n, mujhe itanaa naa sataao
Ab chain se rahane do, mere paas na aao
Bhuulii huii yaado.n …

Daaman me.n liye baiThaa huu.N, (TuuTe hue taare – 2)
Kab tak mai.n jiyuu.Ngaa yuu.Nhii, (khvaabo.n ke sahaare – 2)
DIvaanaa huu.N, ab aur naa dIvaanaa banaao
Ab chain se rahane do, mere paas na aao
Bhuulii huii yaado.n …

LUTo naa mujhe is tarah, (doraahe pe laake -2 )
Aavaaz na do ek (nayI raah dikhaake – 2)
Sa.nbhalaa huu.N mai.n gir-girake mujhe, phir naa giraao
Ab chain se rahane do mere paas naa aao

Bhuulii huii yaado.n, mujhe itanaa naa sataao
Ab chain se rahane do, mere paas na aao
Bhuulii huii yaado.n …

We have intended to learn about Raaga based music whilst we entertain ourselves with Raaga based songs. So, lets, once again, take stock of our collective learning so far:

  1. On the first day we learnt about the Raaga system devised by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, which is the prevalent system in Hindustani Classical Music and based on ten Thaats.
  2. On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
  3. On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
  4. On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
  5. On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
  6. On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
  7. On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
  8. On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
  9. On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
  10. On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
  11. On the eleventh day, we learnt about why Bhairavi is the first raag to be taught to beginners and also why it is the last in a performance.
  12. On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
  13. On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
  14. On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
  15. On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
  16. On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
  17. On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
  18. On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
  19. On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
  20. On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
  21. On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
  22. On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
  23. On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
  24. On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
  25. On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
  26. On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
  27. On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
  28. On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
  29. On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
  30. On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
  31. On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
  32. On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
  33. On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
  34. On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
  35. On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
  36. On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
  37. On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
  38. On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
  39. On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
  40. On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
  41. On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
  42. On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
  43. On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
  44. On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
  45. On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
  46. On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
  47. On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
  48. On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
  49. On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
  50. On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
  51. On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
  52. On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
  53. On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
  54. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
  55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
  56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
  57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
  58. On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
  59. On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
  60. On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
  61. On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
  62. On the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.
  63. And today, on the sixty-third day, we learnt about Natya Shastra.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song Of The Day #62

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Youn neend se vo jaan-e-chaman jaag uthi hai….
Raag Shyam Kalyan, Tal Dadra

None of you noticed it, but I haven’t given you a proper (melodic) song, so far in Raag Kalyan or any of its variations. I had given you a song in Raag Kalyan earlier on the 14th day (Lagta nahin ahai dil mera ujade dayaar mein) (Please see: Raaga Based Song Of The Day #14). However, the entire song was in Alaap and hence didn’t have a Tal. I am going to give you, songs in Raag Kalyan and its variations in the next few days.

Today’s song is in Shyam Kalyan, Tal Dadra.

Kishore Kumar has sung some of his best songs composed by Rahul Dev Burman and this is one of them. Some of their best songs are: Tere bina zindagi se koi shikwa to nahin, Chingari koi bhadake, Rimjhim gire sawan, Mere sapno ki rani, Mere naina sawan bhadon, Ye shaam mastani, Kuchh to log kahenge, Sagar kinare, ham dono do premi, and one of my favourites: Tum bin jaayun kahan. It would be correct to say that RD Burman brought out the best in Kishore Kumar.

We have completed sixty-one days of Raaga Based Songs of the Day. Our first post in the series was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #1’ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1970 Shakti Samanta movie Pagla Kahin Ka: Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge.  It is in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava.

Our sixty-first post or the last post was titled Raaga Based Song Of The Day #61 and the song was a Mohammad Rafi song from the 1963 V Shantaram movie Sehra starring Sandhya and Prashant: Taqdeer ka fasaana jaakar kise sunayen. It is in Raag Desh, Tal Dadra.

This blog has a number of posts on Raaga based songs in Hindi movies titled similarly; for example: The Best Raaga Based Songs in Hindi Movies – Raaga Bhimpalasi – Part I‘.

In the last sixty-one days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati, Hamir, Bhatiyar and Gawati. The only five raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti and Bhairavi. That makes a total of 51 raagas so far. Today, I am giving you a song in a new raag Shyam Kalyan.

Today, I give you a song sung by Kishore Kumar on the lyrics of Anand Bakshi and on a composition by Rahul Dev Burman. As I said, it is in  Raag Shyam Kalyan, Tal Dadra.

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall learn about Carnatic Music. Even though the focus of my posts, so far, has been exclusively Hindustani Music, tonight, lets know a little about the other major stream of Indian Classical Music called Carnatic Music.

Carnatic Music is, simply put, the classical music of South India. The pitamah (grandfather) of Carnatic Music has been Purandra Dasa who lived between 1484 and 1564 AD. He was a musicologist from Hampi in Vijayanagara Empire. Indian Classical Music of ancient times was a form of veneration of gods and goddesses. If you recall, from the 15th century onwards until 17th century, we had Bhakti movement in our country. Much of it was focused on singing hymns for gods and goddesses. Please do recall that I have been telling you about the raagas contained in the holy book of the Sikhs: the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Well, Purandra Dasa was also a devotee of Lord Krishna. In his part of India, he systematized classical Indian music theory and developed exercises for musicians to learn and perfect their art. He travelled widely sharing and teaching his ideas, and influenced numerous South Indian and Maharashtra Bhakti movement musicians. These exercises, his teachings about raaga, and his systematic methodology called Suladi Sapta Tala (literally, “primordial seven talas”) remains in use in contemporary times. The efforts of Purandara Dasa in the 16th century began the Carnatic style of Indian classical music and hence a clear demarcation emerged between Hindustani Music and Carnatic Music. The former, as I have laboured to tell you at very early stage, was heavily influenced by Persia and the fusion of Sanskrit/Hindi music created in Moghul Courts. The latter stayed clear of such influences.

Carnatic music, from South India, tends to be more rhythmically intensive and structured than Hindustani music. Examples of this are the logical classification of raagas into melakarthas, and the use of fixed compositions similar to Western classical music. Carnatic raaga elaborations are generally much faster in tempo and shorter than their equivalents in Hindustani music. In addition, accompanists have a much larger role in Carnatic concerts than in Hindustani concerts. Today’s typical concert structure was put in place by the vocalist Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar. The opening piece is called a varnam, and is a warm-up for the musicians. A devotion and a request for a blessing follows, then a series of interchanges between ragams (unmetered melody) and thaalams (the ornamentation, equivalent to the jor). This is intermixed with hymns called krithis. The pallavi or theme from the raga then follows. Carnatic pieces also have notated lyrical poems that are reproduced as such, possibly with embellishments and treatments according to the performer’s ideology.

Primary themes include worship, descriptions of temples, philosophy, and nayaka-nayika (Sanskrit “hero-heroine”) themes. Tyagaraja (1759–1847), Muthuswami Dikshitar (1776–1827) and Syama Sastri (1762–1827) have been the important historic scholars of Carnatic music. According to Eleanor Zelliot, Tyagaraja is known in the Carnatic tradition as one of the greatest composers, and he reverentially acknowledged the influence of Purandara Dasa.

Carnatic music was mainly patronized by the local kings of the Kingdom of Mysore and Kingdom of Travancore in the 18th through 20th centuries. Some of the royalty of the kingdoms of Mysore and Travancore were themselves noted composers and proficient in playing musical instruments, such as the veena, rudra veena, violin, ghatam, flute, mridangam, nagaswara and swarabhat.

The main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in a singing style (known as gāyaki).

As I mentioned, today’s song is composed in Raag Shyam Kalyan, Tal Dadra.

Raag Shyam Kalyan belongs to Kalyan Thaat. Its Jati is Audhav-Sampurna Vakra, that is five notes in Aaroha (minus Gandharva and Dhaivat) and all seven notes in Avaroha but twisted. It is sung during the first prahar of the night, that is, between  6 to 9 PM. This Raag is a very melodious and considered a mixture of Kalyan ang and Kamod ang (G m P G m R S). Raag Shuddh Sarang and Shyam Kalyan have some similarity; although the former doesn’t include Ga. The concluding phrase – G m R S helps to maintain the impression of Shyam Kalyan. Although this phrase also occurs in Raag Kamod, dominance of sharp Ma and Ni in Shyam Kalyan gives it a distinct character.

Two of the songs composed in raag Shyam Kalyan are: Ye sham ki tanhayiyan aise mein tera gham (1953 Aah) and Tu mere saath rahega munne (1978 Trishul).

The song Youn neend se vo jaan-e-chaman jaag uthi hai is from the 1978 Sunil Dutt movie Dard Ka Rishta that starred, besides him, Reena Roy, Smita Patil and Ashok Kumar.

The song was penned by Anand Bakshi and composed by RD Burman. It was sung by Kishore Kumar. As you listen to the song, I am sure, you are bound to marvel at the excellence of lyrics by Anand Bakshi and composition by RD Burman. And that’s the time you’d say what an excellent song, though not so well known.

Please enjoy in Raag Shyam Kalyan, Tal Dadra: Youn neend se vo jaan-e-chaman jaag uthi hai….

Yuu.N nii.nd se vo jaan-e-chaman jaag uThii hai
Pardes mai.n phir yaad-e-vatan jaag uThii hai
Yuu.N nii.nda se vo jaan-e-chaman…

Phir yaad hame.n aaye hai.n saavan ke vo jhuule
Vo bhuul gaye hamako, unhe.n ham nahii.n bhuule
Unhe ham nahii.n bhuule
Is dard ke kaa.nTo.n kii chubhan jaag uThii hai
Pardes me.n phira yaad-e-vatan, jaag uThii hai

Ham log sayaane sahii, diivAne hai.n lekin
Begaane bahut achchhe hai.n, begaane hai.n lekin
Begaane hai.n lekin
Begaano me.n apano.n kii lagan, jaag uThii hai
Parades me.n phir yaad-e-vatan jaag uThii hai

Is shahar se thaa achchhaa bahut apanaa vo gaa.Nv
PanaghaT hai yahaa.N koii naa piipal kii vo chhaa.Nv
Pashchim me.n vo puurab kii pavan jaag uThii hai
Pardes me.n phir yaad-e-vatan jaag uThii hai

Yuu.N nii.nda se vo jaan-e-chamana…

We have intended to learn about Raaga based music whilst we entertain ourselves with Raaga based songs. So, lets, once again, take stock of our collective learning so far:

  1. On the first day we learnt about the Raaga system devised by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, which is the prevalent system in Hindustani Classical Music and based on ten Thaats.
  2. On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
  3. On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
  4. On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
  5. On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
  6. On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
  7. On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
  8. On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
  9. On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
  10. On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
  11. On the eleventh day, we learnt about why Bhairavi is the first raag to be taught to beginners and also why it is the last in a performance.
  12. On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
  13. On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
  14. On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
  15. On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
  16. On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
  17. On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
  18. On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
  19. On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
  20. On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
  21. On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
  22. On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
  23. On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
  24. On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
  25. On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
  26. On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
  27. On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
  28. On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
  29. On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
  30. On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
  31. On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
  32. On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
  33. On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
  34. On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
  35. On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
  36. On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
  37. On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
  38. On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
  39. On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
  40. On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
  41. On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
  42. On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
  43. On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
  44. On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
  45. On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
  46. On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
  47. On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
  48. On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
  49. On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
  50. On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
  51. On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
  52. On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
  53. On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
  54. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
  55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
  56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
  57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
  58. On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
  59. On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
  60. On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
  61. On the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.
  62. And today, on the sixty-second day, we learnt a little about Carnatic Music.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song Of The Day #61

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Taqdeer ka fasaana jaakar kise sunayen….
Raag Desh, Tal Dadra

I had given you a song in Raag Desh earlier on the 15th day (Beqasi hadd se jab guzr jaaye) (Please see: Raaga Based Song Of The Day #15). However, even at that time I had clarified that it was anything but pure Desh and indeed was a cross between Desh and Khammaj. Today’s song, however, is a fine example of Desh.

It is also signature Mohammad Rafi with his passion, outstanding voice and ability to go to high pitch with ease. Everytime I return to Mohammad Rafi, I keep thinking that there was and is no one with his calibre of singing. He was the one for whom we can use the word incomparable, doing it full justice. This one is with a forgotten music director Ramlal who gave us remarkably beautiful songs in this movie Sehra as well as in Geet Gaya Pathron Ne (both V Shantaram movies); songs such as: Tum to pyaar ho sajani, Pankh hote to udd aati, Ja ja ja re tujhe ham jaan gaye, Tere khayaalon mein ham, and Mandve tale gareeb ke do phool khil rahe hain.

We have completed sixty days of Raaga Based Songs of the Day. Our first post in the series was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #1’ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1970 Shakti Samanta movie Pagla Kahin Ka: Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge.  It is in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava.

Our sixtieth post or the last post was titled Raaga Based Song Of The Day #60 and the song was a Udit Narayan and Kavita Krishnamurthy song from the 2001 S Shankar movie Nayak: The Real Hero starring Anil Kapoor and Rani Mukerji: Chalo chalen mitwa in oonchi neechi raahon mein. It is in Raag Gawati, Tal Kaherava.

This blog has a number of posts on Raaga based songs in Hindi movies titled similarly; for example: The Best Raaga Based Songs in Hindi Movies – Raaga Bhairavi – Part III‘.

In the last sixty days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati, Hamir, Bhatiyar and Gawati. The only five raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti and Bhairavi. That makes a total of 51 raagas so far. Today, I am repeating Raag Desh.

Today, I give you a song sung by Mohammad Rafi on the lyrics of Hasrat Jaipuri and on a composition by Ramlal. As I said, it is in  Raag Desh, Tal Dadra.

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall learn about Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.

Now that we have, over a period of time, got a smattering of Indian musical instruments, today, lets learn something about their classification.

In the NatyaShastra of Bharat Muni, the musical instruments are classified in four groups:

1. Tat Wadya: String instruments.
2. Sushir Wadya: Blowing instruments.
3. Awanadhha Wadya: Percussion instruments made with animal skin.
4. Ghan Wadya: Solid instruments or Cymbals (A-tonal instruments) made by hard surfaces such as metal, and wood.

1. Tat Wadya: In the earlier stage, the strings were made up with weeds, animal skins, hair, etc. After the technique of making metal strings was invented, it made great advancement. Ancient mythology states that string instruments were formed by the bow of Shiva. One can interpret it as when the ancient man got to know the sound of bow string while releasing the arrow out of it, the idea of making a musical instrument might have struck in his head and then he made such bow shaped string instrument. The frequency depends upon the length of the string and also on the distance of the string from the sound bridge. After a lot of experimentation, man started making the ancient Veena, ie, lute. The instruments such as Tanpura, Veena, Sitar, Sarod, Sarangi, Israj, Dilruba are string instruments. These string instruments are further divided into 4 categories:

a. Plucked instruments such as Tapnura, Swar-Mandal, etc.
b. Stroking instruments such as Sitar, Sarod, etc and
c. Bowed instruments such as Sarangi, Israj, Violin,
d. Hammered instruments such as Santoor.

2. Sushir Wadya: ‘Sushir’ means a hole, so the instruments having holes from which air is blown for sound production are called ‘Sushir Wadya’. These instruments have an air column made up with bamboo, wood or metal, to which there are holes for producing notes. The blown instruments are further divided into two categories:

a. Simple blown instruments such as Flute, Shankh, Tutaari;
b. Blown instruments with reeds such as Shehnai, Sundri.

3. Awanadhha Wadya: ‘Awanadhha’ means ‘to cover over or conceal’, so these instruments have a sound box with covering of skin. The ‘Bhoomi Dundudhi’ is the most ancient instrument of such kind. According to the making and playing technique, the percussion instruments are divided such as:
a. Played with stroke of fingers such as Khanjira, Duff, Dimdi.
b. Played with stroke of a stick such as Dhol, Sambal, Nagada.
c. Played with the palms of both the hands, such as Pakhawaj, Mridangam.
d. Played with a thread attached at the middle portion with holding at centre point, such as Damroo.
e. Played with palms as well as fingers, such as Tabla, Dholki, Dholak.

4. Ghan Wadya: ‘Ghana’ means solid, so these instruments are solid in state, not hollow in shape. These instruments are made with a variety of materials such as stone, bones, horns, wood, and metals. These instruments are further classified in 3 groups. They are:

a. Played with contact, such as Chipli, Taal.
b. Played with a stick or hammer, such as JalTarang, KaashthaTarang, Ghanta.
c. Played with rotation or free movement, such as Ghunghroo, Ghantika, Rattle, and Kabas.

Though they have attractive tonal quality, these solid instruments are basically a-tonal, i.e., they cannot produce various notes on the same instruments, so they are used for maintaining the tempo or rhythm. So, one can find the use of solid instruments in other genres such as folk, film music, applied music rather than in classical music.

In modern era with the advent of some new instruments in India, two new categories are added to these traditionally accepted four categories:

a. Keyboard instruments – such as Harmonium, Organ, Piano, which are basically European instruments.
b. Electronic instruments – we have many electronic musical instruments, including electronic Tanpura, electronic Tabla and so on.

As I mentioned, today’s song is composed in Raag Desh, Tal Dadra.

Raag Desh or Des belongs to Khammaj Thaat. Its Jati is Audhav-Sampurna, that is five notes in Aaroha (minus Gandhar and Dhaivat) and all seven notes in Avaroha. It is sung during the second prahar of the night, that is, between 9 PM and midnight. This Raag is a very sweet melody that announces itself with the combination D s m G R – G ,N s S. The musical compositions in this Raag bear the Shadja-Pancham (S-P) and Shadja-Madhyam (S-m) Bhava and therefore very pleasing and essentially melodic.

Desh has been used in patriotic songs; the most popular being a version of Vande Mataram, the national song.

Some of the songs composed in this raag Desh are:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
Udi Hawa Mein Jati
Dukh Ke Din Ab
Bekasi Had Se Jab
Le Ja Meri Duayein
Gori Tore Nain
Saiyaan Jao
Chali Re Chali
Chali Aaj Gori
Zamane Ka Dastoor
Abke Baras
Tu Jo Mere Sur Mein
Zindagi Pyar Ki
Aapko Pyar Chupane
Main To Saanwarein Ki
Morey Naina Bahaye
Mrignayani Chandramukhi
Hindola Jhule Shyam
Kaun Rokega Ab
Chal Diye Deke Gham
Ulajh Gaye Do Naina
Hum Tere Pyar Mein Sara
Chali Kaun Se Desh
Dekhi Zamane Ki Yaari
Thandi Thandi Saawan Ki
Kadam Chale Aage
Rani Khol De Apne
Mana Mere Hanseen Sanam
Mere Pyar Mein
Tere Pyar Ko Is
Achuut Kanya
Devdas
Kalpana
Deedar
Main Suhagan Hoon
Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje
Saranga
Godaan
Lajawaab
Bandini
Chitchor
Anarkali
Neela Aakash
Meera
Bawarchi
Rang Birangi
Shatranj Ke Khiladi
Ek Kali Muskaee
Son Of India
Ek Saal
Dil Ek Mandir
Boot Polish
Kagaz Ke Phool
Jaagte Raho
Bhakt Surdas
Tadbeer
Adventures Of Robinhood
Maan
Maine Jeena Seekh Liya
Devika Rani
K. L. Saigal
Asha Bhosle
Lata Mangeshkar
Rafi, Asha
Lata Mangeshkar
Asha Bhosle
Lata Mangeshkar
Mukesh, Lata
Asha Bhosle
Yesudas, Hemlata
Hemant Kumar
Asha, Rafi
Vani Jayaram
Lata Mangeshkar
Vasant Rao, Fayyaz Khan
Chorus
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata, Hemant Kumar
Lata Mangeshkar
Talat Mehmood, Lata
Mohd. Rafi
Asha Bhosle
K. L. Saigal
K. L. Saigal, Suraiya
Mohd. Rafi
Lata Mangeshkar
Mukesh
(Poster courtesy: IMDb)

The song Taqdeer ka fasaana jaakar kise sunayen is from the 1963 V Shantaram movie Sehra starring his wife Sandhya with Prashant.

The song was penned by Hasrat Jaipuri and composed by Ramlal. It was sung separately by Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar. I am giving you the Mohammad Rafi version.

Please enjoy in Raag Desh, Tal Dadra: Taqdeer ka fasaana jaakar kise sunaayen….

Taqadiir kaa fasaanaa jaakar kise sunaa_e.n
Is dil me.n jal rahii hai.n aramaan kii chitaa_e.n

Saa.Nso.n me.n aaj mere tuufaan uTh rahe hai.n
Shahanaa_ii_o.n se kah do kahii.n aur jaa ke gaa_e.n
Is dil me.n jal rahii hai.n aramaan kii chitaa_e.n

Matavaale chaa.Nd suuraj teraa uThaaye Dolaa
Tujhako khushii kii pariyaa.N ghar tere le ke jaa_e.n
Is dil me.n jal rahii hai.n aramaan kii chitaa_e.n

Tum to raho salaamat seharaa tumhe mubaarak
Meraa har ek aa.Nsuu dene lagaa duaa_e.n
Is dil me.n jal rahii hai.n aramaan kii chitaa_e.n

We have intended to learn about Raaga based music whilst we entertain ourselves with Raaga based songs. So, lets, once again, take stock of our collective learning so far:

  1. On the first day we learnt about the Raaga system devised by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, which is the prevalent system in Hindustani Classical Music and based on ten Thaats.
  2. On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
  3. On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
  4. On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
  5. On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
  6. On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
  7. On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
  8. On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
  9. On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
  10. On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
  11. On the eleventh day, we learnt about why Bhairavi is the first raag to be taught to beginners and also why it is the last in a performance.
  12. On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
  13. On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
  14. On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
  15. On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
  16. On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
  17. On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
  18. On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
  19. On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
  20. On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
  21. On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
  22. On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
  23. On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
  24. On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
  25. On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
  26. On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
  27. On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
  28. On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
  29. On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
  30. On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
  31. On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
  32. On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
  33. On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
  34. On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
  35. On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
  36. On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
  37. On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
  38. On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
  39. On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
  40. On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
  41. On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
  42. On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
  43. On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
  44. On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
  45. On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
  46. On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
  47. On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
  48. On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
  49. On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
  50. On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
  51. On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
  52. On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
  53. On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
  54. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
  55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
  56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
  57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
  58. On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
  59. On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
  60. On the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.
  61. And today, on the sixty-first day, we learnt about the Classification of Indian Musical Instruments.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

ZARRE ZARRE MEIN MAA HAI

कौन कहता है मेरी माँ अब मुझसे दूर है,
हवाओं की खुशबु उनकी महक से मगरूर है I

दिन के उजाले उनकी मौजूदगी की पहचान हैं,
माहताब की किरण उनकी ही आँख का नूर है I

कंडाघाट नज़ारों में जब नज़र दौड़ाता हूँ,
यकीन आता है मेरी माँ इनमें ज़रूर है I

मेरी क़राबत में जो भीगी शादाबी है फ़िज़ायों में,
मेरी माँ की तबस्सुम का ही तो सरूर है I

अब भी छू लेता है मुझे उनके प्यार का अंदाज़,
अब भी ज़िन्दगी में माँ के होने का फितूर है I

जिधर देखता हूँ मुझे माँ हू बा हू नज़र आती है,
उनकी सादगी ओ मासूमियत हर तरफ मौजूद है I

सब कहते हैं, रवि, भूल जायो और आगे बढ़ो,
क्या खबर उनको माँ थी और माँ ही मेरा वजूद है I

 

Kaun kehta hai meri maa ab mujhase door hai,
Hawayon ki khushbu uanki mehak se magroor hai.

Din ke ujaale unaki maujoodgi ki pehchaan hain,
Mahtaab ki kiran unki aankh ka noor hai.

Kandaghat nazaron mein jab nazar daudhata hoon,
Yakeen aata hai meri maa in mein zaroor hai.

Meri qaraabat mein jo bheegi shadabi hai fizayon mein,
Meri maa ki tabassum ka hi to saroor haI.

Ab bhi chhoo leta hai mujhe unke pyaar ka andaaz,
Ab bhi zindagi mein maa ke hone ka fitoor hai.

Jidhar dekhta hoon mujhe maa hoo ba hoo nazar aati hai,
Unaki saadgi o masumiyat har taraf maujood hai.

Sab kehte hain, Ravi, bhool jaayo aur aage badho,
Kyaa khabar unako maa thi aur maa hi mera wajood hai.

Raaga Based Song Of The Day #60

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Chalo chalen mitwa in oonchi neechi raahon mein….
Raag Gawati, Tal Kaherava

Finally, our fifty-first raaga today: Raag Gawati, Gavati or Gavti. As you listen to the freshness of the song, you would be straightway reminded of Raag Pahadi’s songs, particularly: Tere mere honthon pe meethe meethe heet mitwa. But, we shall come to that later.

We have completed fifty-nine days of Raaga Based Songs of the Day. Our first post in the series was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #1’ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1970 Shakti Samanta movie Pagla Kahin Ka: Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge.  It is in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava.

Our fifty-ninth post or the last post was titled Raaga Based Song Of The Day #59 and the song was a Talat Mehmood song from the 1950 Shaheed Lateef movie Arzoo starring Dilip Kumar, Kamini Kaushal and Shashikala: Ai dil mujhe aisi jagah le chal jahan koi na ho. It is in Raag Adana, Tal Kaherava.

This blog has a number of posts on Raaga based songs in Hindi movies titled similarly; for example: The Best Raaga Based Songs in Hindi Movies – Raaga Bhairavi – Part II‘.

In the last fifty-nine days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati, Hamir, Bhatiyar and Gawati. The only five raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti and Bhairavi. That makes a total of 51 raagas so far. Today, I am repeating Raag Adana.

Today, I give you a duet sung by Udit Narayan and Kavita Subramaniam on the lyrics of Majrooh Sultanpuri and on a composition by Anil Biswas. As I said, it is in  Raag Gawati, Tal Kaherava.

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall learn about Aakaar.

In Hindustani Classical Music notes are often sung in the vowel “Aa” in the form of alaap or taan etc. Therefore when notes are sung in vowel “Aa” it ia called Aakaar.

Now here, we have a major difference between singing normally and singing in Hindustani classical music. Most people are used to singing songs with lyrics, which contain both consonants and vowels. Consonants play the role of stabilizing the voice and helping it transition from one note to another, so it is much easier to sing tunefully when you use consonants. Take the consonants out, and suddenly you are left without a crutch, the notes seem to merge into each other and become blurry. The challenge is to train your voice to sing each note with precision and clarity without the consonants. Serious students must eventually practice singing in all of the pure vowel sounds – a (the schwa sound), ā, i, u, e and o, as well as the nasal consonants n and m, because the voice behaves differently with different vowels. Some notes are harder to hit with certain vowels.

One of the reasons it is important to learn to sing clearly in aakaar is because when you are singing rapid note patterns at dizzying speeds, a pure vowel sound is all there is time for. You cannot afford the luxury of consonants and lyrics at those speeds. Another reason is that Hindustani classical music requires the artist to improvise melody, and singing in aakaar allows the artist to focus on and freely explore melody. Apart from all this, there is the very important fact that melody can be experienced at its purest when no distractions in the form of lyrics are present.

I am sure, next time you listen to a vocalist of Hindustani classical music, you will understand the melody and its bhaav better by the sheer pleasure of listening rather than having to concentrate on lyrics.

As I mentioned, today’s song is composed in Raag Gawati, Tal Kaherava.

There is some discussion about whether Raag Gawati belongs to Khammaj or Kafi Thaat. It is because Raag Bheem is also called Raag Gawati. My study shows that some distinguish the two by adding to the latter a vivadi komal gandhar in the tar saptaka. However, this Bheem is not the same as that of the Kafi thaat.

Gawati, you must have already guessed, is a rare raga (Gaoti, Gawoti, Gavati, and Gavti are some of the ways in which it is called). Until about 18 years no Hindi song was ever composed in it. Why only in Hindi movies, even though it is a gem of a raag, it wasn’t very popular with the musicians.  Some sitarists such as Vilayat Khan, Imrat Khan, Nishat Khan, Shahid Parvez and Wajahat Khan and some rare vocalists made use of the raag.

There are many such gems in Indian Ragaas, forgotten and nearly extinct. And then you have a maestro like AR Rahman who revives them. The other day, we saw how well he handled Raag Bhatiyar, another rare raag.

Love for Gawati is like acquiring the taste for, say, olives; slowly it grows on you. But, you still have no idea why you like it. Another thing about Gawati is that like Pahadi it is a happy raag. However, it can also convey some of the saddest and rueful feelings.

Its Jati is Audhav-Sampurna Vakra. It is normally to be sung or performed in the third prahar of the day, that is in the afternoon.

Some of the songs composed in this raaga are: Baat meri suniye to zara (2003 movie Kuchh Na Kaho), Ek saathi aur bhi tha (2003 movie LOC Kargil), and Kariye Na (1999 movie Taal). Hence, as you can make out, it is only recently that this raag found its way into Hindi films songs.

(Poster courtesy: hindilinks4u.to)

The song Chalo chalen mitwa in oonchi neechi raahon mein is from the 2001 S Shankar movie Nayak: The Real Hero starring Anil Kapoor and Rani Mukerji.

The song was penned by Anand Bakshi and composed by AR Rahman, reused all the songs except “Mudhalvane” song, from the original film Mudhalvan. It was sung by Udit Narayan and Kavita Krishnamurthy.

Please enjoy in Raag Gawati, Tal Kaherava: Chalo chalen mitwa in oonchi neechi raahon mein….

Chalo chale.n mitavaa in uu.Nchii-niichii raaho.n me.n
(Let’s walk, O lover!, on these paths high and low)

Terii pyaarii-pyaarii baa.Nho.n me.n kahii.n ham kho jaaye.n
(In your lovely arms, let’s get lost somewhere)

Kabhii nii.nd se jaage.n ham kabhii phir so jaaye.n
(Sometime we wake up from the sleep, sometime we fall asleep again)

Chalo chale.n mitavaa in uu.Nchii-niichii raaho.n me.n
Terii pyaarii-pyaarii baa.Nho.n me.n kahii.n ham kho jaaye.n
Kabhii nii.nd se jaage.n ham kabhii phir so jaaye.n

Laaj kii rekhaa mai.n paar kar aa_ii
(I have come having crossed the boundary of shyness)

Kuchh bhii kahe ab ko_ii mai.n to pyaar kar aa_ii
(Whatever anyone might say, I have fallen in love)

Ye abhii nahii.n hogaa to kabhii nahii.n hogaa
(If it is not done now, it will never happen)

Aa mere sajan kar le milan
(Come, O my lover, let’s become one)

KaaT khaaye naa haay-haay ye prem-bichhu_aa
(May the scorpion of love not bite us)

Chalo chale.n mitavaa in uu.Nchii-niichii raaho.n me.n
Terii pyaarii-pyaarii baa.Nho.n me.n kahii.n ham kho jaaye.n
Kabhii nii.nd se jaage.n ham kabhii phir so jaaye.n

Aa tujhe apanii palako.n pe mai.n biThaa ke le chalataa huu.N
(Come, let me carry you you on my eyelids)

Chal tujhe saarii duniyaa se mai.n chhupaa ke le chalataa huu.N
(Come, let me carry you keeping you hidden from the entire world)

Mai.n tere piichhe huu.N paa.Nv ke niiche huu.N
(I am behind you, I am below you feet)

Nain bhii miiche huu.N sun o saiyyaa.n re le baiyyaa.n
(I have also kept my eyes closed, listen, o lover, hold my arms)

Ye abhii nahii.n hogaa to kabhii nahii.n hogaa
Aa mere sajan kar le milan
KaaT khaaye naa haay-haay ye prem-bichhu_aa

Chalo chale.n mitavaa in uu.Nchii-niichii raaho.n me.n
Terii pyaarii-pyaarii baa.Nho.n me.n kahii.n ham kho jaaye.n
Kabhii nii.nd se jaage.n ham kabhii phir so jaaye.n

Aag dil me.n lag jaatii hai nii.nd ab kisako aatii hai
(A fire spreads in the heart, who is able to get sleep now)

Nii.nd aane se pahale hii yaad terii aa jaatii hai
(Your memories storm me even before I am able to sleep)

Chaa.Nd diipak baatii sab hamaare saathii
(The moon, the lamp, the burning thread giving light, all these are our companions)

Pyaar ke baaraatii kal paraso.n se nahii.n, baraso.n se
(All these are the allies in marital procession for years, not from a day or two ago)

Ye abhii nahii.n hogaa to kabhii nahii.n hogaa
Aa mere sajan kar le milan
KaaT khaaye naa haay-haay ye prem-bichhu_aa

Chalo chale.n mitavaa in uu.Nchii-niichii raaho.n me.n
Terii pyaarii-pyaarii baa.Nho.n me.n kahii.n ham kho jaaye.n
Kabhii nii.nd se jaage.n ham kabhii phir so jaaye.n

Laaj kii rekhaa mai.n paar kar aa_ii
Kuchh bhii kahe ab ko_ii mai.n to pyaar kar aa_ii
Ye abhii nahii.n hogaa to kabhii nahii.n hogaa
Aa mere sajan kar le milan
KaaT khaaye naa haay-haay ye prem-bichhu_aa

Chalo chale.n mitavaa in uu.Nchii-niichii raaho.n me.n
Terii pyaarii-pyaarii baa.Nho.n me.n kahii.n ham kho jaaye.n
Kabhii nii.nd se jaage.n ham kabhii phir so jaaye.n

o ho o o o o ho o o o -2
o ho o o o o ho o o o

We have intended to learn about Raaga based music whilst we entertain ourselves with Raaga based songs. So, lets, once again, take stock of our collective learning so far:

  1. On the first day we learnt about the Raaga system devised by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, which is the prevalent system in Hindustani Classical Music and based on ten Thaats.
  2. On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
  3. On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
  4. On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
  5. On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
  6. On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
  7. On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
  8. On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
  9. On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
  10. On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
  11. On the eleventh day, we learnt about why Bhairavi is the first raag to be taught to beginners and also why it is the last in a performance.
  12. On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
  13. On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
  14. On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
  15. On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
  16. On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
  17. On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
  18. On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
  19. On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
  20. On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
  21. On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
  22. On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
  23. On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
  24. On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
  25. On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
  26. On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
  27. On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
  28. On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
  29. On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
  30. On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
  31. On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
  32. On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
  33. On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
  34. On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
  35. On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
  36. On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
  37. On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
  38. On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
  39. On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
  40. On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
  41. On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
  42. On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
  43. On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
  44. On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
  45. On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
  46. On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
  47. On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
  48. On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
  49. On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
  50. On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
  51. On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
  52. On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
  53. On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
  54. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
  55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
  56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
  57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
  58. On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
  59. On the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.
  60. And today, on the sixtieth day, we learnt about singing in Aakaar.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song Of The Day #59

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Ai dil mujhe aisi jagah le chal jahan koi na ho….
Raag Adana, Tal Kaherava

We have completed fifty-eight days of Raaga Based Songs of the Day. Our first post in the series was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #1’ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1970 Shakti Samanta movie Pagla Kahin Ka: Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge.  It is in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava.

Our fifty-eighth post or the last post was titled Raaga Based Song Of The Day #58 and the song was a Sadhana Sargam song from the 2005 Deepa Mehta movie Water starring Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray, John Abraham and Sarla Kariyawasam: Naina neer bahaye. It is in Raag Bhatiyar, Tal Kaherava.

This blog has a number of posts on Raaga based songs in Hindi movies titled similarly; for example: The Best Raaga Based Songs in Hindi Movies – Raaga Bhairavi – Part I‘.

In the last fifty-eight days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati, Hamir and Bhatiyar. The only five raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti and Bhairavi. That makes a total of 50 raagas so far. Today, I am repeating Raag Adana.

Today, I give you a song sung by Talat Mehmood on the lyrics of Majrooh Sultanpuri and on a composition by Anil Biswas. As I said, it is in  Raag Adana, Tal Kaherava. The last time I gave you a song in this raag was on the 25th day when I gave you Manmohan mein ho tumhi in Tintal (Please see ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #25‘)

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall learn about Alankar.

Alankar literally means ornaments or adornments. In India, Alankar or Alankara means ornaments or adornments. In classical music, Alankar does exactly what ornaments and adornments do to a woman; these enhance the inherent beauty.

Alankar is even more ancient than most raagas; Between 200 BC and 200 AD, there are references to Alankar in Bharata’s Natyashastra. Natyashastra has a total of 33 types of Alankars. Subsequently, these were increased to more than 60 types of Alankars in the treatises.

There are mainly two types of Alankars mentioned in the ancient texts: Varnalankar and Shabdalankar; that is, varna based or shabda (voice) based. Varna refers to the four varnas: sthayi, aaroha, avaroha and sanchari. These are arrangements of notes in a particular sequence that we learnt about fairly early and hence I am not going to repeat here. Shabda refers to the aesthetic aspect whereas varna refers to the structural aspect; it is basically related to shabd or voice of either human being or instrument. Therefore, Shabdalankar would include everything that a performer wove both melodically and rhythmically outside the periphery of the fixed composition of raaga. In other words, all the extempore variations that a performer created during a performance within the raga and tala limits could be termed as alankar, because these variations embellished and enhanced the beauty of the raga, the tala and the composition. Therefore, it is now easy to make out that great vocalists or instrumentalists always went beyond the confines of rigid structures and added their personal touch to the performances through Alankar. It is another thing, that even the process of adding these adornments or ornamentation has been elaborately defined now; making even that somewhat rigid and may only vary between, say, gharanas; which too we learnt at a fairly early stage. When we talk about alankars today, we specifically refer to embellishments to a swar or a note.

“In Indian music and especially in raga sangeet, staccato or straight isolated notes are almost unheard of. In instrumental music too, with the exception of some instruments, the notes are never static either. Each note has some link with its preceding or succeeding note. It is this extra note or grace note that lays the foundation of all alankars. The shrutis or microtones that are so important in raga sangeet demand this ‘mobile’ nature of the swaras in Indian music.”

“The alankars in common use today comprise Meend (varieties of glides linking two or more notes), Kan (grace note), Sparsh and Krintan (both dealing with grace notes – especially as applied in plucked stringed instruments), Andolan (a slow oscillation between adjacent notes and shrutis), Gamak (heavy forceful oscillations between adjacent and distant notes), Kampit (an oscillation or a vibrato on a single note), Gitkari or Khatka (cluster of notes embellishing a single note), Zamzama (addition of notes, with sharp gamaks) and Murki (a swift and subtle taan-like movement).”

As I mentioned, today’s song is composed in Raag Adana, Tal Kaherava.

Raag Adana belongs to Asavari Thaat. Raag Adana resembles Raag Darbari Kanada, with the difference that Gandhar is forbidden in Aaroh in Adana. This Raag is rendered mostly in Madhya and Tar Saptaks unlike Raag Darbari Kanada, which is more deep and hence is rendered in Madhya and Mandra Saptaks (Octaves). In this Raag, Komal Gandhar and Komal Dhaivat should not be repeated (oscillated) otherwise Raag Darbari Kanada makes its appearance. Like Darbari Kanada, this Raag does not employ Meend and Gamak, as this is a flittering dynamic type melodic form. Its Jati (and by now you understand this completely) is Shadhav-Smapurna Vakra. It is normally to be sung during the second prahar of the night, that is, between 9 PM and midnight. Adana was a major raga in the 17th century and a combination of the then current ragas Malhar and Kanada. In a ragamala painting from Mewar it is depicted as an ascetic man sitting on a tiger skin, however, Somanatha describes him as Kama the god of love. His Adana was quite different from the raga as it is performed today.

Some of the songs composed in this raaga are:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Jhanak Jhanak Payal
Jaa Main Tose
Manmohan Man Mein
Lapak Jhapak Tu
Mukh Se Na Boloon
Ghar Aaja Meray
Jab Ishaq Kahin Ho Jaata Hai
Saanware Mat Ja
Tumhe Jo bhi
Cham Cham Baje Re
Dil Ka Fasaana
Aap ki nzaron ne samajha
Radhike tune bansuri
Jhanak Jhanak Payal Bajay
Sautela Bhai
Kaisay Kahoon
Boot Polish
Jalianwala Bagh
Garam Coat
Aarzoo

Majboor
Jaane-Anjaane

Anpadh
Beti Bete
Ustaad Amir Khan & Chorus
Lata Mangeshkar
Rafi, Suman, S. D. Batish
Manna Dey & Chorus
Lata Mangeshkar, Talat
Lata Mangeshkar
Asha Bhosle, Mubarak Begum
Lata Mangeshkar
Hemant Kumar
Manna Dey
Manna Dey
Lata
Rafi
(Poster courtesy: hindilinks4u)

The song Ai dil mujhe aisi jagah le chal jahan koi na ho is from the 1950 Shaheed Lateef movie called Arzoo starring Dilip Kumar, Kamini Kaushal and Shashikala. The movie’s story was penned by Ismat Chugtai who later wrote MS Sathyu’s Garam Hawa.

The song was penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri and composed by Anil Biswas. It was sung by Talat Mehmood.

Please enjoy in Raag Adana, Tal Kaherava: Ai dil mujhe aisi jagah le chal jahan koi na ho….

Ai dil mujhe aisii jagah le chal jahaa.N koI na ho
Apanaa paraayaa meharabaa.n naa-Meharabaa.n koI na ho
Ai dil mujhe aisii jagah le chal

Jaa kar kahii.n kho jaauu.N mai.n, nii.nd aae aur so jaauu.N mai.n
Nii.nd aae aur so jaauu.N mai.n
Duniyaa mujhe Dhuu.NDhe magar meraa nishaa.n koI na ho
Ai dil mujhe aisii jagah le chal

Ulfat kaa badalaa mil gayaa, vo Gam luTaa vo dil gayaa
Vo Gam luTaa vo dil gayaa
Chalanaa hai sab se duur duur ab kaaravaa.n koI na ho
Apanaa paraayaa meharabaa.n naa-meharabaa.n koI na ho
Ai dil mujhe aisii jagah le chal jahaa.N koI na ho

We have intended to learn about Raaga based music whilst we entertain ourselves with Raaga based songs. So, lets, once again, take stock of our collective learning so far:

  1. On the first day we learnt about the Raaga system devised by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, which is the prevalent system in Hindustani Classical Music and based on ten Thaats.
  2. On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
  3. On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
  4. On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
  5. On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
  6. On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
  7. On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
  8. On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
  9. On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
  10. On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
  11. On the eleventh day, we learnt about why Bhairavi is the first raag to be taught to beginners and also why it is the last in a performance.
  12. On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
  13. On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
  14. On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
  15. On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
  16. On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
  17. On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
  18. On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
  19. On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
  20. On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
  21. On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
  22. On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
  23. On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
  24. On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
  25. On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
  26. On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
  27. On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
  28. On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
  29. On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
  30. On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
  31. On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
  32. On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
  33. On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
  34. On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
  35. On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
  36. On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
  37. On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
  38. On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
  39. On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
  40. On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
  41. On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
  42. On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
  43. On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
  44. On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
  45. On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
  46. On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
  47. On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
  48. On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
  49. On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
  50. On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
  51. On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
  52. On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
  53. On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
  54. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
  55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
  56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
  57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
  58. On the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.
  59. And today, on the fifty-ninth day, we learnt about Alankar.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song Of The Day #58

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Naina neer bahaye….
Raag Bhatiyar, Tal Kaherava

I am giving you a new raag today that I haven’t so far given you. That makes it 50 raagas in 58 days.

We have completed fifty-seven days of Raaga Based Songs of the Day. Our first post in the series was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #1’ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1970 Shakti Samanta movie Pagla Kahin Ka: Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge.  It is in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava.

Our fifty-seventh post or the last post was titled Raaga Based Song Of The Day #57 – Final Tribute To My Late Mother and the song was a Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1962 A Bhimsingh movie Main Chup Rahungi starring Meena Kumari and Sunil Dutt: Tumhi ho mata pita tumhi ho. It is in Raag Bhairavi, Tal Kaherava.

This blog has a number of posts on Raaga based songs in Hindi movies titled similarly; for example: The Best Raaga Based Songs in Hindi Movies – Raaga Todi‘.

In the last fifty-seven days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati, Hamir and Bhtiyar. The only five raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti and Bhairavi. That makes a total of 50 raagas so far.

Today, I give you a song sung by Sadhana Sargam on the lyrics of Sukhwinder Singh and on the composition of AR Rahman, in Raag Bhatiyar, Tal Kaherava.

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall learn about the Shruti Box.

Electronic Shruti Box

Shruti Box is a drone instrument like Tanpura and Swarmandal. Shruti Box resembles a harmonium in shape and provides drone both in practice sessions as well as in concert. Being a drone, it is used as an accompaniment to other instruments. It was and is widely used as an accompaniment to flute. Shruti box is used to assist in tuning voice in classical singing. These days, electronic Shruti Boxes have taken over, which can be easily tuned. These are called Shruti Petti in Tamil and Telugu and Sur Peti in Hindi.

Drone used to be produced, before the advent of Harmonium, by either Tambura or Nadaswaram. After the advent of Harmonium, one could easily open the cover and adjust the stop to produce the required drone.

Later, Harmonium was modified to have a keyless instrument to produce drone and that’s exactly what Shruti Box or Sruti Box is.

As I mentioned, today’s song is composed in Raag Bhatiyar, Tal Kaherava.

Raag Bhatiyar belongs to Marwa Thaat and is a combination of Raag Marwa and Raag Mand. If you recall, on the 24th Day, I gave you a song in Raag Mand: Kesariya Baalma (Tal Dadra) (Please refer to Raaga Based Song Of The Day #24). Its Jati (and by now you understand this completely) is Sampurna-Smapurna Vakra. It is normally to be sung at the fourth prahar of the night, that is, between 3 AM to 6 AM. Having Vakra swar makes it a complex raag. Its bhaav is anxiety laden as you can guage in the accompanying song that I have selected for you. The name of this old raga is said to derive from King Bhartrhari; this may well be a good example of inventive etymology. 

Three of the other songs composed in this raaga are:

  • Aayo Prabhaat Sab Mil Gaao. Film – Sur Sangam
    Year – 1985
    Music Director(s) – Laxmikant Pyarelal
    Singers – Rajan Mishra / S. Janaki
  • Ek Ritu Aaye Ek Ritu Jaaye. Film – Gautam Govinda
    Year – 1979
    Music Director(s) – Laxmikant Pyarelal
    Singer(s) – Kishore Kumar
  • Jaya Nandalaal.. Film – Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani
    Year – 1970
    Singer(s) – Lata Mangeshkar
(Poster courtesy: Wikipedia)

The song Naina neer bahaye is from the 2005 Indo-Canadian movie written and directed by Deepa Mehta called Water. She had earlier films named after two other elements, Fire in 1996 and Earth in 1998. Instead of having a film based on a novel, later, the movie story was adapted by Bapsi Sidhwa to write a novel: Water: A Novel. The movie had screenplay by Anurag Kashyap and starred Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray, John Abraham, and Sarala Kariyawasam in pivotal roles and Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Waheeda Rehman, Raghuvir Yadav, and Vinay Pathak in supporting roles.

Salman Rushdie had this to say about the film: “Un film magnifique”. The film is set in the year 1938, nine years before India’s independence and “parallels the plight of widowed women in India under Hindu fundamentalism to that of India under British colonialism”.

Sadhana Sargam

The song was penned by Sukhwinder Singh and composed by AR Rahman in this complex raag. As you can see, it has been superbly done by the maestro. It was sung by Sadhana Sargam.

Please enjoy in Raag Bhatiyar, Tal Kaherava: Naina neer bahaye….

Naina naina neer bahaye
Naina naina neer bahaye
Mujh birhan ka dil sajan sang
Mujh birhan ka dil sajan sang
Jhoom jhoom ke gaye
Naina naina neer bahaye
Naina naina neer bahaye
Mujh birhan ka dil sajan sang
Mujh birhan ka dil sajan sang
Jhoom jhoom ke gaye
Naina naina neer bahaye
Vish ka pyala kam na aaya
Meera ne pee ke dikhlaya
Vish ka pyala kam na aaya
Meera ne pee ke dikhlaya
Prem to hain ganga jal ismein
Prem to hain ganga jal ismein
Prem to hain ganga jal ismein
Vish amrit ban jaye
Naina naina neer bahaye
Prem hain giridhar ki bansuriya
Prem hain giridhar ki bansuriya
Prem hain radha ki sawariya
Ye hain sat suro ka dariya
Ye hain sat suro ka dariya
Jhar jhar bahta jaye
Naina naina neer bahaye
Naina naina neer bahaye.

We have intended to learn about Raaga based music whilst we entertain ourselves with Raaga based songs. So, lets, once again, take stock of our collective learning so far:

  1. On the first day we learnt about the Raaga system devised by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, which is the prevalent system in Hindustani Classical Music and based on ten Thaats.
  2. On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
  3. On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
  4. On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
  5. On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
  6. On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
  7. On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
  8. On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
  9. On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
  10. On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
  11. On the eleventh day, we learnt about why Bhairavi is the first raag to be taught to beginners and also why it is the last in a performance.
  12. On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
  13. On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
  14. On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
  15. On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
  16. On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
  17. On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
  18. On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
  19. On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
  20. On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
  21. On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
  22. On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
  23. On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
  24. On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
  25. On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
  26. On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
  27. On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
  28. On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
  29. On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
  30. On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
  31. On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
  32. On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
  33. On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
  34. On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
  35. On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
  36. On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
  37. On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
  38. On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
  39. On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
  40. On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
  41. On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
  42. On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
  43. On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
  44. On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
  45. On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
  46. On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
  47. On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
  48. On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
  49. On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
  50. On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
  51. On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
  52. On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
  53. On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
  54. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
  55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
  56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
  57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
  58. And today, on the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song Of The Day #57 – Final Tribute To My Late Mother

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Tumhi ho mata pita tumhi ho….
Raag Bhairavi, Tal Kaherava

I am in awe of Raag Bhairavi and its variations. On the eleventh day’s value added learning, I had told you about why Bhairavi is the first raag to be taught to beginners and why it is generally the last in a performance (Please read: Raaga Based Song Of The Day #11). On that day, if you recall, I gave you the finest song composed in Raag Bhairavi in the Hindi movies: Baabul mora, naihar chhooto hi jaaye… in Raag Bhairavi, Tal Kaherava. In the 1938 Phani Majumdar movie Street Singer, having Kundan Lal Saigal in the title role, this song was performed live on camera by him since playback singing hadn’t yet become popular. The song had been penned by Nawab Wajid Ali Khan, the Nawab of Awadh when the British exiled him from his favourite city of Lucknow. Rai Chand Boral had composed the song for the movie.

I gave you another song in Ahir Bhairavi on the 22nd day: Poochho na kaise maine rain bitayi and even that would be a fine tribute to my mother who went to reside with God on the morning of Wednesday, the 9th Aug 17.

Today’s song is a final tribute to her in the current series. By now you know why Bhairavi is so well suited for it. Raag Bhairavi is often regarded as the Queen of Melodies. It is a Sampurna – Sampurna (Heptatonic) raaga both in ascent (Aaroha) and descent (Avaroha). This simply means that it uses all seven notes (swar). The komal (soft) swar make for a sobering devotional atmosphere which is full of love and piety and makes one closer to one’s Creator.

My Creator, my mother, the incarnation of God on Earth for me, lived with me for six decades and four years and Bhairavi shall always connect me to her; I am sure of that. Praying to her, for me, is praying to God. Particularly, after the untimely demise of my father on 01 May 1984 in a jeep accident, she has been Mata, Pita, Bandhu, Sakha; in short, everything to me. Hence, once again, the lyrics are so appropriate for me.

Bhairavi is a raaga that is normally sung in the wee hours of the morning. The reason is that since it is usually the last piece in a night long performance, the performance concludes in the morning. The reason why it is kept in the end is because in a night long concert, it is left to Bhairavi to cure the mistakes in the earlier performances. The devotional and peaceful bhaav of Bhairavi also makes it suitable as a concluding piece.

We have completed fifty-six days of Raaga Based Songs of the Day. Our first post in the series was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #1’ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1970 Shakti Samanta movie Pagla Kahin Ka: Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge (It is in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava).

Our fifty-sixth post or the last post was titled Raaga Based Song Of The Day #56 and the song was a Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1957 Nandlal Jaswantlal movie Champakali starring Bharat Bhushan and Suchitra Sen: Chhup gaya koi re door se pukaar ke. It is in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava.

This blog has a number of posts on Raaga based songs in Hindi movies titled similarly; for example: The Best Raaga Based Songs in Hindi Movies – Raaga Yaman – Part III.

In the last fifty-six days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati and Hamir. The only four raag that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani and Jhinjhoti. That makes a total of 49 raagas so far; today’s one too I am repeating: Raag Bhairavi.

Today, I give you a bhajan, one of my favourites, in Raag Bhairavi, Tal Kaherava, sung by Lata Mangeshkar.

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall learn about Swarmandal.

Swarmandal is a drone instrument like Tanpura and Shruti Box. Swarmandal is a combination of two words: Swar (Notes) and Mandal (Group). Therefore, Swarmandal has the ability to produce a large number of notes. It is also called Surmandal.

Swarmandals are 24 to 30 inches in length and 12 to 15 inches in width. The number of strings employed by the singer vary between 21 to 36. If you have a look at the accompanying picture, you will see that the strings are hooked in a nail lodged in the right edge of the swarmandal and on the left are wound around rectangular pegs which can be tightened with a special key. Wooden pegs were used instead of metal ones in the medieval period. A sharp 12-inch (13 mm) ridge on both sides of the swarmandal stands a little apart from the nails on which the strings are tightened. This ridge functions as a bridge on both sides. The swarmandal is similar to the autoharp or zither in many respects.

Some of the vocalists who have used this instrument extensively are Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1902–1968), Ustad Salamat Ali Khan (1934–2003), Pandit Jasraj (b 1930), Kishori Amonkar (1932-2017), Ustad Rashid Khan (b. 1966) and Pandit Shyam Sundar Goswami.

The Beatles’ 1967 single “Strawberry Fields Forever” features a swarmandal, played by George Harrison, as does “Within You Without You”, from the band’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album.

As I mentioned, today’s song is composed in Raag Bhairavi, Tal Kaherava.

Some of the songs composed in this raaga are:

1.
2.
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4.
5.
6.
7.
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Baat Chalat Nayi Chunri
Kaisay Jaaoon Jamuna Kay Teer
Chod Gaye Baalam
Sudh Bisar Gayee
Baat Chalat Nayi
Saanwaray Saanwaray
Phul Gendwa Na Maaro
Laga Chunari Mein Daag
Hato Kaahe Ko
Jo Tum Todo Piya
Meray Aey Dil Bata
Mori Cham Cham Bajay
Tu Ganga Ki Mauj
Sun Neel Kamal
Madhukar Shyam Hamaray
Babul Mora Naihar
Mat Ja Jogi
Bhagwan Do Ghadi
Ab Teray Siva Kaun
Dheeray Dheeray Aaray
Piu Piu Bol
Aaee Diwali
Hamein To Shamein Gam
Akeli Mat Jaeeyo
Kya Mil Gaya Bhagwan
Main To Girdhar
Saiyan Ho Tose
Bujhti Hui Is Jot
Bajuband Khul Khul
Tu Pyar Kare Ya
Armaan Bhare Dil
Shri Ram Bhajo Such Mein
Piya Ji Main To
Karam Gati Tare
Dekho Ji Bahar Aayi
Aaya Hai Mujhe Phir
Dil Ka Khilona Haye Toot Gaya
Kaise Samjhaoon
Duniya Bananewalay
Jiya Jale Jaan Jale
Na Tufan Say Khelo
Jai Bolo Beimaan
Tumharay Sang Main Bhi
Khamosh Hai Khewanhar
Do Hanso Ka Joda
Main Pyar Se Teray
Tumhee Ho Mata, Pita Tumheen Ho
Main Dekhoon Jis Or Sakhi
Insaaf Ka Mandir
Main Zindagi Mein
Jot Se Jot Jagaatay Chalo
Sajna Kahe Nahin
Babul Mora
Shyam Mohe Chakar
Aaja Sawariya
Ladki
Devta
Barsaat
Sangeet Samrat Tansen
Rani Roopmati
Anuradha
Dooj Ka Chand
Dil Hi To Hai
Manzil
Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje
Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje
Ghoonghat
Baiju Bawara
Chitralekha
Bhakt Surdas
Street Singer
Jogan
Bahar
Kismat
Kismat
Bandhan
Ratan
Jugnu
Lalat
Anmol Ghadi
Jogan
Nai Raahein
Lajawab
Bajuband
Dekh Kabira Roya
Ambar

Milan
Milan
Azaad
Devar
Goonj Uthi Shehnai
Suraj
Teesri Kasam
Dil Se
Udan Khatola
Beimaan
Sohni Mahiwal
Amar
Ganga Jamuna
Saathi
Main Chup Rahoongi
Anita
Amar
Barsaat
Sant Gyaneshwar
Badnam Basti
Avishkar
Meera
Gaman
Geeta Roy
Lata Mangeshkar
Mukesh, Lata
Manna Dey
Krishnrao, Mohd.Rafi
Lata
Manna Dey
Manna Dey
Manna Dey
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata, Manna Dey
Lata Mangeshkar
Rafi, Lata
Ram Dulari
K. L. Saigal
K. L. Saigal
Geeta Roy
Geeta Roy
Amirbai Karnataki
Arun, Amir
Pradeep
Zohrabai Ambalawali
Noorjahan
Heerabai Barodkar
Noorjahan
Geeta Roy
Rafi , Asha
Geeta Roy
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar
Geeta Dutt, Talat Mehmood
K. C. Dey
Lata Mangeshkar
Manna Dey
Lata Mangeshkar
Mukesh
Lata Mangeshkar
Rafi, Lata
Mukesh
Lata
Mohd. Rafi
Mukesh
Lata
Lata
Lata
Lata
Lata
Lata
Mohd. Rafi, chorus
Mohd. Rafi
Lata & Mukesh
Ghulam Mustafa
Jagjit & Chitra Singh
Vani Jayaram
Hiradevi Mishra
56.
57.
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Aapki Yaad Aati Rahi Raat Bhar
O Bansi Bajaiya
Ho Gori Tori Baanki
Jara Man Ki
Satyam Shivam Sundaram
Jo Tum Todo
Rang Mahal Kay
Kanha Re Peed Sahi Na Jaye
Meri Jaan
Aey Ji O Dekha Pyar
Hai Re Main To
Jo Bhajay Hari Tero Naam
Dil Ka Na Karna Aitbar
Mehndi Lagi Mere Haath
Suno Choti Si Gudiya Ki
Sar Pay Kadam Ki Chaiya
Sun Le Baapu Ye Paigam
Meray Man Ki Ganga
Mujhko Is Raat Ki
Chhaliya Mera Naam
Ek Paisa Day Day
Main Chali Main Chali
Garib Jaan Kay
Chahe Koi Mujhay
Sur Badle Kaisay
Piya Te Kahan Gayo
Ye Zindagi Kay Melay
Aey Dil Ab Kahin
Yahi Hai Vo Sanjh Aur Savera
Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayee
Shisha-e-dil Itna Na
Mera Naam Raju
Hothon Pe Sacchai Rehti Hai
Hai Aag Hamare Seene Mein
Sab Kuch Seekha Hamne
Tu Hindu Banega Na
Dil-e-betaab Ko
Tera Jaadu Na Chalega
Waqt Se Din Aur Raat
Mera Rang De Basanti
Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat
Ek Dil Aur Sau Afsane
O Shama Mujhe Phook De
Main Aashiq Hoon
Barsaat Mein
Kehta Hai Joker
Mera vichada yaar milaaday
Mera Joota Hai Japani
Ramaiya Vasta Vaiya
Pyar Hua Ikrar Hua Hai
Teri Nigahon Pe
Bane To Ban Jao
Jis Dil Mein Basa
Ae Mere Dost Ae Mere
Pagdi Samhal
Gaman
Sapne Suhane
Aadhi Raat Ke Baad
Kohinoor
Satyam Shivam Sundaram
Silsila
Satyam Shivam Sundaram
Aakrosh
Anubhav
Dekha Pyar Tumhara
Bedag
Taqdir Ka Badshah
Halaku
Mehndi Lagi Mere Haath
Seema
Bhakt Surdas
Balak
Sangam
Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere
Chhaliya
Vachan
Professor
Chhoo Mantar
Junglee
Barkha
Toofan Aur Diya
Mela
Bluff Master
Sanjh Aur Savera
Dil Apna Aur Preet Paraee
Dil Apna Aur Preet Paraee
Jis Des Mein Ganga Behti Hai
Jis Des Mein Ganga Behti Hai
Jis Des Mein Ganga Behti Hai
Anari
Dhool Ka Phool
Palki
Guest House
Waqt
Shaheed
Aah
Ek Dil Aur Sau Afsane
Aashiq
Aashiq
Barsaat
Mera Naam Joker
Sohni Mehiwaal
Shri 420
Shri 420
Shri 420
Shabnam
Dulha-Dulhan
Saheli
Meherbaan
Shaheed
Chhaya Ganguli
Suman Kalyanpur
Manna Dey
Mohd. Rafi
Lata
Lata
Lata , Nitin
Vandana Purandare
Geeta Dutt
Suman Kalyanpur
Manna Dey
Lata
Lata
Lata
Lata
Sehgal, Rajan
Hemlata
Mukesh
Mukesh
Mukesh
Asha Bhosle
Lata, Rafi
Mohd. Rafi, Geeta Dutt
Mohd. Rafi
Lata
Lata
Rafi
Hemant Kumar
Asha , Rafi
Lata
Lata
Mukesh
Mukesh
Manna Dey, Mukesh, Geeta, Lata
Mukesh
Rafi
Rafi, Suman Kalyanpur
Lata
Rafi
Rafi
Lata
Lata
Lata, Mukesh
Mukesh
Lata
Mukesh
Lata
Mukesh
Rafi, Lata, Mukesh
Manna Dey, Lata
Mukesh
Lata, Mukesh
Mukesh
Rafi
Rafi
111.
112.
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April Fool Banaya
O Jane Wale Jao
Aa Asmaan Wale
Mera Rang De Basanti Chola
Manzil Ki Dhun Mein
Mehtaab Tera Chehra
Dhanya Bhagya Sewa Ka
Chali Pee Ke Nagar
Nain Mile Chain Kahan
Dhire Dhire Chal Chand
Mile Jo Kadi Kadi Ek
Matwala Jiya
Aana Hai To Aa
Tumko Hamari Umar lag
Ae Qaatibe Taqdir
Jab Dil Hi Toot Gaya
Ek Tara Bole
Bacchhe Man Ke Sacchhe
Reshmi Salwar Kurta
Tu Pyar Kahe
Khushiyon Ke Phool
Suno Chhoti Se Gudiya
Kisi Ne Apna
Main Piya Teri
Jaise Radha Ne Maala Japi
Ae Dil Tujhe Kasam
Jeet Hi Lenge Baazi
Main Piya Teri Tu
Dil Ka Khilona
Ja Re Ud Ja Re
Baki Kuch Bachaa
Doli Chadte Hi
Beshak Mandir
Chal Chal Ae Dil
Garibon Ki Suno
Yeh Pyar Vyar Kya Hai
Chingari Koi Bhadke
Dil Aaj Shayar Hai
Kisi Baat Par Main
Ae Mere Dil Kahin
Ae Mere Dost
Bhor Bhaye Panghat Pe
April Fool
Mother India
Pardes
Shaheed
Anokhi Ada
Aashiq
Sur Sangam
Sardari Begum
Basant Bahar
Love Marriage
Kasme-Vaade
Mother India
Naya Daur
Aayee Milan Ki Bela
My Sister
Shahjahan
Yaadgaar
Do Kaliyan
Naya Daur
Dekh Kabira Roya
Mayurpankh
Seema
Patita
Basant Bahar
Tere Mere Sapne
Dulari
Shola Aur Shabnam
Basant Bahar
Goonj Uthi Shehnai
Maya
Roti Kapda Aur Makaan
Heer Ranjha
Bobby
Jheel Ke Us Paar
Dus Lakh
Darar
Amar Prem
Gambler
Bemisal
Daag
Meherbaan
Satyam Shivam Sundaram
Rafi
Lata
Lata
Rafi, Mukesh
Mukesh
Mukesh, Lata
Kavita Krishnamurti
Aarti Anklikar
Lata, Manna Dey
Lata, Rafi
Kishore
Rafi, Lata
Rafi
Lata
K. L. Saigal
K. L. Saigal
Mahendra Kapoor
Lata
Asha, Shamshad Begum
Lata
Lata
Lata
Lata
Lata
Lata
Lata
Rafi, Lata
Lata
Lata
Lata
Mukesh
Lata
Narendra Chanchal
Lata
Rafi, Asha
Abhijeet,Alka Yagnik
Kishore
Kishore
Kishore
Talat Mehmood
Rafi
Lata

As far as Tal Kaherava is concerned, I have already told you enough about this most popular Tal.

Once again, I have made use of the song in memory of my late mother. The song, originally, is from the 1962 A Bhimsingh movie Main Chup Rahungi starring Meena Kumari and Sunil Dutt. The song was penned by Shimla man Rajinder or Rajindra (he used both spellings) Krishan that has my mom’s name in part (Harkrishan). Rajinder Krishan was the richest lyricist in Hindi movies and my mom was thje richest person at heart that I know of. The song was composed by Chitragupta. As a coincidence, the song is pictured, in the movie, on Babloo and my nickname during my childhood days was Bubble.

Please enjoy in Raag Bhairavi, Tal Kaherava: Tumhi ho mata pita tumhi ho….

Tumhi ho mata pita tumhi ho
Tumhi ho bandhu sakha tumhi ho
Tumhi ho mata pita tumhi ho
Tumhi ho bandhu sakha tumhi ho

Tumhi ho saathi tumhi sahare
Koi na apna siwa tumhaare
Tumhi ho saathi tumhi sahare
Koi na apna siwa tumhaare
Tumhi ho naiyya tumhi khewayya
Tumhi ho bandhu sakha tumhi ho
Tumhi ho mata pita tumhi ho
Tumhi ho bandhu sakha tumhi ho

Jo khil sake na wo phool ham hain
Tumhaare charno ki dhool ham hain
Jo khil sake na wo phool ham hain
Tumhaare charno ki dhool ham hain
Daya ki drishti sada hi rakhna
Tumhi ho bandhu sakha tumhi ho
Tumhi ho mata pita tumhi ho
Tumhi ho bandhu sakha tumhi ho.

We have intended to learn about Raaga based music whilst we entertain ourselves with Raaga based songs. So, lets, once again, take stock of our collective learning so far:

  1. On the first day we learnt about the Raaga system devised by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, which is the prevalent system in Hindustani Classical Music and based on ten Thaats.
  2. On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
  3. On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
  4. On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
  5. On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
  6. On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
  7. On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
  8. On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
  9. On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
  10. On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
  11. On the eleventh day, we learnt about why Bhairavi is the first raag to be taught to beginners and also why it is the last in a performance.
  12. On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
  13. On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
  14. On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
  15. On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
  16. On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
  17. On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
  18. On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
  19. On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
  20. On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
  21. On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
  22. On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
  23. On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
  24. On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
  25. On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
  26. On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
  27. On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
  28. On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
  29. On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
  30. On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
  31. On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
  32. On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
  33. On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
  34. On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
  35. On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
  36. On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
  37. On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
  38. On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
  39. On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
  40. On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
  41. On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
  42. On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
  43. On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
  44. On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
  45. On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
  46. On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
  47. On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
  48. On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
  49. On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
  50. On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
  51. On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
  52. On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
  53. On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
  54. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
  55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
  56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
  57. And today, on the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Raaga Based Song Of The Day #56 – Another Tribute To My Late Mother

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Chhup gayaa koi re, door se pukaar ke,
Dard anokhe haay, de gayaa pyaar ke….
Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava

Whilst this is a great song, no doubt, I am sure this is the first time someone would have made use of the song to remember his late mother. Now, why did I do it? There are several reasons. The first one is that the lyrics (don’t forget I am a Lyrical man) are most appropriate to express my feelings after my mother has gone to reside with God. Take this, for example:

Akhiyon se neend gayi, manvaa se chain re
Chhup chhup roye mere, khoye khoye nain re…

The lyrics express exactly what I am going through.

The second is that if you can take a filmy-song tune to make a bhajan (hymn) – and in the temples there are quite a few of them – why can’t I take this superb song in remembrance of my mother?

The third, of course, is that the raag happens to be Jhinjhoti, a raag named after an apsara and my most favourite song in Hindi movies happens to be in this raag; which I have always decided, for emotional reasons, never to put up: Mere mehboob tujhe meri mohabbat ki kasam. If you recall, my first post in the series was in Raag Jhinjhoti titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #1’ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1970 Shakti Samanta movie Pagla Kahin Ka: Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge. It is in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava.

The fourth is that I am very fond of Hemant Kumar and this song has his composition as a music director.

Last, but not the least is that it has been sung by Lata Mangeshkar and my fondness for her singing is already well-known (Please read: My Favourite Songs Of Lata Mangeshkar). My mom used to say that in me (being the middle child between my elder sister and younger brother) she obtained both a son and a daughter since, whilst looking after all those things that only a man can, I never shied from working in the kitchen or doing those things too that women do so well. Hence, it is not inappropriate for me to select a Lata Mangeshkar song to express my sentiments.

My last post, that is, the fifty-fifth post was also a tribute to my late mother who suddenly passed away on 09 Aug 17. It was titled Raaga Based Song Of The Day #55 and the song was a Mohammad Rafi song from the 1955 SU Sunny movie Udan Khatola: O door ke musaafir, hamko bhi saath le le re, ham reh gaye akele. It is in Raag Pahadi, Tal Kaherava.

This blog has a number of posts on Raaga based songs in Hindi movies titled similarly; for example: The Best Raaga Based Songs in Hindi Movies – Raaga Pilu – Part I‘.

In the last fifty-five days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati and Hamir. The only three raag that has been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag and Raag Kirwani. That makes a total of 49 raagas so far; today’s one too I am repeating: Raag Jhinjhoti.

Today, I give you a song, in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava, one of the best of Lata Mangeshkar.

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall learn about Santoor.

(Pic courtesy: South Asian Arts UK)

Just like Veena, Santoor is an ancient instrument of India. It was origibnally called Shata-tantri Veena which means a Veena of shata or hundred strings. I already brought out to you in an earlier post that Veena wasn’t a specific instrument at one time; any string instrument used to be called Veena at one time. I had already brought out that the first of these was called Pinaki-Veena (Please refer to Raaga Based Song Of The Day #48). Interestingly, Pinaki Veena was created from the idea of bow and arrow; as the latter was released from the bow, it made a sound. It is similar to Western instrument Harp. Its miniature version is called Swarmandal, that we shall take up later.

Santoor is a hollow box made of walnut. Atop the box are 25 bridges, each having four strings resting on it. Two wooden mallets, one each balanced in each hand are used to paly Santoor.

(Pic courtesy: indianetzone.com)

The most populzar image of Santoor player is that of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma; I have listened to him live many times. It was actually his father Pandit Umadutt Sharma who brought this instrument from Kashmir wherein it was used with Sufi music and introduced it into Indian classical music.

Shivkumar Sharma was initiated into classical music at the age of five as a vocalist and tabla player. He later became so adept at playing Santoor that the name Shivkumar Sharma and Santoor became inseparable. Indeed, he improved its tonal quality, its playing technique, in the range and bhaav of music.

The modified Santoor which Shivkumar Sharma plays now has got 31 bridges, with a total number of 91 strings. It has got a range of 3 octaves and chromatic tuning.

As I mentioned, today’s song is composed in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava.

Raag Jhinjhoti is a raag of Khammaj Thaat. Its Jati is Audhav-Sampurna, that is five notes ascending (Aaroha) and all seven notes in descending (Avaroha). The time for the raag is second Prahar of the night (nine PM to midnight). Jhinjhoti is regarded as a light raag. Nevertheless it is practised in both dhrupad and khayal tradition by vocalists as well instrumentalists. The raag is commonly used in semi-classical genres of tappa and thumri that I have already told you about.

Most songs in Hindi movies that have been composed in Raag Jhinjhoti have an element of self-pity about them. Some of the songs composed in this raaga are:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
Badli Badli Duniya
Ik Raat Mein Do Do
Sakhi Ri Pi ka Naam
Ik Pyar Ka Bandhan
Kuchh hamein Chahiye
Mose Chhal Kiye Jaye
Kya Se Kya Ho Gaya
Piya Bin Nahi Aawat
Sari Duniya Se
Dil Ke Tukde Hue
Piya Bin
Chal Pi Ke Milan
Phir Teri Kahani Yaad
Rehete the Kabhi Jinke
Jab Chhaye Kabhi
Ta The Ee Tat Thaee
Teri Aankh Ke Aansoo
Sun Ayeri Sakhi
Chali Banke Dulhan
Koi Humdum Na Raha
Ja Ja Re Ja Baalamwa
Bheeegi Palkein
Raat Nikhari Hui
Hum Aaj Kaheen Dil
Sansaar Se Bhage
Aaj Hai Pyar Ka Faisala
Sangeet Samrat Tansen
Barkha
Sati Savitri
Pyar Ka Bandhan
Char Dil Char Raahen
Guide
Guide
Pativrata
Milan
Son Of India
Miyan Biwi Razi
Ziddi
Dil Diya Dard Liya
Mamta
Reshmi Roomal
Tere Mere Sapne
Jahanara
Naata
Subah Ka Tara
Jhumroo
Basant Bahar
Do Gunde
Hum Hindustani
Andaaz
Chitralekha
Leader
Mahendra, Lata
Mukesh, Lata
Lata
Asha
Lata
Lata
Rafi
Bhimsen Joshi, Laxmi Shankar
Lata
Lata
Mahendra, Asha
Shamshad
Lata
Lata
Talat Mahmood
Asha
Talat
Lata
Lata
Kishore
Lata
Lata, Rafi
Mukesh
Mukesh
Lata
Lata

As far as Tal Kaherava is concerned, I have already told you enough about this most popular Tal.

Of course, I have made use of the song in memory of my late mother. The song, originally, is from the 1957 Nandlal Jaswantlal movie Champakali starring Bharat Bhushan, Suchitra Sen and Pran. The song was penned by Shimla man Rajinder or Rajindra (he used both spellings) Krishan that has my mom’s name in part (Harkrishan). Rajinder Krishan was the richest lyricist in Hindi movies and my mom was thje richest person at heart that I know of.

Please enjoy in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava: Chhup gaya koi re door se pukaar ke, Dard anokhe haay de gaya pyaar ke….

Chhup gayaa koii re, duur se pukaar ke
Dard anokhe haay, de gayaa pyaar ke
Chhup gayaa …

Aaj hai.n suunii suunii, dil kii ye galiyaa.N
Ban gaI.n kaa.NTe merii, khushiyo.n kii kaliyaa.N
Pyaar bhii khoyaa maine, sab kuchh haar ke
Dard anokhe haay, de gayaa pyaar ke
Chhup gayaa …

A.Nkhiyo.n se nii.nd gaI, manavaa se chain re
Chhup chhup roe mere, khoe khoe nain re
Haay yahii to mere, din the si.ngaar ke
Dard anokhe haay, de gayaa pyaar ke
Chhup gayaa …

We have intended to learn about Raaga based music whilst we entertain ourselves with Raaga based songs. So, lets, once again, take stock of our collective learning so far:

  1. On the first day we learnt about the Raaga system devised by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, which is the prevalent system in Hindustani Classical Music and based on ten Thaats.
  2. On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
  3. On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
  4. On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
  5. On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
  6. On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
  7. On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
  8. On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
  9. On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
  10. On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
  11. On the eleventh day, we learnt about why Bhairavi is the first raag to be taught to beginners and also why it is the last in a performance.
  12. On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
  13. On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
  14. On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
  15. On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
  16. On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
  17. On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
  18. On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
  19. On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
  20. On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
  21. On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
  22. On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
  23. On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
  24. On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
  25. On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
  26. On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
  27. On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
  28. On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
  29. On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
  30. On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
  31. On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
  32. On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
  33. On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
  34. On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
  35. On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
  36. On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
  37. On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
  38. On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
  39. On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
  40. On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
  41. On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
  42. On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
  43. On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
  44. On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
  45. On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
  46. On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
  47. On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
  48. On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
  49. On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
  50. On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
  51. On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
  52. On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
  53. On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
  54. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
  55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
  56. And today, on the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

MAA SE AGLI MULAQAAT TAQ

खो दिया अचानक मैंने अपनी माँ को,
अब उसके बगैर जायूँ मैं कहाँ को I

सारी ज़िन्दगी तो उसने पकड़ रखी थी,
अब यकायक क्यों छोड़ दिया मेरी बाँह को I

काश वह मेरे संग बैठी जब मुस्कराती थी,
थाम लेता मैं उस दिलकश समां को I

यहाँ से तो वहां बहुत जाते देखे हैं हमने,
नहीं आते देखा वहां से यहाँ को I

बादल बनके एक दिन वह मुझ पे बरसेंगी,
ताकता रहता हूँ अब मैं आसमां को I

प्रभु, मुझे अपनी माँ वापिस दे दो,
चाहे छीन लो मुझसे सारे जहाँ को I

Kho diya achaanak maine apni maa ko,
Ab uske bagair jaayun main kahan ko?

Saari zindagi to usne pakad rakhi thi,
Ab yakayak kyun chhod diya meri baanh ko?

Kash woh mere sang jab baithi muskraati thi,
Thaam leta main us dilkash samaan ko.

Yahan se to wahan bahut jaate dekhe hain hamne,
Nahin aate dekha wahan se yahan ko.

Baadal banke woh ek din mujh pe barsengi,
Taaqta rehta hoon ab main aasmaan ko.

Prabhu, mujhe apni maa waapis de do,
Chaahe chhen lo mujhase saare jahan ko.

Raaga Based Song Of The Day #55 – A Tribute To My Late Mother

Raaga Based Song of the Day: O door ke musaafir hamko bhi saath le le re, ham reh gaye akele….
Raag Pahadi, Tal Kaherava

I gave you the last raaga based song of the day on 31st Jul 17, which happened to be on the death anniversary of the greatest Indian playback singer: Mohammad Rafi (Please read: ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #54’). I wasn’t able to put up anything for the last three weeks because my mother – hale and hearty – suddenly took ill and passed away on the morning of 09 Aug 17. On Sunday, the 20th Aug 17, we had Antim Ardaas (Farewell Prayer) for her (Please read: Mom’s Antim Ardaas) and now I am back with you with the raaga based songs of the day. The first one is a tribute to her. It happens to have all my favourites: my favourite Raag Pahadi and my favourite quartet: Shakeel Badayuni as Lyricist, Naushad Ali as Composer and Music Director, Mohammad Rafi as Singer, and finally Dilip Kumar as Actor (Please go through: The Best Of Old Hindi Songs: Rafi, Shakeel, Naushad and Dilip Kumar Together).

I physically lost my mother. However, I rediscovered my younger brother JP Singh during this period. He is the Chair & Professor of Cultural and Political Economy and Director, Institute of International Cultural Relations (IICR) at the University of Edinburgh. During his childhood, I was not just an elder brother to him but a guardian. I used to make up and sing lullabies to him, the favourite one being:

“Bade bade, bade bade, sher cheeteh aaye,
Hamara Sweety (my nickname for him) darr kyun jaaye?”

My redicovery of him included learning about his abiding interest in old Hindi movies and songs. After the Antim Ardaas, on the night of 20th/21st Aug, we sat together to listen to songs and ghazals of Shakeel Badayuni. JP brought out that he had done eight years research on Shakeel’s song in Mughal-e-Azam that resulted in his most widely read piece on the song ‘Pyar kiya to darna kya’:

A Subaltern Performance: Circulations of Gender, Islam, and Nation in India’s Song of Defiance

Of course, he is an academician and hence his piece has superb erudition about it as compared to any of my ordinary and somewhat infantile efforts.

As you are aware, on 31st Jul, when I put up the last raaga based song: Yaad na jaaye beete dilon ki in Raag Kirwani, Tal Kaherava, we completed fifty-four days of Raaga Based Songs of the Day. Our first post in the series was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #1’ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1970 Shakti Samanta movie Pagla Kahin Ka: Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge. It is in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava.

This blog has a number of posts on Raaga based songs in Hindi movies titled similarly; for example: The Best Raaga Based Songs in Hindi Movies – Raaga Jaijaivanti‘.

In the last fifty-four days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati and Hamir. The only three raag that has been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag and Raag Kirwani. That makes a total of 49 raagas so far; today’s one too I am repeating: Raag Pahadi.

Today, I give you a song, once again, in Raag Pahadi, Tal Kaherava, one of the best of Mohammad Rafi.

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall learn about Harmonium.

Harmonium is a popular insterument in many forms of Indian music. Although developed in the West (Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein (1723–1795), professor of physiology at Copenhagen, was credited with the first free-reed instrument made in the Western world), Harmonium, the way it was developed in the Indian sub-continet, became a unique instrument with its drone stops and scale changing mechanism. It also became hand-held after Dwarkanath Ghose of Dwarkin company modified the Western and cumbersome harmony flute that was pedal pumped. Indeed, in many Indian movies, harmonium used to be played with hands and hung around the neck (eg, in the 1956 Raj Khosla movie C.I.D.’s song ‘Leke pehla pehla pyaar’.

Though Harmonium became an integral part of Indian music scenario, by early 20th century, in a move to do away with unwanted foreign objects, harmonium was looked down upon. It had limitations to be used for classical raagas such as inability to produce meend (slides between notes) and its inability to be tuned during a performance.

Hence, Harmonium was banned from All India Radio from 1940 to 1971; a ban still stands on harmonium solos. On the other hand, many of the harmonium’s qualities suited it very well for the newly reformed classical music of the early 20th century: it is easy for amateurs to learn; it supports group singing and large voice classes; it provides a template for standardized raga grammar; it is loud enough to provide a drone in a concert hall. For these reasons, it has become the instrument of choice for accompanying most North Indian classical vocal genres, with top vocalists (e.g., Bhimsen Joshi) routinely using harmonium accompaniment in their concerts. However, it is still despised by some connoisseurs of Indian music, who prefer the sarangi as an accompanying instrument for khayal singing.

For Hindu and Sikh bhajans and kirtan, however, harmonium is an instrument of choice. It is also instrument of choice for qawwalis.

As I mentioned, today’s song is composed in Raag Pahadi, Tal Kaherava.

Raag Pahadi is the raag of my place in Himalayas and I have already given you four other songs in this raag: Aaj ki raat piya dil na todo (Tal Dadra) on the seventh day, Zara sun haseena ai nazneen (Tal Rupaktal) on the eighth day, Chal udd ja re panchhi (Tal Kaherava) on the thirty-second day, and Sawan ka mahina pawan kare sor (Tal Kaherava) on the forty-sixth day.

If you recall, I had told you that Pahadi is as much a raag as a dhun. It belongs to Bilawal Thaat and Audhav-Audhav Jati, that is six each notes in Aaroha and Avroha. It is normally played in the first prahar of the night.

Why do I have this urge to get back to Pahadi? On the tenth day, I had covered for you, the sources of names of raagas and mentioned that raagas like Marwa, Jaunpuri, Mand and Pahadi were named after places. Pahadi is not a place, in the same manner, as Marwa, Mand and Jaunpur. You should expect Pahadi anywhere you see pahad or hills but actually the name is from hills in Himalayas, my home place. It is a light raaga and is more akin to being a dhun.

Pahadi is a very beautiful raag. Soundofindia.com describes it beautifully: the raga is like a lover, unruffled in union, serene in separation, powerful enough to achieve eternal union, but resigned to the painful parting ordained by destiny.

All raagas are supposed to transport you to the mood of the raaga (bhaav). But, none other does it better than Pahadi: you can’t escape the freshness, quiet, wetness, echoing effect and palpable romance of the hills. It is as if the raaga says to you: ‘Love is in the air’.

Today, of course, I take recourse to being resigned to the painful parting ordained by destiny, another beautiful facet of Pahadi and that too related to my late mother, the one person whose love, devotion and spirit have guided me throughout my life and particularly in the last 33 years after the premature demise of my father in a jeep accident on 01 May 1984 when he was just 56 years old.

Many people have mentioned that mine is an extraordinary attachment. Indeed, in addition to my total love for my mother and father, I can never forget that I was made to live my life in this manner:

  1. My dad had taken loans to start a mushroom project (he was the pioneer in button mushroom growing in India in an instituitionalised way). However, he died before the project became viable. My mother and I struggled to pay back loans. Every bit of my money, leave and effort went into repaying the loans and running the project. I was in active service of the Indian Navy and was on the verge of being sent on deputation abroad. I sought a transfer on compassionate grounds closer home to enable me to do the above.
  2. Suddenly, because of above, from middle-class comfort my mother and I found ourselves in abject penury. As an example, I used to go riding a bicycle to Solan and back in the hills (a distance of 32 kms) to exchange an empty cooking-gas cylinder for a filled one rather than having to pay the bus-fare.
  3. One day we faced the ire of a creditor to repay him the money due to him for having supplied cotton wool for capping the mushroom spawn bottles. My mom and I sold off old newspapers, bottles and other junk to repay him.
  4. Being in the Navy, I was invariably posted to the coastal cities whereas my mom was in a village in the hills and yet, my mom proudly told all and sundry that should in case she wanted me, I would be home within hours. Indeed, in May 2006, I went back to Mumbai from Kandaghat after spending my full leave and next day my mom phoned me that those who had encroached on our land (finding an old widow alone) had broken through the fence I had erected during my leave to make my mom secure. By evening I was back with her with advance leave of next year!
  5. And all the while when my mom suffered from various ailments, I myself suffered from a permanent and debilitating one called Psoriatic Arthiritis and managed both her as well as my own condition.
  6. Due to the encroachment and follow up actions, we had various court-cases pending against us and I attended to them all. Amongst other things, I had to face physical assault on me and warrants of arrest.

And that’s why I find this song so apt, particularly the following lines:

Tuune vo de diyaa Gam, bemaut mar gaye ham
Dil uTh gayaa jahaa.N se, le chal hame.n yahaa.N se
Le chal hame.n yahaa.N se
Kis kaam kii ye duniyaa jo zi.ndagii se khele re
Ham ko bhii saath le le, ham rah gaye akele

(You gave that sorrow, I died without death,
I am heart-broken in this world, take me away from here,
Take me away from here,
Of what use is this world, the one who plays with one’s life?
Take me with you and go, I am left alone)

Really, I couldn’t have thought of a better song to express my feelings.

Mom, after you’ve gone, I am lonely and alone,
Many are ready to cast the first stone,
To find faults with all that I went through,
In the last 33 years whilst being with you,
Smilingly, silently, without sigh and groan.

There were times when we had no one to turn to,
It was sadly and miserably just me and you,
We provided succour and strength to each other,
I, your son, and you, my mother,
And we made a world that was brave and new.

Your child-like smile, I shall forever recall,
That encouraged me when we were up against the wall,
You taught me to fly,
And never to cry,
To get up and keep moving, after each fall.

I thought of you as my strength and motivation,
In times of need, that silent determination,
To do the right, whatever be the cost,
To have faith in God and never be lost,
In the quagmire of intense vilification.

Now, I find myself helpless and disconsolate,
There is emptiness within and my heart is desolate,
I wish I could hold your hand,
And go with you journeying to that land,
That has no sadness, no mourning, no hate.

Don’t abandon me, mom, I need you still,
We still need to climb many a hill,
I look up to you as divine light,
That shines through the darkest night,
And makes stronger my ardour and my will.

In sadness or joys, Pahadi is a very popular raaga for composing soings in Hindi movies. Some of the songs composed in this raaga are:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
Parbaton Ke Pedon Par
Chahoonga Main Tujhe
Baharon Mera Jeevan
Jawa hai Muhobbat
Chhod Babul Ka Ghar
Chaudhavi Ka Chand Ho
Tujhko Pukare Mera
Door Koi Gaye
Karvatein Badalte Rahe
Meri Aankhon Mein
Suhani Raat Dhal
Tod Diya Dil Mera
Isharon Isharon Mein
Jane Kya Dhoonhati
Tum Apna Ranj-o-Gam
Apne Aap Raaton Mein
Patta Patta Boota Boota
Kahan Hai Tu
Tum Na Aaye Sanam
Deewana Mujhsa Nahin
Sun Mere Saajana
Saeeyan Bina Ghar
Piya Bin Jiya
Mehelon Ne Chheen
Dil Ne Phir
Aaja Re
Chhoomkar Raat Sulaye
Kaheen Ek Masoom
Aawaz De Kahan Hai
Mere Mundere Na Bol
Aao Mil Jaayen
Saanjh Bhayee Nahin Aaye
Neela Aasma So gaya
Ih hawaon Mein
Main Tulsi
Jeevan Se Na Haar
Main Teri Chhoti Behena
Kabhi To Milegi Bahaaron Ki
Kanchi Re Kanchi Re
Tum Jahan Ho
Shagun
Dosti
Aakhri Khat
Anmol Ghadi
Babul
Chaudhavi Ka Chand
Neel Kamal
Baiju Bawara
Aapki Kasam
Barsaat
Dulari
Andaaz
Kashmir Ki Kali
Shola Aur Shabnam
Shagun
Shankar Husain
Ek Nazar
Afsana
Bhootnath
Teesari Manzil
Goonj Uthi Sehnaibr
Aangan Ki Kali
Dasi
Jabak
Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya
Noorie
Razia Sultan
Shankar Husain
Anmol Ghadi
Parwana
Prem Geet
Shama Parwana
Silsila
Gumrah
Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki
Door Ka Rahi
Soutan
Aarti
Hare Rama Hare Krishna
Road To Sikkim
Rafi, Suman Kalyanpur
Rafi
Lata
Noorjahan
Shamshad
Rafi
Rafi
Shamshad, Lata, Rafi
Kishore, Lata
Lata
Rafi
Lata
Rafi and Asha
Rafi
Jagjeet Kaur
Lata
Lata, Rafi
Lata
Lata
Rafi
Lata, Rafi
Lata, Bhupendra
Bhupendra
Lata, Mukesh
Rafi, Suman, Mukesh
Lata, Nitin Mukesh
Lata
Rafi
Noorejahan, Surendra
Suraiya
Suresh Wadekar, Anuradha
Nirmala Devi
Lata & Amitabh
Mahendra, Asha
Lata
Kishore Kumar
Lata
Lata
Kishore, Lata
Mukesh

As far as Tal Kaherava is concerned, I have already told you enough about this most popular Tal.

I am the one who has taken this song in the memory of and sadness for my mother. Originally, it was sung by Mohammad Rafi for Dilip Kumar in the 1955 music director Naushad‘s production Udan Khatola that was directed by SU Sunny and starred Nimmi opposite Dilip Kumar.

Please enjoy in Raag Pahadi, Tal Kaherava: O door ke musaafir hamko bhi saath le le re, ham reh gaye akele….

Chale aaj tum jahaa.N se, huii zi.ndagii paraayii
Tumhe.n mil gayaa Thikaanaa, hame.n maut bhii na aayii

O duur ke musaafir ham ko bhii saath le le re
Ham ko bhii saath le le
Ham rah gaye akele

Tuune vo de diyaa Gam, bemaut mar gaye ham
Dil uTh gayaa jahaa.N se, le chal hame.n yahaa.N se
Le chal hame.n yahaa.N se
Kis kaam kii ye duniyaa jo zi.ndagii se khele re
Ham ko bhii saath le le, ham rah gaye akele

Suunii hai.n dil kii raahe.n, khaamosh hai.n nigaahe.n
Naakaam hasarato.n kaa uThane ko hai janaazaa
UThane ko hai janaazaa
Chaaro.n taraf lage hai.n barabaadiyo.n ke mele re
Ham ko bhii saath le le, ham rah gaye akele

O duur ke musaafir ham ko bhii saath le le re
Ham ko bhii saath le le
Ham rah gaye akele

We have intended to learn about Raaga based music whilst we entertain ourselves with Raaga based songs. So, lets, once again, take stock of our collective learning so far:

  1. On the first day we learnt about the Raaga system devised by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, which is the prevalent system in Hindustani Classical Music and based on ten Thaats.
  2. On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
  3. On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
  4. On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
  5. On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
  6. On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
  7. On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
  8. On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
  9. On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
  10. On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
  11. On the eleventh day, we learnt about why Bhairavi is the first raag to be taught to beginners and also why it is the last in a performance.
  12. On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
  13. On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
  14. On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
  15. On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
  16. On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
  17. On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
  18. On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
  19. On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
  20. On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
  21. On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
  22. On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
  23. On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
  24. On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
  25. On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
  26. On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
  27. On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
  28. On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
  29. On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
  30. On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
  31. On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
  32. On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
  33. On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
  34. On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
  35. On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
  36. On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
  37. On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
  38. On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
  39. On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
  40. On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
  41. On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
  42. On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
  43. On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
  44. On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
  45. On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
  46. On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
  47. On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
  48. On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
  49. On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
  50. On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
  51. On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
  52. On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
  53. On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
  54. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
  55. And today, on the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

MOM’S ANTIM ARDAAS

My mom’s Bhog (Antim Ardas) was supposed to be on the thirteenth day (tehranvi). However, that happened to be on Monday, the 21st Aug, and I thought of the convenience of  family and friends and had it on Sunday, the 20th Aug.

On the Friday, 18th Aug 17, we started with the Akhand Path (continuous reading from the Sri Guru Granth Sahib) for her at about 1141 hours. My mamaji (mom’s younger brother) came from NOIDA to hold my hand since Akhand Path requires enormous support effort. We did duties in rotation and barely had any sleep during the 48 hours of Akhand Path. Mamaji’s effort is many times more appreciable since he left in Delhi an ailing wife requiring urgent medical treatment. Also, for most people, the 75th Birthday is an important milestone of life. Mamaji’s happened to be on the 18th and coincided with the start of the Akhand Path for my mom and his sister. Much against his strident objections, we had a cake made for him and celebrated life as much as we bemoaned death.

My brother-in-law serving the lunch prepared by my sister to the Bhaijis

My sister Mona and brother-in-law Maharaj could make it before lunch on the next day since their elder son got admitted in the Command Hospital at Chandi Mandir. My sister is simply the best cook and hostess that I have come across. On the first day and night we had managed by ourselves. However, on the second day, she brought enormous and mouth-watering lunch for the Gurudwara Bhaijis since they have only suchcha khana made in desi ghee. Post that, she got busy preparing dinner for them.

Viru, my course-mate arrived from Gurgaon on Saturday evening to attend mom’s Antim Ardaas. Very thoughtfully she brought for the memory of my mom, a brass embossed and beautifully framed picture of the Golden Temple, Amritsar. He didn’t just buy it; he got it made on the way at Ambala and hence, even though he started from Gurgaon at 5 AM, he reached in the evening only.

JP, my younger brother, arrived from Edinburg (Scotland) for the second time in two weeks, for the bhog in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Whilst waiting for me and doing duty at the Akhand paath, I penned a few lines of Punjabi poetry as tribute to my mom. Later, at my mother’s Antime Ardas, at about 1230 hours, I, on behalf of my sister Mona, broher JP and our families, thanked the gathering for attending the Bhog for my mother, recalled her essential attributes and contribution and finally read out the poem I had penned just a few hours back. My coursemate Viru recorded the entire poem and I am putting up the video shot by him.

This is only the second poem by me on this blog, in Punjabi (the first one being: ‘Anne Na Raho (Don’t Remain Blind)‘:

ਮਾਤਾ ਜੀ, ਇਹ ਸਾਡੀ ਹਾਲਤ ਹੈ,
ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਹੁਣ ਜਾਣ ਤੋਂਹ ਬਾਦ,
ਦਿਲ ਵਿਚ ਇਕ ਉਦਾਸੀ ਹੈ,
ਲਬਾਂ ਤੇ ਹੈ ਫਰਿਆਦ I

ਤੁਸੀਂ ਜੀਵਨ ਚ ਜੋ ਕੁਛ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ,
ਅਮਰ ਰਹੇਗੀ ਤੁਹਾਡੀ ਯਾਦ I
ਸਾਡੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਚ ਹਰਦਮ ਰਹੇਗਾ,
ਤੁਆਡੇ ਪਿਆਰ ਦਾ ਸਵਾਦ I

ਤੁਸੀਂ ਔਰਤ ਨਹੀਂ ਇਕ ਦੇਵੀ ਹੋ,
ਸਾਨੂੰ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਸੀ ਤੁਹਾਡਾ ਅਸ਼ੀਰਵਾਦ I
ਫ਼ਕਰ ਅਤੇ ਮਾਨ ਹੈ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਇਸ ਗੱਲ ਦਾ,
ਅਸੀਂ ਹਾਂ ਇਕ ਦੇਵੀ ਦੀ ਔਲਾਦ I

ਇਹ ਜਿਹੜੀ ਜਗਹ (Whispering Winds, Kandaghat ) ਤੁਸੀਂ ਕਾਇਮ ਕੀਤੀ ਹੈ,
ਹਮੇਸ਼ਾ ਰਹੇਗੀ ਇਹ ਆਬਾਦ I
ਧਰਮ ਈਮਾਨ ਦੀ ਤੁਸੀ ਮੂਰਤ ਸੀ,
ਅੱਠਵੇਂ ਪਾਤਸ਼ਾਹ ਅਤੇ ਤੁਸੀ ਹੋ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਾਬਾਦ I

ਆਪਣੇ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਤੁਸੀ ਛੱਡ ਕੇ ਚਲੇ ਗਏ,
ਸਾਨੂੰ ਚੰਗਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਲੱਗਦਾ ਆਪ ਜੀ ਤੋਂਹ ਬਾਅਦ I
ਜੱਦ ਤੁਸੀ ਭੀ ਕਿਸੀ ਤੋਂਹ ਡਰਦੇ ਨਾ ਸੀ,
ਫਿਰ ਕਿਊਂ ਨਾ ਹੋਯੀਏ ਅਸੀਂ ਭੀ ਡਰ ਤੋਂਹ ਆਜ਼ਾਦ?

ਸਾਧ ਸੰਗਤ ਜੀ, ਚਲੋ ਉਸ ਮਾਰਗ ਤੇ ਚਲੀਏ,
ਜਿਸ ਦੇ ਸੀ ਸਾਡੇ ਮਾਂ ਜੀ ਬੁਨਿਆਦ,
ਤਾਕੇ ਹੌਲੀ ਹੌਲੀ ਇਸ ਦੁਨੀਆਂ ਵਿਚ,
ਵੜਦੀ ਰਹੇ ਚੰਗਿਯਾਯੀ ਦੀ ਤਾਦਾਦ I

(Mata ji, eh saadi haalat hai,
tuhaade hun jaan tonh baad,
Dil wich ik udaasi hai,
Labaan te hai fariyaad.

Tussi jeevan ch jo kuchh keeta hai,
Amar rahegi tuhaadi yaad.
Saadi zindagi ch hardam rahega,
tuhaade pyaar da swaad.

Tussi aurat nahin ik devi ho,
Saanu miliya si tuhaada ashirwaad.
Faqr ate maan hai saanu is gal da,
Aseen haan ik devi di aulaad.

Eh jehdi jagah (Whispering Winds, Kandaghat ) tussi kayam keeti hai,
Hamesha rahegi eh abaad.
Dharam imaan di tussi moorat si,
Athhven paatshah ate tussi ho zindabaad.

Aapne bachchyan nu tussi chhad ke chale gaye,
Saanu changa nahin lagda aap ji tonh baad.
Jadd tussi bhi kisi tonh darde na si,
Phir kyun na hoyiye aseen bhi dar tonh azaad?

Saadh sangat je, chalo us maarg te chaliye,
Jis de si saade maa ji buniyaad.
Take hauli hauli is duniya wich,
Wadadi rahe changiyayi di tadaad.

We soon had the family and friends arriving and we had the Samapati (End) of Akhand Paath at about 11 AM. We then shifted the Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji into the drawing-room when more and more people arrived:

All this while, I kept thinking how much mom would have enjoyed the family get-together if she was alive; she would have walked on clouds. Friends and relatives arriving at Whispering Winds, Kandaghat, always put her in the best mood; she actually enjoyed looking after and being with people.

The kirtan for her started and I think the Bhaijis did a very good job of it. It was dignified, on the sober and quiet side, melodious and meaningful; the kind that mom would have enjoyed thoroughly. Said Viru about it later:

“…..I have to say that I was immensely touched by the intensity and ‘fervour’ with which the family and you in particular turned the antim farewell for your dear mother into a remarkable ‘event’ that all (even the Irish) (the night before, Viru was telling me about the Irish Wake) could draw a lesson (I certainly have). from as to what a loving (albeit rather emotional) son must do for his parents. But, it’s like the chicken and the egg story…which one arrived first….love and emotions are also inextricably linked……take care and fair breeze through ‘Whispering Winds’.”

There were two only tributes: one was by me on behalf of the larger family. Amongst other things, I brought out how my mom was only one of my maternal grandparents children who was named after a guru: in her case, the eighth guru Sri Harkrishan ji. He was known as the Bal Guru since he took over at the age of just 5 years and died before the age of 8 years when he caught small-pox whilst looking after people in Delhi (at the spot whereat the present Bangla Sahib gurudwara stands) suffering from Cholera and small-pox, unmindful of his own safety. My mom, I brought out, had some of those virtues. I also brought out how after my dad’s death on 01 May 1984, mom lived in Whispering Winds, Kandaghat, like a sherni (lioness), not at all scared of staying alone or facing all the challenges when all the cards were stacked up against her.

Then there was tribute by Shri Mohan Goel, one of the locals from Kandaghat. Here is what he wrote and sang for her:

Most of our relatives could make it for the Bhog. Mr HS Pannu, my boss at my last job at Reliance, arrived all the way from Mumbai to attend the Bhog. Amongst the friends who visited, a number of friends from my music group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne visited: Viapn Kohli, Suman Saxena, Rakesh Aman Bhatia, Anindya Chatterjee and his wife Deepa and Jaswant Singh Lagwal and his wife Kavita. Just four months ago, mom was there attending the YKDN annual meet and now they were here at her last farewell. JP’s partner Chuck and friend David sent two of the prettiest bouquets of flowers for mom.

I was particularly touched by Mamaji’s daughter Amandeep (Mitu) arriving all the way from Delhi, by car, totally alone. From her childhood days she is polio stricken but that didn’t deter her from attending her loving masiji’s bhog.

We had the langar after the bhog and then one by one everyone left. At night, just the three of us: my brother JP, my wife Lyn and I were at home. We would, of course, never be alone or lonely since my mother’s memories would always keep us company.

Antim Ardaas? For us, it is the beginning of another journey……a very intimate one indeed.

 

MOTHERS NEVER DIE, THEY OBTAIN ETERNAL LIFE

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that, our mother, you reside with God,
And physically are a world apart,
There are voids in our home and life,
And an unfillable hole in our heart.

Whispering Winds‘ was made with your blood & sweat,
You made it a heaven on earth;
Not just we, your children, family & friends,
Even gods and goddesses know your worth.

So, adieu, mom, in the physical sense only,
You will always be there in our thought;
We promise you that the world you made,
Shall never be reduced to nought.

May you guide us with your kind hand,
From your seat in the Heaven above,
May gods shower on you now and always,
Their special care, peace and love.

NOW THAT I HAVE FINISHED BURNING MY MOTHER….

Seven years ago I wrote an article on my mother titled ‘Seventy-Eight Not Out‘. The last three lines of the article were:

“We are not going to be deterred by the steepness of the climbs. We shall gleefully look back after conquering each one. You are seventy-eight not out and you will be not out until the end of the match!”

On the 9th of August, the match ended for her.

She ascended from earthly life to eternal life, bestowed upon her by God Himself. The doctors at Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital (formerly Snowdon Hospital) Shimla  declared the end of her earthly life at about 8:40 AM. That’s because procedurally they have to get an ECG done and get a straight-line before announcing it. However, I, who was closest to her when she went, heard it from her, in her feeble and yet lucid voice, at about 8 AM: “Pitaji, beeji, main aa rahi haan” (Father, mother, I am coming (to you)).

Pitaji and Beeji had named her after the eighth guru of the Sikhs: Guru Har Krishan Ji, sometimes referred to as Guru Hari Krishan ji. Guru ji was born to the seventh Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Har Rai ji and his wife Krishan Devi (Sulakhni). Some of my friends who are closest to me do underestand my love for Lord Krishna or Krishan, the name that is prominently there in my mother’s name, and in the name of the eighth guru and both his parents.

After she was burnt on her funeral pyre on the 10th Aug afternoon, the next morning my mamaji, my younger brother JP, my elder son Arjun and I collected her mortal remains from the same pyre, and dispersed them in the river Sutlej at Gurudwara Patal Puri, Kiratpur Sahib. Coincidentally, the Guru after whom my mother was named, was born at Kiratpur.

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi, the site of Guru Harkrishan ji tending to the cholera and smallpox stricken people (Pic courtesy: discoversikhism.com)

Now, why have I laboured to bring out these coincidences? Simple, the Guru after who she was named, became a guru at the age of just five years. He had the body and heart of a child. However, his mind was fully grown in that he could recite fluently from the scriptures including the Bhagvad Gita. He was so sacrificing that when he toured Delhi, he found people suffering from cholera and smallpox. Unmindful of his personal safety, he tended to the sick (Gurudwara Bangla Sahib stands at that site) personally and tirelessly, caught smallpox himself and died before the age of eight years; thereby, not just being the youngest guru of the Sikhs but also the one who had the shortest tenure.

My mother had similar attributes. She had the innocence of a child, mind of an intellectual and spiritual, and an overwhelming self-sacrificing nature. All her life was spent in caring for others. She would forgive easily and very often prayed for and wished well even her detractors and enemies. I was, for instance stunned, when those people who have encroached on our land and have dragged us into protracted and difficult court cases had a sadness in their house and my mom said, “Kaka, jaa ke puchh ke aayin je ohna nu kisi help di lodh hove” (Son, go their and enquire if they require any help).

How does it affect me now that my mother is not physically with me? I can think of a number of ways.

The first and the foremost is that the place Whispering Winds, Kandaghat belongs to her and shall always belong to her. It is not just a question of mere ownership of assets by law. For example, in many cases, the assets of the husband automatically pass it to the widow and the children on his demise; which happened with her and us on 01 May 1984 on dad’s death by accident. It is actually much more than that. Dad decided to make their house in this place whereat, to start with, there was nothing: no houses, no connectivity, no resources. Mom stayed in a tent for a number of months until the ground-floor rooms of the house were ready (it took almost an year to be constructed). She supervised the complete construction and found answers to all the problems – small and big – that came up during construction. There were no local buses during those days. She would somehow stop a long-distance bus, go up to Solan (a distance of 15 kms), get the labourers from there by bus and get on with the construction.

Mom with all of us at Whispering Winds, Kandaghat on her 75th birthday on 15th Mar 2007 (Picture taken by my nephew (sister’s younger son) Ankit and hence he is missing from the picture)

The other day I got the bathrooms of the house renovated for the first time after 39 years. The demolition people found it very tough to break down existing tiles etc because mom had personally ensured that the correct ratios of sand and cement and the best materials were used. At the age of 85 years (at the time of her demise), she knew exactly where and in which storehouse what was kept. Just to give an example, I got some of the doors replaced by aluminium framed glass sliding doors. Initially, when these were hard to slide, the fitter suggested that these should be greased. I was at that time making a dozen trips to the market to get this or that. I had just returned from getting something that the plumbers wanted from the hardware store and hence didn’t want to go again to get grease. Just on a hunch I asked my mom if we had some grease at home. Here is how she did loud thinking, “Kaka, jadon saada mushroom project chalda si (in 1983 to 87; for heavens sake, 30 years ago!), tanh asin motoran nu grease dinde si. Guddi (our maid-servant), dekhin gaay de uppar waale kamre wich ik kaale dabbe wich grease payi hovegi” (Son, when we ran the mushroom project (in 1983 to 87), we used to grease the motors. Guddi, please see in the room above the cows room and you will find grease in a black box). Ours is a large house with many disparate linked outhouses. My mom knew precisely where anything and everything was stored. It would be hard for anyone of us to emulate that since none of us had the kind of involvement that she had.

The second is her larger than life presence in my life. For the last thirty-three years, five years more than one-third of her life on earth, she was constantly with me. There was a somewhat reversal of roles in that in addition to being my mother, she became my baby to look after. When I was in the active service of the Indian Navy, there were months when she lived alone at Kandaghat and I spent everyday of my leave with her. However, after retirement in end Feb 2010, she was also constantly and physically with me. Everywhere we went, we went together. Her strong character, will and grit ensured that rather than being my weakness, she was indeed a strength. Whilst I executed all the works in our house in Kandaghat, she did more than her bit, physically and morally. I could turn to her for sane and cool-headed advice, especially under difficult and trying situations. My father was nearing retirement when he died of an accident. He had taken bank loan to start a mushroom project. My mother and I struggled to run the project to pay back the mounting loan. When I joined the Navy, dad had bought a housing plot for me in Ludhiana. I sold it off to partly pay back the loan. Its market price is in crores now since it is in a posh locality in Ludhiana. She put in all the physical effort to run the project. Mushroom is a fast perishable commodity and grows in flushes rather than at a constant daily supply. We faced gigantic problems of marketing mostly due to the avarice of the middle-men (the bane of all agricultural and horticultural marketing in India).

The long and short of it is that in everything I did I banked on her advice and guidance and vice-versa. That thread has broken now and  I have to prepare myself to face the world alone. In my favourite song on Maa, the one whose lyrics are most appropriate to describe her (Tu kitani achhi hai, tu kitani bholi hai, pyaari pyaari hai, O maatuu kitanii achchhii hai tuu kitanii bholii hai
pyaarii-pyaarii hai o maa.N o maa.N; penned by Anand Bakshi, composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal and sung by Lata Mangeshkar), there are my favourite lines that describe my emotions towards my mom:

Ye jo duniya hai, ye ban hai kaanton ka,
Tu phulwari hai….
(This world that is there, is a forest of thorns,
You are a flower garden….)

Having mom besides me made me stronger to face upto challenges that life threw at us.

The third is the horde of memories that we made together. My mom had the remarkable ability to take things in her stride and I am proud to say that she has passed on some of it to me. Lyn and I were blessed with our elder son Arjun within a day of my dad’s bhog (prayer meeting) on 13th May 1984. Even in her extreme tragedy of having lost her husband in an accident, she quickly shifted to looking after Arjun and my wife Lyn (short for Marilyn).

Arjun brought great joy to her as she looked at him as if God compensated her in some measure for having prematurely taken her husband away. When Arun too was born, two and half years later, her hands were full. We really made great memories together and tried to get over the sadness of dad’s untimely demise. In the accompanying picture you see us together having a picnic in our own orchard at Whispering Winds, Kandaghat.

This is too short an article to give you all the memories that I collected with my mom in the last thirty-three years after my dad’s demise. I am giving you some select ones culminating in the two Yaad Kiya Dil Ne meets in 2016 and 2017 wherein she was the darling of our Facebook group on songs and music (Please read: ‘Yaad Kiya Dil Ne Group Meet At Whispering Winds, Kandaghat‘) I have to live with those memories now and have nothing more to add to them.

The joy of prayers together with Arjun in the home gurudwara at Whispering Winds, Kandaghat
One of those occasions when JP, my younger brother’s visit coincided with ours

It was merely four years ago, in May 2013 that she preferred to walk the steep steps to Shiva Mandir in Chail rather than reach all the way by car:

It was a tough and long day for her at the age of 81 years since we went to Chail, Kufri and Shimla and came back late in the evening but she not only took it in her stride without complaints, she said she enjoyed it. That was the last time she had visited these places:

After I retired from the Navy in Feb 2010, she shifted with us in our house in Jal Vayu Defence Enclave, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai and we had a great time having guests at home, birthdays, Christmases, and visiting nearby places like Lonavala. Everywhere wer went, we went together including movies and restaurants.

She was at her best during Arjun and Samira’s wedding on 08 May 14. I know that this one function made her walk on clouds:

During the inauguration of Kharghar’s Gurudwara on 01 Sep 2013, she surprised everyone by walking all of nearly four kms around the Central Park for Prabhat Pheri (Morning Procession). This was possible because she loved to walk and until April this year, when we returned to Kandaghat for the summers, she would walk 1.5 Kms everyday in the mornings:

Mom also said that she would like to attend Arjun and Samira’s company’s NH7’s Bacardi Weekenders (Music Fests). In the years 2014 and 2015, she attended the fests in Bangalore and Pune respectively. Despite all the crowds and in Bangalore the weather being bad, she enjoyed the experiences, as you can make out from the following pictures:

My mother was the most spirited person I have come across; she was the life of the gathering and no one could have ever suspected her failing health that would lead to her demise so suddenly. Looking back, all of us close to her, now feel that perhaps she knew that time was running out for her. So, last year (2016) starting the month of September, she did two things: first, she went on a tour of Punjab to meet relatives including her elder sister Raj Bans Kaur in Ludhiana and younger sister Surinder Kaur in Nawanshahr. During this visit, she also went to her parents’ (Pitaji’s and Beeji’s) place in village Urapur near Nawanshahr in Punjab:

She insisted on having the larger family over for Diwali at Kandaghat last year. My sister Mona, her husband Maharaj, their two sons Ankur and Ankit with Ankur’s wife Simran and two daughters Mohiraa and Noor, my younger brother JP and his partner Chuck, my wife Lyn and son Arjun attended the get-together. This was the last Diwali at which she was physically present:

The fourth is that my mother was the connect between me and the larger family both on her side as well as on my dad’s side. I had been away to the Navy for long and hadn’t seen many of them for years. She, on the other hand, rejoiced in meeting relatives just as my dad did when he was alive. In my dad’s and mom’s memories, I intend keeping in touch with all these relatives who were so close to both of them.

From the last year onwards, we started having Annual Meets of my Facebook Music Group ‘Yaad Kiya Dil Ne’ at Kandaghat. She liked my music friends and in turn all of them were captivated by her. Here are some of the pictures of this year’s meet:

In the last years YKDN Meet, Raj Dutta put up a video about the meet with the song: Woh bhooli daastan lo phir yaad aa gayi (That forgotten tale, lo, once again I recall it). I had asked him to take it off because it sounded so ominous. However, today, when mom has suddenly left us, its lyrics echo in my mind as the most appropriate to remember mom by. These were penned by Shimla boy Rajinder Krishan (Krishan being in my mom’s name too!) and composed by Madan Mohan. Lata Mangeshkar sang it in the movie Sanjog (Coincidence):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZSmIJo6h5c

I particularly like the lines:

बड़े रंगीन ज़माने थे, तराने ही तराने थे
मगर अब पूछता है दिल, वो दिन थे या फ़साने थे
फ़क़त इक याद है बाकी, बस इक फ़रियाद है बाकी
वो खुशियाँ लुट गयी लेकिन, दिल-ए-बरबाद है बाकी
कहाँ थी ज़िन्दगी मेरी, कहाँ पर आ गयी
वो भूली …
(There were colourful times, there were songs,
But now my heart asks, those were the days or merely fables,
Only a memory remains now, only a prayer remains now,
All those joys are over now, only deserted heart remains,
Where was my life (at one time), where it has reached now?
That forgotten tale….

The difference is that this tale would never be forgotten as long as I live.

 

 

 

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