Ustad Allauddin Khan

Hindustani Sarod Sitar Surbahar

Ustad Allauddin Khan

3 minute read

Ustad Allauddin Khan (8 October 1862 – 6 September 1972), affectionately known as Baba, was born in Shibpur, Brahmanbaria (now in Bangladesh). Emerging from modest beginnings, he initially trained in vocal music and a range of instruments including violin and shehnai, before becoming a disciple of Wazir Khan of Rampur, from whom he mastered the sarod. In 1907, he became the court musician of Maihar, where he later founded the Maihar Gharana, one of the most influential schools of Hindustani classical music. A visionary teacher and composer, he also created the Maihar Band—a pioneering orchestral ensemble for orphaned children trained in both Indian and Western instruments.

Allauddin Khan earned the highest recognitions of his time: the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 1954, Padma Bhushan in 1958, and Padma Vibhushan in 1971. He toured Europe with Uday Shankar’s ballet troupe in 1935 and founded the Maihar College of Music in 1955. His visionary integration of dhrupad-ang on sitar, sarod, violin, and bansuri—along with his orchestral innovations—greatly expanded the expressive palette of Hindustani music and inspired countless instrumentalists.

A legendary guru, Ustad Allauddin Khan taught an extraordinary lineage of musicians, known as the Maihar Brothers: sarod virtuoso Ali Akbar Khan, sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, flautist Pannalal Ghosh, sitarists Nikhil Banerjee, and Nityanand Haldipur, as well as Sharan Rani and others. Many of his disciples—like Ali Akbar Khan and Ravi Shankar—have appeared at the Darbar Festival, showcasing the lasting impact of his pedagogical genius. The Maihar Gharana he founded continues to thrive, preserving his orchestral vision and integrative approach across generations.

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Ustad Bahauddin Dagar & Pelva Naik | Raag Vardhani

Recorded at Ravenna Festival, on 24th June 2017, at Teatro Alighieri, Ravenna, Italy. Musicians: - Ustad Bahauddin Dagar (rudra veena) - Pelva Naik (dhrupad vocal) - Sudarshan Chana (jori) - Seetal Dhadyalla and Kruthika Nadaraja (tanpuras) Raag: Vardhani, alap, jod and jhalla, Dhamar in 14 beats In India, the opulent courts of the Islamic sultans between the 13th and 16th centuries resonated with dhrupad music. ‘Beenkars’ (veena players) held as much precedence as the vocalists and often engaged in duets, enthralling a court full of discerning listeners. The first historical duet between veena and vocal music took place in 1307 between Amir Khusrau (1253-1325), the Sufi mystique, poet, and musicologist and Gopal Nayak (13th century musician and scholar) in the court of Alauddin Khilji (1266-1316), the Turko-Afghan sultan who ruled Delhi. This duet featuring Ustad Bahauddin Dagar (rudra veena) and Pelva Naik (dhrupad vocal) beholds this old format showcasing two generations. According to Ustad Bahauddin Dagar, the rudra veena and the human voice complement each other in the closest way. They perform Raag Vardhani, the 32nd melakarta ragam in the 72 melakarta system of Carnatic music. Vardhani is also called Ragachudamani in the Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music. One must be wondering as to why a Carnatic Raga was chosen for a north Indian classical concert. The primordial form of Indian classical music is dhrupad which was born more than 2500 years ago. Till the 13th century, dhrupad as a form ruled both north and south Indian classical music. The ‘khayal’ stemmed as a sub-form of dhrupad around the 13th century under the influence of the Persian culture. While khayal took its own course in north India, dhrupad continued to prevail in both the northern and southern parts. Hence, the north Indian dhrupad and the Carnatic repertoire have common ragas. Ustad Dagar and Naik portray Vardhani in brilliant hues, starting with an alap and jor and then sing a composition in a 14-beat cycle called dhamar. Ustad Dagar blends the majestic sound of the veena with Naik’s robust expressions; The evocative phrasing and extraordinary rhythmic control makes for a profound and meditative experience. Sudarshan Chana plays the jori, a traditional drum that accompanies spiritual Sikh music. Drawing upon the sublime duet, he delivers a stunning accompaniment, enhancing the recital to its best. This concert is part of the Ravenna Festival in Italy which was curated by Darbar. It was held in honour of the 70th year of Indian Independence in 2017 and was titled “Passage to India”.