Masterclass : The Art of Bandish by Omkar Dadarkar

Book Now
30-32 Blyth Road
London, London UB3 1BY United Kingdom
10 May 2026
1:00 pm

A raga is never truly heard until it is held within a bandish. In this masterclass, vocalist and scholar Omkar Dadarkar guides you through the intricate relationship between composition and raga identity — showing how a well-crafted bandish is not merely a vehicle for melody, but its very architecture.

Through two compositions in Raag Desh, set in the contrasting rhythmic cycles of Rupak (7 beats) and Teentaal (16 beats), you will trace how rhythm, lyric, and melodic phrase conspire to reveal a raga’s deepest character. Special attention is given to the tarana form, illuminating how even non-lexical syllables carry the weight of raga grammar.

This session moves beyond performance into the craft of musical thinking — unpacking uchhar (pronunciation), vowel colour, and the semantic layers of lyrical text. You will learn how the mukhda, the anchoring opening phrase, gives a composition its gravitational centre, and how alap, taan, sargam, and bol work together as a single expressive arc. Whether you are a student of Hindustani music, a practising musician, or a devoted listener, this masterclass offers a rare and generous window into the technical and spiritual dimensions of one of India’s most enduring classical traditions.

Notations will be provided before the class

_________________________

What you will learn in this 3 hour Masterclass:

1- Two Compositions in Raag Desh

  • A composition set in Taal Rupak (7-beat rhythm cycle)
  • A composition set in Teentaal (16-beat rhythm cycle)

2- Understanding the Essence of Raag Desh

  • Exploration of key phrases and characteristic movements
  • A Tarana composition in Teentaal (16 beats)

3- The Art and Science of Bandish

  • The importance of bandish in raga interpretation
  • Technical insights into uchhar (pronunciation), vowel usage, and language
  • Understanding lyrical meaning and composition notation

4- Presentation Techniques

  • Developing a bandish through alap, taan, sargam, and bol
  • The significance of the mukhda (opening phrase) in anchoring the composition

No related events found.

+ Google Map

Artists

Omkar Dadarkar

Location
Within walking distance of a number of London Underground and Elizabeth Line stations, the closest being Hayes & Harlingdon Station

Address
30 32
Blyth Road, London
UB3 1BY

Transport

  • 🚆 Train (Elizabeth line): Take the Elizabeth line to Hayes & Harlington station, then walk 5 minutes west along Blyth Road to 30–32 Blyth Road, UB3 1BY.

  • 🚌 Bus: Take a local bus (e.g. U5) to a stop on Blyth Road near Hayes & Harlington, then walk a few minutes to the address.

  • 🚗 Car: Drive via the A312 or M4, exit toward Hayes, and follow signs to Blyth Road (UB3 1BY). Limited street/nearby parking may be available.

  • 🚶 Walking (from town centre): Walk from Hayes town centre or the station area along Blyth Road for approximately 5–10 minutes to reach the destination.

Get directions

The Sichuan

Access Car Park

  • Hayes & Harlington Station Car Park – Large public car park near the Elizabeth line station (first-come, first-served; pay-and-display). Good if you want to park and walk (~5 min) to Blyth Road.

  • Blyth Road Car Park – Council-run off-street parking right on Blyth Road. Pay & display; close to your destination for short stays.

  • Music Box Car Park – Smaller nearby parking lot on Blyth Road, often less busy and a short walk to the address. (Often available via booking apps.)

  • On-street & booked spaces – Pay-and-display on-street bays around Hayes town centre or pre-booked private driveways (via apps like JustPark) offer flexible options within ~5–10 min walk.

Montcalm Brewery
52 Chiswell St,

London

EC1Y 4SA

Malmaison, London
18-21 Charterhouse Square,

London,

EC1M 6AH

Explore our Academy Courses

Explore all our live and on-demand music courses guided by world-class maestros. From beginners taking their first steps to advanced students refining their craft, our globally accessible platform empowers you to learn, grow, and connect deeply with the tradition of Indian classical music
Prem Kumar Mallick | Raag Bhimpalasi

Prem Kumar Mallick | Raag Bhimpalasi

Recorded at Darbar Festival 2007, at the Phoenix Theatre, Leicester. Musicians: - Pandit Prem Kumar Mallick (Darbanga dhrupad) - Prashant Mallick (Darbanga dhrupad) - Ravishankar Upadhyay (pakhawaj) - Debipriya Das & Gunwant Dhadyalla (Tanpuras) Raag Bhimpalasi, Thaat: Kafi, Samay: Afternoon Pandit Prem Kumar Mallick and his son Prashant Mallick are a gifted father and son duo. Their commitment to dhrupad comes as a force visible in their stunning performances. They sing a traditional bandish from the Darbhanga gharana in Raag Bhimpalasi in this recital set to Dhamar taal. After a brief alap they begin the bandish, doling out an immersive experience of swaras and rhythm for their audiences. The lyrics of the composition depict the playful interaction between Lord Krishna and his consort Radha during Holi, the festival of colours in India that is played to welcome the season of spring. Pandit Mallick leads, immortalising the beautiful blend of melody and laykari of Darbhanga in his deep, raspy voice. He traverses the lower-most and upper-most octaves with ease, paving way for Prashant Mallick to elaborate further in total tunefulness and wit. They deploy stunning laykari, stretching and tweaking the lyrics of the bandish on a double, teesra jati (three-fold), pancham (five-fold) and khanda jati (seven-fold) rhythmic transposition over the 14-beat cycle with the charming accompaniment of Ravi Shankar Upadhyay on the pakhawaj. An oft-heard compound raga churned out of Bhim and Palasi, Raag Bhimpalasi has overshadowed both its Janak (parent) ragas. It belongs to Kafi Thaat and its jati is audav-sampoorna, that is, it uses five notes in its ascent and all seven notes in its decsent. The dominant note or vadi swar is Ma (4th) and the sub-dominant or samvadi swar is Sa (1st). This raga omits Re (2nd) and Dha (6th) in its ascent and sports komal Ga (flat 3rd) and komal Ni (flat 7th). The arohana and avarohana are structured as follows: n. S g M P n S’ (Western Notes: A# C D# F G A# C) S’ n D P M g, M g R S (Western Notes: C A# A G F D#, F D# D C) Mythically Krishna, the cowherd boy, played this sweet melody on his flute to give a return call to all his grazing cows and cowherd friends. As such this raga, exuding peace and assurance, is associated with homecoming and offers a vast canvas for improvisations. Its universal appeal has made it very popular in every genre of Indian music; so much so that Bhim and Palasi are almost extinct now. Bhimpalasi is also adopted by Carnatic stream as Bhimpalas.