Indian classical music is enormously respected and admired all around the world. With a motley of instruments being played while in concert, Indian classical instrumental music has flourished along with vocal music. Instruments like tabla, rudra, veena, surbahar, sitar, sarod, sarangi, flute, shehnai and santoor are always featured prominently. And the contribution of tabla in Indian classical music requires special mention. From the very beginning, the Indian classical music is said to be incomplete without tabla. Here are some of the most prominent tabla gharanas:
Delhi Gharana
The first gharana and the oldest of the tabla gharanas is the Delhi gharana. Founded in the early eighteenth century by Siddhar Khan, the playing style (baj) of this gharana is also known as the bandh baj. This style has a clarity of sound that is a result of the initial role of the tabla as an accompaniment to vocal and instrumental music. This sharpness is achieved by playing on the chati or kinar and has led to the baj being called the chati-ka-baj. Pakhawaj (the predecessor of the tabla) bols are no longer part of the gharana’s repertoire. The tempo most frequently encountered in the Delhi Gharana style is the barabar (basic) of the ad (fractions and multiples of one-and-a half), while the items are predominantly kayada-rela, peshkar and the mohra/mukhda. The kayada repertoire of the Delhi gharana is the model for the kayada items of the other gharanas as well. Here are some of the famous exponents of Delhi Gharana:- Ustad Ghami Khan Saheb, Ustad Imam Ali Khan, Ustad Munnu Khan Saheb, Ustad Latif Ahmed Khan Saheb, (son of Latif Ahmed Khan, Akbar Latif Khan & Babar Latif Khan) Ustad Shafat Ahmad.
Ajrada Gharana
Categorized as playing in the bandh baj (as is the Delhi gharana), this school was founded in the nineteenth century by Kallu and Miru, the disciples of Sitab Khan of the Delhi gharana. Clarity of sound is the hallmark of the gharana’s playing style. This style is made possible by the propensity for using the index and middle fingers in the traditional manner, with no effort to enhance sound differences between the kinar, sur and shyahi. The Ajrara gharana style includes bol-patterns that are rather complicated. In this style also, barabar and ad laya form the bulk of tempo repertoire. The main follower of Ajrada gharana are:- Ustad Habibuddin Khan, Ustad Mehboob Hussain Khan, Prof. Sudhirkumar Saxena, Ustad Manju Khan son of Late Ustad Habibuddin Khan, (Ustad Yusuf Khan, Pandit Babu Ram Parvesh Singh, Ustad Ramjan Khan Sahib, Pandit Bal Krishan Sharma, disciples of Ustad Habibuddin Khan), Aman Ali, Athar Hussain, Anil Kumar all are disciples of Ustad Manju Khan son of Late Ustad Habibudin Khan, Ustad Sarwar Sabri and Ustad Akram Khan.
Lucknow Gharana
Founded by Mian Bakshu, Siddhar Khan’s grandson, in mid eighteenth century, this gharana is considered an offshoot of the latter gharana. This school was heavily patronized by the nawabs of Awadh and came to be closely linked with kathak performance. This allowed the emergence of a vast repertoire. The playing style (baj) is classified as the Purab baj, also called the khula baj. The Lucknow baj uses different parts of the tabla surface to produce a blend of sounds that are more fullsome than those of the Delhi gharana. There is a conscious effort to eliminate sharp sounds. The sur and shyahi parts of the tabla are played and the kinar is avoided. Finger techniques may vary from and economy of movement to all the fingers being used. The transformation form the role of tabla as accompaniment to vocal music to the role of the tabla as accompaniment to a rich dance form required complex items like gat, tukda, chakradhar. The paran-gat is a particularly characteristic gat of this gharana. The barabar and ad layas are popular in this school as well. The main artist of this gharana are Ustad Ilmas Hussain Khan son of Ustad Afaq Hussain Khan, Pt. Achchan Maharaj (Jagannath Maharaj), Late Pandit Anil Bhattacharjee, Prof.Biswajit Bhattacharjee(R.B.U.), Pt. Santosh Biswas, Pt. Swapan Chaudhuri, Ustaad Faiyaz Khan, Mrs.Nibedita Bhattacharjee[Bagchi].
Farukhabad Gharana
This gharana, usually spoken in connection with the Awadh Court, was founded by Vilayet Ali, in the late eighteenth century. The playing style of this gharana belongs to the Purab baj (or the khula baj) and has maintained its affinities of the pakhwaj (a predecessor of the tabla) tradition. The richness of the Lucknowi gharana playing is found here as well. The Farrukhabad technique emphasizes playing on the sur and shyahi (when playing the right hand drum, the dayan), avoiding the kinar. Performing in barabar laya (basic tempo) and ad (fractions and multiples of one-and–half) laya are the norm. Pt. Anindo Chatterjee, Pandit Abhijit Banerjee, Ustad Sabir Khan, Pandit Nayan Ghosh, Ustad Amir Hussain Khan, Pt Pandharinath Nageshkar, these are the main exponents farukhabad gharana.
Benaras Gharana
Founded in the nineteenth century by Ram Sahay Mishra, the Benaras gharana follows the khula baj (and the Pakhwaj baj) style of playing and is regarded as an off-shoot of the Lucknow and Punjab gharanas. The unusual sound-quality of the gharana’s playing can be attributed to the practice of playing with the third finger held in a bent position. Influences as diverse as vocal music and instrumental, pakhwaj playing and dance forms have led to a distinct technique and presentation. Thus, gat, paran, chakradhar and tukda are regular features in the gharana’s playing style, and rare tals such as pancham sawari, dhamar and shult are performed. There are many similarities with the Punjab gharana, particularly in the repertoire. Pt. Ram Sahai, Pt. Shamta Prasad, Pt. Kishen Maharaj, Kumar Bose, Pt. Samar Saha, Pandit Sharda Sahai, Pandit Suresh Talwalker are some of the famous names associated with this gharana.
Punjab Gharana
The complicated pakhwaj bols and the clear influence of the Punjabi language set this gharana apart. Syllables are elided, as shown in the transformation of ‘Dh, te dh, ge n’ into ‘Dh, tdh, gen’ and of ‘Dh’ dhin dhin dh into ‘Dh, te dh, d. There is a greater range of tempos besides ad and barabar. The gharana plays in kuad (fractions and multiples of two-and-a-half) and viad (fractions and multiples of three-and-a-half). This necessitates a rigorous time keeping by the player. Pakhwaj tals such as dhamar, shult, and pancham sawari are popular with the players of this gharana. Certain authorities believe Kader Baksh the first to be the founder of the gharana while others believe Saddu Hussain Baksh to have founded this school. However some of the renowned artists of the Punjab gharana are Zakir Hussain and Fazal Qureshi (sons of Ustad Alla Rakha), Yogesh Shamsi and Anuradha Pal.
Sources: Indianetzone, India Heritage
