First published on SAWF on April 3, 2000
Rajan P. Parrikar (Boulder, Colorado, 1991)
Raga Nand, also known as Anandi, Anandi Kalyan, or Nand Kalyan, has gained considerable prominence in recent years. While the origins of the raga are difficult to pinpoint with certainty, it is believed to have emerged in the early 20th century. For a long time, the vilambit khayal – E bare saiyyan tohe sakala bana dhoondun – composed by Mehboob Khan “Daraspiya” (d. 1921), dominated the repertoire. The illustrious Daraspiya, a disciple of Tanras Khan and the father-in-law of ‘Aftab-e-Mausiqui’ Faiyyaz Khan, crafted this enduring masterpiece.
During that period, musical exchanges between Alladiya Khan, the founder of the Atrauli-Jaipur gharana, and the stalwarts of the Agra gharana were commonplace. As a result, Daraspiya’s composition became deeply embedded in the repertoires of both schools. Over time, it traversed beyond its immediate confines, becoming synonymous with the essence of Raga Nand. Today, this raga finds a home in nearly all vocal gharanas. Another notable early bandish – ajahun na aaye Shyam, bahuta dina beete – by Agrawale Vilayat Hussain Khan ‘Pranpiya’ also made a significant impact.
This exquisite raga represents the pinnacle of musical creativity, a deft synthesis of precise melodic structure and profound aesthetic intuition. Its contours are not confined to simple, linear arohi or avarohani patterns. While one may discern traces of other ragas such as Hameer, Kalyan, and Bihag, Raga Nand retains an individuality that is unmistakably its own. To master this raga, one must fully internalise its essence and lakshanas. Let us delve into its defining characteristics.
Throughout this discussion, M = shuddha madhyam and m = teevra madhyam.
Raga Nand incorporates all the shuddha swaras along with the teevra madhyam. Its essence can be distilled into the following tonal phrase:
G, M D P R, S
Merely striking these notes is insufficient; the nuances of swara uccharana are vital. A splendid example of this is Lata Mangeshkar’s evocative prelude to a Ghalib ghazal, composed by her brother Hridaynath.
The key raga-lakshanas are summarised below:
S G, G M, M (M)G P
The gandhar is a prominent nyasa swara, and the deliberate elongation of the shuddha madhyam produces a distinctive and pleasing resonance.
G M P D N, (D)P, P D (P)m m P, G M D P R, S
G M P N, N (D)P, G M P N S”
The initiation of the uttaranga is reminiscent of Bihag.
P D R” N D P and P D S” R” G” (R”)S” R” N D P
These phrases are occasionally introduced as embellishments. The latter prayoga can be savoured in Kesarbai’s rendition, featured later.
P N R” N DP, P D m P G M (D)P R, S
In some renditions, chromatic interplay between the two madhyams, mediated by a meend, is explored, as seen in S G, G M (G)m, m P.
The perceptive listener will note subtle echoes of Ragas Hameer, Kalyan, and Bihag, each contributing fleeting shades while remaining subordinate to Nand’s unique identity.
A superb selection of recordings on tap.
We set the ball rolling with the familiar exemplar from MERA SAAYAA (1966). Madan Mohan‘s composition, tu jahan jahan chalega, is rendered flawlessly by Lata Mangeshkar.
Purandaradasa‘s pada, enna palisu, by Bhimsen Joshi flirts with Nand’s signature in the mukhda but then veers into alien territory.
Composers of Marathi natyageete have fruitfully exploited the luscious Nand landscape as the following three examples attest. Master Krishnarao‘s composition in AMRUTASIDDHI, inspired by Daraspiya’s bandish, by Gangadhar Londhe: dhanya tuchi kanta.
The great violin maestro from Goa, Shridhar Parsekar, was a composer of considerable renown. His creation in VAHINI is handled by P.L. Deshpande, another gifted individual known throughout the Marathi world as “Pu. La.”: pakhara ja.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Jitendra Abhisheki re-ignited interest in Marathi musicals in a burst of creative energy. He was unusually talented in the art of marrying verse to raga-based melody as witness this gem from MEERA MADHURA. Why he let Ramdas Kamat (a fellow Goan) molest this gem will forever remain a mystery. Take note of Ramdas-bab’s tans towards the end of the clip, indistinguishable from the bawling of a newborn baby: ananda sudha barse.
We inaugurate the classical segment with Kesarbai Kerkar‘s iconic rendition. Her tans are beautifully calculated and executed to perfection, always in service of the raga. Vazebuwa’s description of them as a shower of costly ‘ittar’ seems apposite.
Mallikarjun Mansur, another Jaipur-Atrauli master, especially enjoyed his Nand. The Daraspiya bandish in vilambit Teentala –
If the Atrauli-Jaipur grip on Nand has not registered by now, this assay by Kishori Amonkar should drive home the point. We have two of her cuts.
The final act in the Atrauli-Jaipur lineup, Nivruttibuwa Sarnaik.
Amir Khan‘s meditations are a mixed bag, in tune with that great man’s musical personality, but not fully in sync with the gestalt of the raga (which is perhaps not suited to his style). The ubiquitous Daraspiya bandish, this time set to Jhoomra.
The representative of the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana Nissar Hussein Khan lends a lyrical touch to Daraspiya’s baby…
… and then goes on to sing Vilayat Hussein Khan’s ajahun na aaye Shyam.
Enter the Agra punter, Dinkar Kaikini. He sings an exquisite bandish composed by his guru Acharya S.N. Ratanjankar that, for a change, locates the sam on rishab: payal mora baje.
The Kirana songstress Roshanara Begum takes off with Daraspiya.
Kumar Gandharva‘s rendition of his own composition ranks among the finest pieces of recorded music: Rajan, ab to aaja re.
This beautiful All India Radio rendition of D.V. Paluskar finds him expanding the Jhaptala bandish – ajahun nahin aaye.
The kingdom of Darbhanga in Bihar once boasted a strong dhrupad tradition. The primary exponents of that style today are the Mallicks. Vidur Mallick presents a dhamar.
Vilayat Khan and Bismillah Khan lock horns in this classic.
Ravi Shankar distills the essence as only he can.
To round off the Nandfest, three ‘new’ compositions of Ramashreya Jha “Ramrang” are adduced.
The first, in dheema Teentala: E rangila aaya.
Next, a cheez, ajaba anokhe naina.
Finally, Nanda ghara ananda, heralding the arrival of baby Krishna.
Nand’s proclivity to readily mate with other melodies was put to good effect by Narayanrao Patwardhan in what he branded as Anandi Kedar, a cocktail of Nand and Kedar. The idea was embraced by Kumar Gandharva: la de beera mhane chunari.
We end this excursion with a bhajan in Raga Anandi Kedar, composed and sung by Lakshmi Shankar in a 1995 private concert in Fremont, California. The accompanists are Rajan P. Parrikar on the harmonium and Pranesh Khan on the tabla: darshana dena pranpiya.