Mewati gharana

The Mewati Gharana is a stylized musical family-hood (Gharana) of Hindustani classical music founded in the late 19th century by Utd. Ghagge Nazir Khan of Jodhpur. An offshoot of the Gwalior Gharana, the Mewati Gharana acquired its name after the region from which its founding exponents hailed: the Mewar region of Rajasthan. The current torchbearer and foremost exponent of this Gharana is Pt. Jasraj.

History

The fountainhead of the Mewati Gharana, Ustad Ghagge Nazir Khan belonged to the kingdom of Jodhpur in the Mewat region, a part of Rajasthan. For this geographical reason the musical tradition that evolved under his influence, is today called the Mewati Gharana. This very tradition was passed on to Pandit Natthulal and Pandit Chimanlal (who died young). Natthulal passed it on to Motiram, his nephew. This training lasted for seven years. Pandit Motiram in turn passed it on to his brother Pandit Jyotiramji, who later became a disciple of Rajab Ali Khan of Dewas; and to his sons, Pandit Maniram and Pandit Pratap Narayan.

Through rigorous training to his brother Jasraj, Maniram ensured that the gharana would be carried forward through time. An annual event, the Pandit Motiram Pandit Maniram Sangeet Samaroh, is held in Hyderabad, India, organized by Pandit Jasraj in their memory.

Overview

Mewati Gharana Styles and Trends

Although it has ancestry in the style and trends of the Gwalior gharana, the Mewati Gharana gayaki has some distinct qualities. Through Sufi and Kirtankar influence, the Mewati Gharana gayaki includes theistic and spiritual elements, where religious verses from Hinduism and Islam are incorporated not only in the grammatical content of the music, but as an intrinsic elements in musical development. The verse "Om Shri Anant Hari Narayana" is typically invoked as the initiation of a performance, and as the grammatical medium for an Alap. Elements of Hinduism and Islam are simultaneously and polytheistically incorporated throughout musical works.

Mewati gayaki includes substantial use of Sargam and Tihais. In a crude sense, the approach to Taankari is similar to the Patiala Gayaki and Tappa Gayaki in execution but is closer to the Gwalior gayaki in application.

Specialty Ragas and Compositions

Several ragas unique to the Mewati Gharana include Jaiwanti Todi (created by Maharaja Jaiwant Singhji Waghela of Sanand), Din Ki Puriya, Odhav Bageshree, Khamaj Bahar and Bhavani Bahaar.

Pt. Jasraj has added many devotional (religious) compositions to the Gharana repertoire, the most popular being, "Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya" in Bhimpalasi.

Gharana Lineage

Utd. Ghagge Nazir Khan (founder)

Pt. Chimanlal

Pt. Natthulal

Utd. Munawar Ali Khan

Pt. Motiram

Utd. Gulam Quadir Khan

Pt. Jyotiram

Pt. Maniram

Pt. Pratap Narayan

Maharaja Jaiwant Singhji Waghela

Pt. Puranchandra

Pt. Jasraj (reviver)

Jatin-Lalit

Pt. Krishnakant Parikh

Dr. Shobha Abhyankar

Rattan Mohan Sharma

Dr. Arawind Thatte (Harmonium)

Pt. Sanjeev Abhyankar

Smt. Kala Ramnath (Violin)

Smt. Tripti Mukherjee

Ramesh Narayan (Carnatic)

Smt. Lalita Sharma

Sandeep Ranade

Prominent exponents

• Utd. Ghagge Nazir Khan (c. 1850-c. 1920), Gharana founder; learned from Utd. Chhote Mohammed Khan and Utd. Waris Ali Khan of Gwalior Gharana.
• Pt. Chimanlal (c.1870-c. 1950), learned from Utd. Ghagge Nazir Khan.
• Pt. Natthulal (c.1870-c. 1960), learned from Utd. Ghagge Nazir Khan.
• Utd. Munawar Ali Khan (c. 1870-c.1940), learned from Utd. Ghagge Nazir Khan.
• Pt. Motiram (c. 1890-c.1930), learned from Pt. Nathhulal.
• Pt. Jyotiram (c. 1890-c.1930), learned from Pt. Nathhulal.
• Utd. Gulam Qadir Khan (1912-2002), learned from Utd. Munawar Ali Khan.
• Pt. Pratap Narayan (1918-2002), learned from Pt. Nathhulal.
• Pt. Maniram (c. 1920-c. 1990), learned from father, Pt. Motiram.
• Pt. Puranchandra (c. 1920), learned from father, Pt. Jyotiram.
• Pt. Jasraj (born 1930), learned from brother, Pt. Maniram.
• Maharaja Jaiwant Singhji Waghela (of Sanand), learned from Utd. Ghulam Qadir Khan.
• Pt. Krishnakant Parikh (born c. 1940), learned from Pt. Jasraj.
• Dr. Shobha Abhyankar (born c. 1940), learned from Pt. Jasraj.
• Jatin-Lalit (born c. 1950), learned from their father, Pt. Pratap Narayan.
• Pt. Arawing Thatte (born 1958), learned Harmonium from and accompanied Pt. Jasraj.
• Ramesh Narayan (born 1959), learned from Pt. Jasraj.
• Pta. Tripti Mukherjee, learned from Pt. Jasraj.
• [[Pritam Bhattacharjee], learned from Pt. Jasraj.
• Smt. Kala Ramnath (born 1967), learned Violin from her aunt, Dr. N. Rajam, and Pt. Jasraj whom she also accompanied.
• Rattan Mohan Sharma (born c. 1960), learned from and nephew of Pt. Jasraj.
• Pt. Sanjeev Abhyankar (born 1969), learned from his mother, Dr. Shobha Abhyankar, and Pt. Jasraj.
• Lalita Sharma (born c. 1970), learned from Pt. Jasraj.
• Saptarshi Chakraborty (born c. 1970), learned from Pt. Jasraj.
• Pt. Suman Ghosh, learned from Pt. Jasraj.
• Dr. Amit Arya (born 1978), learned from Pt. Hemang Mehta, Pta. Tripti Mukherjee, and Pt. Jasraj.
• Sandeep Ranade (born 1981), learned from Dr. Shobha Abhyankar, Pt. Sanjeev Abhyankar, and Pt. Jasraj.
• Dr. Kalyani Bondre (born 1981), learned from Pt. Krishnakant Parikh.

References