Importance of Music
Music is to the soul what natural food is to health. It enriches life, endears one to God, enlivens one's spirit, refreshes the mind, exercises the body and mind......
No form of music is as enriching as the Indian Classical forms that have a note for every mood of life with as deep a knowledge in theory and practice.
Dear viewers here we take you to another world of melody that best describes the rain or its augmentation every year in the monsoon.
Please spare a few moments and just close your eyes and listen and loose yourselves in an enchanted world of sound that is appealing to the senses and enlightening to the soul. Happy listening then!!!!
No form of music is as enriching as the Indian Classical forms that have a note for every mood of life with as deep a knowledge in theory and practice.
Dear viewers here we take you to another world of melody that best describes the rain or its augmentation every year in the monsoon.
Please spare a few moments and just close your eyes and listen and loose yourselves in an enchanted world of sound that is appealing to the senses and enlightening to the soul. Happy listening then!!!!
Raga Megh
Raga Megh is loved by many people. This raga is heard in the monsoon season when thunderbolts rock the sky and raindrops fall on the ground. Raga Megh is considered a janak raga. Raga Megh and Raga Malhar have very similar ecstatic properties. According to the janak ragas, Raga Dipak came to burn and enflame people during the summer. When the summer season ends and the monsoon season starts, Raga Megh extinguished the flames and fire caused by Raga Dipak. It is truly the raga to extinguish fires of the heart.
Tansen and Raga Megh
Tansen was a great Hindustani musician. He lived during Akbar’s time. Tansen was one of the nine jewels in Akbars court. The most special thing about Tansen was that he was a music magician. He had so much control over the "Ragas" that he could do astonishing feats by singing them.
A lot of Akbar’s courtiers where jealous of Tansen's privileges. They schemed to set him up for failure. They spread the word that Tansen could make an oil lamp light up with his singing. The courtiers thought that if Tansen fails in doing this, obviously his music skills are just ordinary. But if he succeeds he could die singing the "Raag", because it would produce so much heat, that his body would be burnt. Akbar obviously heard about this talent and asked Tansen to perform the feat, knowing well that some pranksters were up to mischief to harm Tansen. But, knowing Tansen as he did , the Emperor knew he would find a way out of the mess....and he did indeed!
Now Tansen was in a fix. Sure , he could do this feat. But what would happen then? He would surely burn and things around him may burn as well. The only antidote for this was for him to sing "Raag Megh Malhar" immediately after he sings "Raag Deepak". "Raag Megh Malhar" would bring pouring rain and cool him and his surroundings. But surely he would be unable to sing this after snging "Raag Deepak", as he would be very weak. He could not say 'no 'to the great emperor! No one else, he thought, could sing "Megh Malhar".
His worries were evident to his daughter. She suggested that after he sang "Deepak Raag", she would sing "Raag Megh Malhar". "Raag Deepak" would light the lamps. She would sing "Raag Megh Malhar" which would bring rains and cool Tansen and extinguish the flames of the oil lamps around him. Tansen had taught tRaag Megh Malhar" to his daughter.and she was as wonderful and exponent as himself! This was Tansen’s best option. He would sing or die trying.
Day of performance arrived. The emperor’s assembly was adorned with countless oil lamps, which were waiting to light up. Tansen started singing "Raag Deepak '' . Soon the temperature of the terrace started rising. People could not believe the fact that temperatures were soaring. Things started melting. And lo! Suddenly the hall was lit with countless oil lamps..!!! But Tansen was sick with fever! He ran to an open area. He was hoping that his daughter’s singing would work. Back in th village Tansen’s daughter started singing "Raag Megh Malhar". Soon clouds moved in over the village. Yes, it started raining!! Tansen lived!!
If you can't believe this , please visit Fatehpur Sikri , near Agra fort where the Taj Mahal is situated and you will see the terrace where this great feat was conquered. Needless to say, Tansen was awarded by the Emperor and made the Royal singer :)They remained forever the best of friends, and the emperor always relieved his burdened soul listening to Tansen's soulful raagas......
Thats how rich Indian music is , its study will tire researchers but learning won't end............
A lot of Akbar’s courtiers where jealous of Tansen's privileges. They schemed to set him up for failure. They spread the word that Tansen could make an oil lamp light up with his singing. The courtiers thought that if Tansen fails in doing this, obviously his music skills are just ordinary. But if he succeeds he could die singing the "Raag", because it would produce so much heat, that his body would be burnt. Akbar obviously heard about this talent and asked Tansen to perform the feat, knowing well that some pranksters were up to mischief to harm Tansen. But, knowing Tansen as he did , the Emperor knew he would find a way out of the mess....and he did indeed!
Now Tansen was in a fix. Sure , he could do this feat. But what would happen then? He would surely burn and things around him may burn as well. The only antidote for this was for him to sing "Raag Megh Malhar" immediately after he sings "Raag Deepak". "Raag Megh Malhar" would bring pouring rain and cool him and his surroundings. But surely he would be unable to sing this after snging "Raag Deepak", as he would be very weak. He could not say 'no 'to the great emperor! No one else, he thought, could sing "Megh Malhar".
His worries were evident to his daughter. She suggested that after he sang "Deepak Raag", she would sing "Raag Megh Malhar". "Raag Deepak" would light the lamps. She would sing "Raag Megh Malhar" which would bring rains and cool Tansen and extinguish the flames of the oil lamps around him. Tansen had taught tRaag Megh Malhar" to his daughter.and she was as wonderful and exponent as himself! This was Tansen’s best option. He would sing or die trying.
Day of performance arrived. The emperor’s assembly was adorned with countless oil lamps, which were waiting to light up. Tansen started singing "Raag Deepak '' . Soon the temperature of the terrace started rising. People could not believe the fact that temperatures were soaring. Things started melting. And lo! Suddenly the hall was lit with countless oil lamps..!!! But Tansen was sick with fever! He ran to an open area. He was hoping that his daughter’s singing would work. Back in th village Tansen’s daughter started singing "Raag Megh Malhar". Soon clouds moved in over the village. Yes, it started raining!! Tansen lived!!
If you can't believe this , please visit Fatehpur Sikri , near Agra fort where the Taj Mahal is situated and you will see the terrace where this great feat was conquered. Needless to say, Tansen was awarded by the Emperor and made the Royal singer :)They remained forever the best of friends, and the emperor always relieved his burdened soul listening to Tansen's soulful raagas......
Thats how rich Indian music is , its study will tire researchers but learning won't end............
Monsoon and Music
Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali KhanUstad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan was an Indian classical singer. He belonged to the Patiala Gharana of Hindustani classical music, and is considered to be an important representative of the Hindustani music tradition in the early and mid 20th century.
You can enjoy this great artist singing Raag Megh ("Megh" meaning cloud). |
Pandit Jasraj
Pandit Jasraj (born 28 January 1930) is an Indian classical vocalist. He is the foremost exponent of the Mewati Gharana of Hindustani classical music.
Here is Pnadit Jasraj singing 'Raag Megh'. |
Ustad Rashid KhanUstad Rashid Khan is an Indian classical musician in the Hindustani music tradition. He belongs to the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana, and is the great grandson of Gharana founder Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan.
He performing Raag Megh, accompanied by Samar Saha in tabla and Sudhir Nayak in Harmonium. |
Ustad Slamat Ali Khan and
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Ustad Sarahang and Parveen Sultana
Ustād Mohammad Hussain Sarāhang studied Indian Classical Music in the Patiala School of Music in India. After 16 years of learning from Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan, he returned to Kabul at the age of 25. Soon afterward he was awarded the title of Sarāhang by the government of Afghanistan.
Begum Parveen Sultana is an Assamese Hindustani classical singer of the Patiala Gharana. She is among the foremost classical vocalists in India and is known as Queen of Classical Vocal.She was conferred the Padmashri in 1976. Listen and enjoy this melodious duet in Raga Megh. |
Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty
Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty is an Indian Hindustani classical vocalist. He belongs to the Patiala gharana. Chakrabarty showed extraordinary promise in vocal music and at the tender age of three, began taking lessons from his father Ajit Chakrabarty. He then learnt from Pannalal Samanta and Kanai Das Bairagi and later became a student of Padma Bhushan Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh.
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Pandit Bhimsen Joshi
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was an Indian vocalist in the Hindustani classical tradition. A member of the Kirana Gharana (school), he is renowned for the khayal form of singing, as well as for his popular renditions of devotional music (bhajans and abhangs). He was the most recent recipient of the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, awarded in 2008.
Here is Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, singing Raag Miyan ki Malhar. |
WHEN YOU ARE TIRED JUST CLOSE YOUR EYES ,RECLINE ON A SOFA, LISTEN TO MUSIC AND THEN YOU WON'T KNOW HOW TIME FLIES..