Monday, February 13, 2012

The Modern Period


The Modern period
Pandith Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande was born in 1860. He is called the Father of Modern Hindustani Classical Music. He took 10 Thatas from Pandith Vyankatamukhi’s 72 Melas and grouped all Ragas under 12 Thatas. A notation system was invented by him and he also started the Marries College of Music which later became the Bhatkhande Sangeeth Vidyapith. He also wrote many books in Music and many Dhrupads, Khyals, Taranas ect; in 6 Kramik Pustaks and published them. He also arranged Musical conferences. He also declared that the Bilawal That was the Shuddha That.
              Pandith Vishnu Digambar Palushkar (1872 – 1931 A. D.) also started the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in 1901 to popularize Music and made many distinguished pupils like Pandith Omkarnath Thakur, Vinayakrav Patavardhan, Narayan Rav Vyas. He also wrote many books on Music and invented a notation system.
             With the invasion of the British North Indian Music started going down. The Vocal and Instrumental Gharanas dispersed with the coming of the Radio, Televisions and the Tape recorder. Guru Shishya Parampara came to an end. University – School Musical education became popular. In Calcutta Gurudeva Rabindranath thakur established the Vishva Bharati Sangeeth Vishwavidyalaya in Shantiniketan and with the Institution of the Bhatkhande sangeeth Vidyapith of Lucknow. North Indian Music spreaded all over the world with great ambassadors of North Indian Music, like Pandith Ravi Shankar, Ustad Alaudin Khan, Ustad Sakir Hussain, Ustad Alla Rakha Khan and Pandith Hariprasad Chourasia ect; who performed all over the world. The Indian Music spreaded to the four corners of the world.As the film Music developed with great Music directors like Ustad Naushd , Anil Biswas, Shankar and Jaikishan ect; and with the singing of Latha Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, Mannadey ect. Film Music too became more popular. With the advent of Doordharshan and radio stations. North Indian Classical Music reached the homes of the common man.

THE CONCEPT OF THATA RAGA SYSTEM OF PANDITH VYANKATAMUKHI AND THE MODERN THEORY      OF THATA RAGA PADDHATHI OF PANDITH BHATKHANDE
                   Pandith Vyankatamukhi was a South Indian who lived in the 16th Century. He invented the revolutionary Melakarta system with the help of mathematics. To form these 72 Melakarta system with the help of mathematics. To form these 72 Melakartas or Melas, he first took all the 12 swaras and added Thar Shadja to them. From that he omitted the Theevra madham and grouped the swaras as follows.
                                                       S   R   R   G   G   M   /   P   D   D   N   N   S
                   Now each part contained 6 Swaras and he called the first part Poorvardha and the later part Uttarardha. By combining the different Prakaras formulated, he obtained combinations which are as follows.

         Poorvardha                                                                                                               Uttardha
          1.      S  R  R  M                                                                                                       7.      P  D  D  S
          2.      S  R  G  M                                                                                                       8.      P  D  N  S
          3.      S  R  G  M                                                                                                       9.      P  D  N  S 
          4.      S  R  G  M                                                                                                     10.      P  D  N  S
          5.      S  R  G  M                                                                                                     11.      P  D  N  S
          6.      S  G  G  M                                                                                                     12.     P  N  N  S

         From these 12 combinations he obtained further 36 combinations = (6 * 6) = 36 These 36 combinations contained only Shuddha Madhyam. Therefore, he constructed another 36 combinations with Pratimadhyamam or the construction of 72 Meles (36 * 2 = 72 ) Under these, he grouped all Janya Ragas of the Carnatic system. This system is called the Janaka Janya Raga system. A Janya Raga is said to be born in a Melakarta. It takes the same swaras of the parental Melakarta. 
       In the 20th Century Pandith Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande laid the foundation to the Hindustani Classical Music system. He declared the Bilawal. That as the natural or Shuddha Scale and borrowed another 10 Thatas from Vyankatamukhi’s 72 Melas. His 10 Thatas are as follows, 

       1.  Kalyan Thaat                                  S    R    G    M    P    D    N
       2.  Bilawal Thaat                                 S    R    G    M    P    D    N
       3.  Khamaj Thaat                                 S    R    G    M    P    D    N
       4.  Kafi Thaat                                        S    R    G    M    P    D    N
       5.  Bhairav Thaat                                 S    R    G    M    P    D    N
       6.  Bhairavi Thaat                                S    R    G    M    P    D    N
       7.  Asawari Thaat                                S    R    G    M    P    D    N
       8.  Purvi Thaat                                      S    R    G    M    P    D    N
       9.  Marva Thaat                                    S    R    G    M    P    D    N
     10.  Thodi Thaat                                     S    R    G    M    P    D    N

Pandith Bhatkhade costructed these 10 Thaats and grouped all existing Ragas under the 10 Thaats. This system was called the "Dasa Thaat Raga Paddhathi." He did this in order to make the Classification of Ragas uniform earlier there ware doubts about that Janaka Thaat of a Raag. Pandithji's system solved the problem.
                 Bhatkhandeji, laid down specific rules for Thaat formation as follows;
     1.  A Thaat must have 7 notes.
     2.  The ascension of Thaat should be in an ascending order.
     3.  A Thaat needs no descent or Avaroha.
     4.  A Thaat need not be sweet as it is not for singing.
     5.  To recognize the Thaat the chief Thaat Vachak Raga's name is used.
                   eg: To recognize the Bhairav Thaat the Ashraya Raga of that Thaat, Raag Bhairava       
                           name is used.
     6.  Two forms of the same swar Should not be used in a Thaat.
                  eg:  Komal Gandhar and Shuddha Gandhar cannot be used in the construction of
                           Thaats.
Bhatkhandeji classified all Janya Raag as in to 9 types or Jathis. They are as follows;
     1.  Oudav                         -                         Oudav
     2.  Oudav                         -                         Shadav
     3.  Oudav                         -                         Sampoorna
     4.  Shadav                        -                         Oudav
     5.  Shadav                        -                         Shadav
     6.  Shadav                        -                         Sampoorna
     7.  Sampoorna               -                         oudav
     8.  Sampoorna               -                         Shadav
     9.  Sampoorna               -                         Sampoorna

His primary grouping of all Ragas as Oudav ( 5 Notes ) Shadav ( 6 Notes ) and Sampoorna ( 7 Notes ) settles the number of Swaras uesd in the above a Jathis. He declared that one could construct 484 Ragas out of one Thaat. Accordingly we can construct 4840 Ragas out of 10 Thaat.

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