On May 22, 2024, during an insightful musical session with Dr. Adrian McNeil, we explored the concept of how murcchanā can transition focus from the hands to the mind, effectively diminishing physical awareness while playing an instrument.
This discussion sparked the idea of composing a raga that artfully blends the evocative moods of Bilaskhani Todi with the foundational notes of Yaman, retaining Yaman’s essential swaras: S, R, G, m (tivra), P, D, N. This fusion is straightforward and uses Nishad-Murchhana to infuse the atmosphere of Bilaskhani Todi. When Nishad-Murchhana is applied, it shifts into the Bhairavi scale, incorporating komal r, komal g, and komal-d. The resulting scale is illustrated below:
Notation System:
Shuddha Svaras: S R G M P D N
Vikrit Svaras: r g m d n
Tar Svaras: S’
Mandra Svaras: N1
Dr. McNeil suggested that this raga may be considered a Chhayalag raga. Yes, this shows a unique Chhayalag quality, where two ragas create their respective moods using the same group of notes.
For Bilaskhani Todi, the Yaman note Equivalents:
N1 = S | S = r | R = g | G = M (shuddha) | m (tivra) = P | P = d | D = N | N = S’
In Bilasi-Yaman, two types of notes and their positioning differ when depicting Yaman and Bilaskhani Todi (BT). Given that Yaman applications are well-known, we will focus on the unique note positions when invoking BT.
For example, to evoke the essence of BT’s rn1Srg, which is S ND1 N1 S R, from Yaman’s perspective, the S will adjust to reflect BT’s komal-r effect.
Naming of the Raga
The naming of the raga was not easy. Initially, I thought of Yaman-Todi, and later, I considered options like Yamani-Todi. But it was not good, as I wanted to compose an evening raga. Yaman-Todi or Yamani-Todi indicates association with morning because the ending is tagged with Todi, a morning raga. So, the first idea update was Bilaskhani-Yaman, which was later finalized as BILASI-YAMAN, where the ‘Bilasi’ connects to Bilaskhani Todi.
As a raga under the Yaman-veda, Bilasi-Yaman emphasizes the Yaman aspect, making it an evening raga. The innovative blending of these two ragas creates a unique and sophisticated musical experience, harnessing Yaman’s elegance with Bilaskhani Todi’s softness.
I am indeed thrilled that on September 23, 2023, Naad Nartan felicitated Dr. Pragya Pyasi with the Best Paper award for their 2022 National Seminar organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
Pragya is the first among my disciples to get felicitated for excellence in academic writing!
Her paper titled ‘Do the YouTube Views Count Reflects the Seniority and Acceptance of Indian Classical Musicians within Fraternity or the Vice-Versa?’ was published in UGC CARE Listed Naad-Nartan Journal of Dance & Music [ISSN:2349-4654], Vol-10, Issue-1, June 2022, DOI: https://zenodo.org/record/7056304
Pragya is the first among my disciples to get felicitated for excellence in academic writing!
Here is an insertion from a Facebook post of September 26, 2023.
Dr. Pintu Saha [pen name Pramit], Head of the Department of Music at Assam Central University, commented below…
When you wish to stroll away and read the poetic interpretations of pragyAdhArA; please scroll down.
Self Incarnated pragyAdhArA
The beginning
Pragya, my disciple Dr Pragya Pyasi, called me in the afternoon, it was 05 October 2021. She asked if I knew any raga that takes Shudh Re, Shudh Ga, Tivra m and Komal dha. I could not remember any such raga but thought rendering of ‘Maru-Vasant’ should take these notes. I shared the puzzle with some of my musician friends but received no solution.
The following day it occurred that I could try to frame some ragas with these notes. Here are four ragas that came to me immediately. However, later I remembered that there was a raga ‘Purvi-Kalayan’ but not popular. On YouTube search, I discovered ‘Maru-Vasant’, but that takes both the M and m.
A few days later, Professor Rajesh Shah of Banaras Hindu University and Sri Anindya Banerjee, Kolkata, pointed out a Carnatic raga ‘latAngI’ that takes these notes. I then realized that it slipped off my memory, and I remembered I certainly listened to Nikhilda [Pandit Nikhil Banerjee] playing ‘latAngI’.
Ragas that take R G m [Tivra] and d [Komal] | P1= Mandra P
1. Maru Vasant
Arohan: S G m P m G m d S’
Avarohan: S’ N d P m G, m G R S R – S
2. Vishnu Kalyan
Arohan: N1 R G m d N S’
Avarohan: S’ N d P m G P GR – S
3. Purvi Kalyan
Arohan: N1 R G m d N S’
Avarohan: S’ N d P m P G M G, G m P GR – S
4. Pragyadhara
The idea of naming this raga as pragyAdhArA came to me as Pragya first put before the R-G-m-d puzzle before me and that was the source of the birth of this raga. You can listen to a brief AlAp on this raga in the audio-clip at the top.
This is a chalan based raga.
Chalan:
A. SP1 – S – R S, N1 S GR, N1 S R G N1 S R P1 d1-
B. N1 m m G GR S, d1 P1
C. P1 G – R, R m P GR – S, d1 P1 S
D. m1 P1 S-, P1 S G d – P
E. G m P d – m, GmPdN- N d P, m G – R
F. R G m d, R G N d P
G. R G m d, R G m P, G N N D P
H. m G R, R G m d, m d N S’
I. d N S’ R’ G’ R’
J. P S’ – R’ S’, S’ N d P G -, m G GR – S
Arohan: P1 S R S, N1 S R G m G, m G R G m d P, m d N S’
Avarohan: S’ N d P G, m G R S
Version II
Pragyadhara – II
S G P G, m d m G, PG S GR
P1 S G – S, N1 R N1 P1 d1
d1 N1 R G R N1 d1 P1 S
P1 N1 S G – S, P1 S GR
S G P, m d – P
m d N, m d, G P, P G S GR
S G P S’ N m d m G, PG S
G P S’ R’ S’ N R1 P d
S’ N P d m G, P G S R – S
Important combinations:
S G P
N1 R N1 P1 d
Poetic Interpretations of prgyAdhArA
Medha Persaud* writes in a WhatsApp message on 07 October 2021
In the early morning,
Just after dawn,
When the sun is but a
painting in the sky,
There is a gentle rain
Ever so light,
a wisp,
tip tapping on flecks of light
Softly
Softly
Softly…
That is how I feel after listening to this creation.
Fire and water at their gentlest. Is the sun reflecting the water or is the water reflecting the sun? No one knows because your raga doesn’t say. Beautiful. pragyAdhArA is born.
* Medha Persaud [nee Ramnath] visited India during 1990’s to learn sitar. She took admission at the Khairagarh University. Now, Medha is serving as a Senior Scientist in Molecular Biology and Genetics in a Biomedical Company in New Jersey [USA].
2012 was about to end, it was a cold December morning. I received a phone call from my dear Jon. Jon Barlow is a kind of an omnipresent person in the Hindusthani music scenario. He can be seen anywhere in India or different parts of the globe… be it Kolkata, Dharwad, Goa, Mumbai, Paris or Sydney. This senior gurubhai wanted me to give a performance. He offered two dates to choose from, one was the 1st January night or the 2nd . I was free on the 2nd and choose to play on this day. Later I found out that the concert would be at Dupli’s residence [Dr. Kingshook Biswas] and I became even happier.
I reached the mathematician’s den in the evening and pleased to discover many close friends and some serious musicians assembled to listen to the music. Prabhu Edouard, the tabla maestro from Paris, was already there. Jon had already told me that Prabhu would provide me with the tabla support. I started with Sajgiri followed by a Madhya laya gat in Anandi-Kalyan. The audience request came for Kirwani. So, that became the next item. I remembered that I last played the raga at Swami Haridas Sangeet Sammelan in Bombay long back in 1976. When I finished Kirwani it was about 10 at night. The audiences wanted more so we decided to sit again after dinner! The famous Bablu, who has been serving Jon for the last 30 years [or longer?] cooked for us a tasty dinner. Babui was with me. Babui has become quite a notable sarod player [Saugata Roy Chaudhury] and regularly performing in venerable venues in Europe. We were discussing on what can be the next raga. Suddenly it clicked… why not try ‘Vilayatkhani Kanada’?… He liked the idea very much and became quite excited. I never seriously tried this raga and did not have the opportunity to even listen to Ustad Vilayat Khan excepting a glimpse for say 5 mins. So I plunged into Vilayatkhani Kanada.
I had a tiny voice recorder with me. It was not a very good one. I could not position the microphone nicely. so many details are lost.. still I thought it is not too bad an idea to put it before you.. although a scratchy recording. I hope you, as a connoisseur will fill the gaps…
It was the 1st of February 2021. I was leisurely thinking of my half-pant days, my school, my tiny sitar, Ustadjee. Suddenly my phone rang. It was Ms. Shailaja Khanna from New Delhi. Shailaja is a regular columnist of Music for several renowned Indian dailies. She wanted me to talk about the pedagogy of my Ustadjee and limit it to around 3 minutes. She told that she was planning to present a program on the 105th Birthday of Pandit Radhika Mohan Maitra on the TV channel Insync.
Shailaja Khanna
This sudden request was a tough test for me. To talk about Ustadjee’s teaching style and wrap up within 3 to 4 minutes was not easy as licking one’s favorite ice cream. I told Shailajajee to give me a little time. I wanted to identify some quick points and generate some deliverable concept on which the talk can stand. I said yes after two days. Here is the 3 min. 40 secs. video.
Professor (Pt.) Sanjoy Bandopadhyay talking on his Guru Pandit Radhika Mohan Maitra
I could not adequately explain some points in the video. One was about prefixing such a phenomenal musician’s name with ‘Shri.’ Yes, you got it right, Ustadjee did not like his name to get prefixed by Pandit or the likes. He used to tell that he was Shri Radhika Mohan Maitra.
The music album ‘Rare Ragas on the Sitar’ is presenting a number of rare ragas those were never recorded for wide distribution earlier. This is indeed a collector’s item. A detailed musical analysis will be published shortly. For a starter here are some listeners comments those appeared in social media.
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I love rarity, I love traditions, I love music. This album caters to all my yearnings… I am floored with the renderings.. These are rare and most of them are NOT available in recorded format. I feel proud to recommend this to all my friends on this very special Valentine’s Day!
Madhuparna Banerjee, February 14 at 11:26pm / Facebook on the music album
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not only a listener’s joy… this album is a precious collection for lifetime. all the ragas were unheard to me. any amount of thanks is not enough for the maestro. undeniably wonderful. do listen and enjoy.
Troilee Dutta, February 15 / Facebook
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Hi Freiends Pls listen this special CD on this Valentine’s Day .Its a rare CD of Rare Ragas. I hope you will enjoy it …..
Indranil Mallick, February 14 at 10:39pm / Facebook
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The rarest ragas along with a unique style of Sitar performance……got the opportunity to listen to all the seven ragas that kept me stunned…..buy the CD from ITunes store or contact the above number….my frndz can contact me also for this rare collection…..must listen
Anirban Banerjee, February 14 at 3:52pm / Facebook
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great nourishment of unheard ragas in Indian classical music.unbelievable creation.
Nabamita Roy· February 14 at 6:44pm / Facebook
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Critical analysis
The Sitar
Coming shortly
The Tabla
Detailed analysis is coming shortly.
Summary
Dilip Mukherjee [DM] in this CD provided tabla support in six different taalas in different layas. Some of the sitar compositions were offbeat and unique. The easy flows of the renderings were highly commendable. Listeners will feel at ease even when they listen to the not-so-common taalas like Chaar Taal ke Sawari. The performance flow was like that of Trital. I mentioned Trital, because this is a tala that we commonly listen to and musicians commonly have command.
DM’s aesthetic sense and musical approach nicely justified the raga moods. It was a happy feeling to listen to some tabla support that especially took care not to over-do. It gave affectionate and careful support giving higher priority to the musicality. Even then, the tihais, and the divisions within the compositions, multiple speed variations [layakari] were awe-inspiring and thoroughly enjoyable.
The CD is a a Collector’s Item and a treat for all groups of listeners.
The Tabla analysis was done by Pintu Saha.
Pintu Saha
Pintu learned tabla with Pandit Shankar Ghosh, the tabla legend. Currently he is pursuing researches under the Ph.D. program at the Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University. A serious researcher Pintu Saha received Research fellowship SJRF [State Junior Research Fellowship].
Note: Please scroll down to read an approximate translation by Dr. Pragya Pyasi, Assistant Professor of Music, University of Hyderabad.
It was early 1995. We all were so much under the overwhelming influences of the four instrument-giants Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, Vilayet Khan, and Nikhil Banerjee that our minds were kind of hypnotized state with their influences. The senior musicians, also my Ustadji, in those days knew that I was a kind of non-routine boy.
In those days I was at Khairagarh, teaching at the University. I was scratching my heads, practicing day and night, and frantically trying to discover more playing spaces for non-routine musical imaginations. My sitar playing was going through a lot of challenges. It was not giving satisfaction. I wanted to reach new horizons but failing.
I was also listening as much as I could. I was trying to identify the music stars’ performed elements and understand the inherent patterns. Suddenly it clicked that there may be some unexplored space in the tala area.
In those days it was in active discussions whether a tala with fractional matra is good to be adapted in performances. Many musicians did not appreciate this. They thought these are limping talas. However, music pillars like Pt. Ravi Shankar, Ustd. Ali Akbar Khan never cared. These giants and later musicians freely played fractional matra tala-s. I started carefully listening to the recording of these music masters. This exercise helped me to discover that these musicians restricted their imaginations in tala-play to either whole matra talas or talas with a fraction of ½ matra. I found their recitals based on 5 ½, 7 ½, and 8 ½ matra talas. This immediately opened up the scope for more thoughts, some room to flow musical imaginations, and scope for further explorations.
Saptarishi Tala of 9 1/3 matras
Dr. Anil Beohar
I started thinking and immediately thought of other fractions like 1/3, ¼, 1/5, and so on. I composed two talas; one in 9 1/3 matras and the other in 10 3/4 matras. After composing naming automatically comes as the next step. I discussed this with my musicologist friend Dr. Anil B. Beohar. Anil said that the 9 1/3 beat tala has 7 gurus and 7 akshar kAla in tisra jAti laghu. So he named it Saptarishi because of the multiple presences of the number 7 in the construction of the tala. I thought this a wonderful idea. I agreed to name this 9 1/3 beat tala as Saptarishi. The other tala was named on my father’s name and that became Peeyush tala of 10 ¾ matra.
Note: As this is a tala that takes a fraction of 1/3 the notation has to be written showing three spaces for each matra for easier communication.
Peeyush Tala of 10 ¾ matra
Dhi na | Dhi Dhi na | Ti na | Dhina DhiDhi na-,Dhina DhiDhina |Dhi
X 2 0 3 X
Note: Please note that the 8th and the 9th matra is going in 2 times laya when the next matras are in 4 times laya.
Sanjoy Bandopadhyay (sitar) and Abhijit Banerjee (tabla) at Indian International Centre New Delhi on 10 October 1995
I gave the first performance in the Saptarishi tala with my dear Abhijit Banerjee on the tabla. That was the autumn of 1995. Abhijit came to me after a concert with Pt. Ajay Chakraborty in Taj Festival in Agra. He came to my aunt’s B-382 CR Park residence. Abhijit rested, and then we sat down to practice. I composed a gat in Rageshree based on Saptarishi tala. We prepared for the next evening’s concert. I played the Sapatarshi composition at the India International Centre, New Delhi, on 10 October 1995, the formal beginning of the journey of a new musical dimension. Here is an excerpt from the concert.
Rageshree in 9 1/3 mantra Saptarishi Tala by Sanjoy Bandopadhyay (sitar). Abhijit Banerjee on Tabla.
Sanjoy Bandopadhyay with Pt. Birju Maharaj after Lucknow concert. Mukund Bhale on the right.
Later, I played this tala in other concerts. One of the important music programs was in Lucknow. It was organized by the UP Sangeet Natak Academy in Lucknow. I was privileged to have Pandit Birju Maharaj as a listener. Mukund Bhale gave me tabla support. Maharajji loved the recital a lot.
Earlier on the same day, we also recorded a piece based on Saptarishi tala in All India Radio, Lucknow. This was again full of excitement. We all know that Lucknow is the fort of Tabla playing. The radio station wanted some good tabla player from the city provides me tabla support. But I strongly urged and persuaded that Mukund should provide me tabla support. Lucknow is a city of reverence to any Hindustani Musician. That was the reason that I wished to record something special. I wished that I play a piece based on Saptarishi tala of 9 1/3 beats. I tried to convince the AIR Programme Executive that Mukund and I played several concerts and it will be good if the radio station permits me to opt for Mukund. At this, the tabla players around got upset and very angry. But finally, they accepted it.
I recorded with Mukund in the presence of a good number of eminent tabla artists. I must thank all of them for their kindness and understanding.
खंड में सौन्दर्य सृजन- सप्तऋषि एवं पीयूष ताल
भावानुवाद : प्रज्ञा प्यासी
संगीत के क्षेत्र में समर्पित मेरे व्यक्तिगत जीवन के वे अध्याय जो मुझे आज भी निरंतर क्रियाशील रहकर नित्य नवीन अन्वेषण एवं सृजन के सोपानों की ओर प्रेरित करते हैं, उन पर , अपने शिष्यों, विद्यार्थियों, संगीत रसिकों , एवं समीक्षकों से चर्चा करने में, मैं आज भी आनंद की अनुभूति करता हूँ|
मेरे स्मृतिपटल में आज वर्ष 1995 के आसपास का कालखंड पुनः जीवंत हो रहा है, जब लगभग सम्पूर्ण विश्व में भारतीय संगीत के चार दिग्गज वादकों – पं. रवि शंकर, उ.अली अकबर खान , उ. विलायत खान एवं पं. निखिल बनर्जी के चमत्कारिक प्रभाव से दिव्य सम्मोहन छाया था | ऐसे समय में मेरे उस्ताद पंडित राधिका मोहन मित्रा समेत सभी वरिष्ठ संगीतज्ञ इस बात से भली भांति परिचित थे, कि परम्पराओं के प्रति निष्ठा रखने के पश्चात भी, पूर्व निर्मित राजपथ के अनुसरण मात्र से ही मैं संतुष्ट होने वाला नहीं हूँ|
उन दिनों मैं खैरागढ़ विश्वविद्यालय में कार्यरत था| दिन रात अभ्यास और गहन चिंतन द्वारा मैं चेष्टा कर रहा था कि, निर्धारित एवं नियमित सांगीतिक कल्पनाओं के अतिरिक्त भी नवीन आयामों की खोज की जाए। सितार वादन की दृष्टि से यह अत्यंत चुनौतीपूर्ण था और मैं इस स्थिति से कदापि संतुष्ट नहीं था| अपने वादन को एक नवीन क्षितिज तक पहुंचाने की मेरी इच्छा निरंतर असफल हो रही थी। मैं अधिक से अधिक संगीत सुनकर विशिष्ट संगीतज्ञों के प्रदर्शन में निहित श्रेष्ठ तत्वों एवं प्रतिमानों को भी समझने का प्रयास कर रहा था| इस समयांतराल में अचानक विचार आया कि ताल के क्षेत्र में कुछ नवाचारी संरचनागत सौंदर्य या नव सृजन की संभावना हो सकती है|
उन दिनों संगीत जगत में यह विचारणीय प्रश्न भी चर्चा में था कि, “भिन्नात्मक” मात्राओं के तालों को प्रदर्शनों में व्यावहारिक रूप से प्रयोग किया जाये अथवा नहीं| जो संगीतज्ञ इसके पक्ष में नहीं थे, उनके विचार से ये लंगड़े ताल थे| हालाँकि पंडित रवि शंकर एवं उस्ताद अली अकबर खान जैसे संगीत स्तंभों ने इस बात की परवाह न करते हुए ना केवल उन्मुक्त रूप से भिन्नातमक तालों का वादन किया वरन अन्य कलाकारों ने भी उनका अनुसरण करते हुए भिन्नात्मक तालों के प्रचार को गति प्रदान की| मैंने इन कलाकारों की रिकॉर्डिंग्स को ध्यान से सुनना आरम्भ किया, और इस निष्कर्ष पर पहुंचा कि कलाकारों ने अपनी कल्पना को या तो पूर्ण मात्रा वाले तालों या फिर आधी मात्रा के छंद तक ही सीमित रखा है| उनकी प्रस्तुतियों में 5 ½, 7 ½, एवं 8 ½ मात्रा के ताल ही शामिल थे| अंततः इस अनुसंधान ने सांगीतिक कल्पनाओं के विस्तार एवं सृजनात्मक चिंतन की असीम संभावनाओं के द्वार खोल दिए|
9 1/3 मात्रा का सप्तऋषि ताल
कुछ समय मंथन के पश्चात ही 1/3, ¼, 1/5 के छंदों (फ्रैक्शन) की कल्पना उभरने लगी और शीघ्र ही 9 1/3 एवं 10 ¾ मात्राओं के दो तालों का जन्म हुआ| तालों के सृजन के पश्चात नामांकन के लिए मैंने अपने सहकर्मी, संगीतशास्त्री डॉ. अनिल ब्योहार के साथ चर्चा की| उन्होंने बताया कि 9 1/3 मात्रा के ताल में सात गुरु एवं तिस्र जाति लघु में सात अक्षर काल हैं | अतः ताल निर्माण की प्रक्रिया में सात की संख्या का बारम्बार प्रयोग होने के कारण इस ताल का नामकरण उन्होंने “सप्त ऋषि ” किया| मैं उनके मत से प्रभावित हुआ और सप्तऋषि नाम के लिए अपनी सहमति जता दी| दूसरे ताल को मैंने अपने पिताजी को समर्पित किया और इस प्रकार 10 ¾ मात्रा का पीयूष ताल अस्तित्व में आया|
प्रथम औपचारिक प्रस्तुति
10 अक्टूबर 1995 को इंडिया इंटरनेशनल सेंटर, नई दिल्ली में सप्तर्षि ताल की प्रस्तुति के साथ मेरी सांगीतिक यात्रा के नवीन आयाम का औपचारिक अनावरण हुआ। इस कार्यक्रम में मैंने सप्तर्षि ताल पर आधारित रागश्री में एक गत का वादन किया| तबले पर संगति हेतु इस प्रथम प्रदर्शन में मेरे प्रिय तबला वादक अभिजीत बनर्जी ने बखूबी मेरा साथ निभाया।
इसके बाद मैंने इस ताल को अन्य संगीत कार्यक्रमों में भी बजाया। लखनऊ के एक महत्वपूर्ण कार्यक्रम का उल्लेख करना मुझे यहाँ उचित प्रतीत हो रहा है, जिसका आयोजन उत्तर प्रदेश संगीत नाटक अकादमी द्वारा किया गया था। इस कार्यक्रम में श्रोता के रूप में पंडित बिरजू महाराज की उपस्थिति एवं उनके द्वारा प्रशंसा पाना एक अविस्मरणीय अनुभूति थी । इस कार्क्रम में पंडित मुकुंद भाले ने तबला संगति प्रदान की।
कार्यक्रम से पहले उसी दिन प्रातः, मुकुंद जी के साथ मैंने आकाशवाणी, लखनऊ में सप्तऋषि ताल पर आधारित एक अंश भी रिकॉर्ड किया था। हालाँकि इस रिकॉर्डिंग के लिए मुझे लखनऊ के अन्य तबला वादकों की नाराज़गी का सामना भी करना पड़ा| लखनऊ तबला वादकों का गढ़ है और आकाशवाणी के अधिकारी चाहते थे की शहर के तबला वादकों में से कोई मेरी संगत करे| मेरा आग्रह था कि मुकुंद जी हीमुझे तबला समर्थन प्रदान करें क्योंकि मैं 9 1/3 मात्रा के सप्तऋषि ताल पर आधारित रचना की प्रस्तुति चाहता था। अंततः मुकुंद जी के साथ ही रिकॉर्डिंग संपन्न हुई और अन्य तबला वादकों का क्रोध भी किसी प्रकार शांत हुआ|
Note: This was originally posted on January 5, 2012 by sitardivine
Scroll down for Interpretations through Synaesthesia
Sanjoyda talks about the birth of Anil-Madhyam. “It was coldish 26 December… six notes came to me whispering.. I started humming… immediately started to love them. I called Dilip [Mukherjee] on his cell phone ‘Dilip, sandhyebelaa free aachho? Tumi ele aktu jantar niye bastaam’ [Dilip, are you free this evening? If you come then I would like to sit with my instrument]. Dilip readily agreed.
In the evening after playing a bit of Bihag I thought of the six notes.. I tuned my tarab strings and started strumming. Dilip immediately reacted.. “ Sanjoyda, sundar lagchhe to! Ki raag?” [Sanjoyda, this is sounding beautiful! What is the raga?]”
Sanjoyda chose to play Anil-Madhyam at the 01 January 2012 evening concert to celebrate the birth-centenary of Acharya Anil Roychaudhury. Listen how he introduced the raga. He spoke in Bengali. Here is what he said…
Raga details
Name of the raga: Anil-Madhyam
Conceptualized by: Pt. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay on 24 December 2011
First performed by Pt. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay on the sitar on 01 January 2012 in a concert organized by Vistar as a tribute to Acharya Anil Roychaudhury during his birth-cenetenary celebration.
Notation system Shudh svaras in Caps: SRGMPDN Vikrit svaras in smalls: r g m d n Tar saptak : S’ R’ G’ M’ etc Mandra saptak: N1 D1 P1 etc.
Raga: Anil-Madhyam
Arohan: S R g m P n S’
Avarohan: S’ n P m g R S
Pakad: R n1 S, RgPm
Important note focus: Tivra-m
Chalan:
R n1 S g S, R g P m
P1 n1 P1, m1 P1 S
P1 n1 g R n1 m1 P1 S
P1 n1 R, S g S, R n1 S, P1 m1
n1 S R g m, S g R n1 P1
S R g m P m
g m P n g, R g m R, S g S, n1 g R, S R g P m
R n1 S R g m P n – P
m P S’, R’ S’ n – P
P n R’, P n g’ R’ S’
R g m P n S’ R’ g’ R’ S’
S’ n P m g R S
Depiction of Anil-Madhyam is included in the CD Rare Ragas on the Sitar. A very brief part is available for free listening. Please click to reach.
Pt. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay’s disciple Rajrupa Chowdhury rendered Anil Madhyam at the Darbar Music Festival, UK.
Pt. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay’s disciple Panchajanya Dey depicting Anil-Madhyam
Two Efforts Toward Widened Understanding of Anil-Madhyam: Interpretations through Synaesthesia
Color Interpretation of Anil Madhyam by Sushil Mishra
Sushil Mishra* explained the technical details
Anil Madhyam is a raga created by Pandit Sanjoy Bandopadhyay. The mood of this raga is serene [shanta] and pathos [karuna]. Panditji says that some listeners find this a mystical raga. It is Shadav raga (having six notes) with highly prominent tivra-madhyam. I applied colours in many layers to demonstrate the profound emotion and highlighted the combination of vermilion to enhance the prominence of tivra-madhyam. The effect of komal-gandhar gives Anil-Madhyam a very soft and tender feeling and is depicted with a cobalt blue which gives a soft feel as compared to the other colours used in the painting.
अनिल मध्यम
कवियत्री – प्रज्ञा प्यासी**
अनिल धारा सी सद्यः प्रवाहित सृतियों की गंध मंद मंद मृदु गांधार सी सहज सहज छंद तीव्र मध्यम अति प्रबल आलोढ़ित पंचम पर सबल तीव्रतर वेदना भी निकसी अंतर से पाकर मार्ग सुबल झरते हैं पारिजात से मंजुल भावपुष्प अति अनूप स्वरमय स्नेहिल समर्पण हे करुणाकर चरणों मे अर्पण
On the Painter and the Poet
*Sushil Mishra
Sushil Mishra [1981 – 2021] was a notable bi-media artist. He was groomed in the painting by the Khairagarh University, and later, he had the privilege to work under the affectionate proximity of the famous artist Sri Jatin Das. He learned sitar under the tutelage of Pandit Sanjoy Bandopadhyay.
**Dr. Pragya Pyasi
Dr. Pragya Pyasi is equally at ease with her pen and the lute. She learned sitar under Pt. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay. She is an author for several literary publications, and her research articles are available in well-known academic journals. Dr. Pragya is currently serving the University of Hyderabad as an Assistant Professor in Music.
A Tisra-Rupak gat on Raga Anil Madhyama
Composed by: Pt. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay | Played on sitar by Kalyanjit Das | An informal video from a 2015 sitar teaching session | Kolkata
Pt. Radhika Mohan Maitra, Pt. Bimalendu Mukherjee, Pt. Peejush Prasanna Bandopadhyay, Pt. Manas Chakraborty. Also from Pt. Ajay Sinha Roy, Pt. D.T. Joshi, Pt. Shankar Ghosh.
AIR grade
Top Grade
Performances
Large music festivals in India, Bangladesh, European Countries, USA, Canada, South Africa, Mauritius, etc.
Discography
12 CDs including from the RPG-HMV and India Archive Music, USA.
Academic placements
Ustad Allauddin Khan Professor at Rabindra Bharati University. Currently Professor at the Sikkim University.
Important foreign assignments
Participation at UNESCO Conference, Finland; George A. Miller Visiting Professor, UIUC, USA; Artist in Residence at University of Chicago, Distinguished India Focussed Visitor at University of Alberta, Canada, etc.
Member of Committees
Served as Expert Member of many committees including the Music Audition Board, All India Radio; Executive Councils, Academic Councils and other committees in several universities including the University of Delhi, Banaras Hindu University, Visva Bharati to name a few.
Current status
Retired Professor of Instrumental Music [Ustd. Allauddin Khan Chair], Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, India.
Legacy to follow
Trained some renowned musicians and globe trotters including Pandit Kushal Das, Rajrupa Chowdhury, Troilee Dutta, Kalyanjit Das, etc.
Bio-sketch of Pandit Sanjoy Bandopadhyay
Pandit Sanjoy Bandopadhyay is an exceptional combination of an outstanding Sitar virtuoso, eminent Guru and a thoughtful academician. This internationally reputed musician is especially known for his exemplary spontaneity in musical expressions. His music is always lively, fresh and new.
Pandit Sanjoy Bandopadhyay received extensive training in sitar playing in Senia- Shahjehanpur, Imdadkhani, and Rampur-Senia gharanas. A beautiful synthesis of the practices and knowledge of these three very famous schools of music can be experienced through his sitar renderings. Professor Sanjoy had his major training in sitar playing from Pandit Radhika Mohan Maitra and Pandit Bimalendu Mukherjee. He started learning music with his father Pt. Peejush Prasanna Bandopadhyay. He also learnt with Pandit Manas Chakraborty, Dr. M.R. Gautam. He had special opportunities of having blessings through intensive musical interactions with Professor Dhruva Tara Joshi, Pandit Ajay Sinha Roy, Pandit Gajanan Rao Joshi and Pandit Shankar Ghosh.
Professor Sanjoy’s music gets widely featured in national and international TV and radio channels in India and other countries. He has been awarded prestigious ‘Top- Grade’ by the Director General, All India Radio. He has 12 audio CDs to his credit. These were published by different reputed music companies in India and the USA. He served as ‘Artist in Residence’ at the University of Chicago and University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, USA.
He participated at the Plenary Session of UNESCO Conference and other important global and bilateral events. He was invited by the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign as the George A. Miller Visiting Professor. The University of Alberta invited him as Distinguished India Focus Visitor.
Before his recent appointment as Professor in Music at the Sikkim University, Pandit Bandopadhyay was the Ustad Alauddin Khan Professor of Instrumental Music at the Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata. Also, he was the Director of the S.M. Tagore Centre of Documentation & Research of Languishing & Obsolescent Musical Instruments, a research center in the same university and the Coordinator of the UGC SAP-DRS Research Project of the Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.
Panditjee is proud that some of his disciples have proved to be exceptionally brilliant and established themselves as foremost musicians of Hindustani Music. This includes, Pandit Kushal Das, Rajrupa Chowdhury, Troilee Dutta, etc.
Sunday 27 November: 2:00 a.m. | Concert at Dhaka Army Stadium, Bengal Foundation Music Festival
2014 USA
08 t o 15 February – Visit to the University of Michigan
Friday, February 7th : 9:05 pm Flight Departs Kolkata Saturday, Feb 8th : 1:50 pm Flight arrives to Detroit Ground Transportation from airport to hotel Sunday, February 9th : Rest! Recover from jet-leg. Monday, February 10th : 2 – 3:30 pm Tentative: Guest: Music and Culture class with Dr. Meilu Ho Tuesday, February 11th 11:30 – 1 pm Guest: Himalayas: An Aesthetic Exploration class with Dr. Nachiket Chanchani 2:30 – 4 pm Guest: Ocean of Stories: Telling Tales in the Indian Subcontinent class with Dr. Nachiket Chanchani Wednesday, February 12th : 10:10 – 11 am Guest: Introduction to World Music class with Dr. Meilu Ho Thursday, February 13th : (11:05 am Samir Chatterjee’s flight arrives to Detroit airport.) 5:00 pm Arrive to UMMA and prepare for performance 7:30 – 9:30 pm UMMA Performance Friday, February 14th 12-2:00 pm: Meet and talk with grad students over lunch 4:45 pm: Meet at 506 Burton Memorial Tower to set up for Musicology Distinguished Lecture Series 5 – 6:30 pm Lecture: “Improvisation on the Sitar: Traditional Knowledge and Free Expression” Saturday, February 15th TBD Ground Transportation from Hotel to airport 12:30 p.m. Flight Departs from Detroit/Metro to Seattle 6:05 p.m. Arriving Seattle [Chicago O’hare – Seattle – AMERICAN 6973]
Feb 15th – Feb 18th At the University of Washington, Bothell Feb 18, 2014 10-10:30am – Faculty conversation with Prof Bandopadhyay (facilitated by Prof Rajib Doogar) Noon –1:30pm lunch with undergraduate research students 2:30 – 3:00pm – Faculty conversation with Prof Bandopadhyay (facilitated by Prof Pierre Mourad) 3:30-4:00pm – Faculty conversation with Prof Bandopadhyay (facilitated by Prof Jason Pace) 5pm – intimate recital on campus with Ravi Albright 6:30pm – dinner and airport drop off 9:52 p.m. – UNITED 1142 UNITED LV: SEATTLE 952P NONSTOP AR: NEWARK LIBERTY 600A 19 February 2014 Departure for Kolkata from New York at 4:45 p.m.
2013 USA & Canada
13 August: Arrival Chicago O’Hare and to Champaign.
14 August: University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign [official work]
15 August: To New Jersey
17 August 2013 : The Maverick at Woodstock [with Steve Gorn (flute) and Pt. Samir Chatterjee (tabla)]
24 August -07 September: To Calgary. [details TBA]
8-12 September: Seattle with Dr. Rajib Doogar [some intimate music and meeting with friends]
14 September : Calgary Ragamala Concert [with Pt. Samar Saha on the tabla]
15 September-19 September: University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign [lecture and meetings].
19 September: Departure from Chicago O’Hare for Kolkata
2010 Engagements and open dates
24 October Reaching Edmonton 26 October Concert cum Workshop at the University of Alberta [Host: Prof. Regula Qureshi]. 27~29 October University of Saskatchewan to participate at the Engaging India: A Multidisciplinary Symposium and play a 30~31 October Simon Fraser University, Vancouver for concert.
2009 USA: 1 5 TO 30 MAY 2009
15 ~ 30 May ‘Musician in Residence’ at the University of Chicago
2008
EUROPE: 19 TO 22 NOVEMBER 2008
19 November Reaching Amsterdam and inauguration of the International Conference ‘Indian & the World: Intercultural Performing Arts’ 20 ~ 22 September The conference.
USA: SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER 2008
24 September Reaching Chicago 26 September Concert at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [Tabla: Anindo Chatterjee] 28 September Concert at Mithas, MIT, Boston [Tabla: Anindo Chatterjee] 30 September Two seminars at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 01 October Workshop at the The College of New Jersey, NJ 02 October Concert Workshop at the The College of New Jersey, NJ [Tabla: Abhjit Banerjee] 03 October Master class at the The College of New Jersey, NJ 04 October to 08 October Artist in Residence at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
SOUTH AFRICA – JULY-AUGUST 2008
26 July Reaching Johannesburg 27 July to 01 August University of South Africa [UNISA], Pretoria [concert and research activities] 02 to 06 August University of Cape Town [Master class and research activities] 07 to 11 August Rhodes University, Grahamstown [concert and research activities] 13 August Departure from Johannesburg
MAURITIUS– JUNE- JULY 2008
01 June to 12 July Visit to Mahatma Gandhi Institute [MGI] as Resource Person for Teachers’ Orientation, curricula review and general capacity building.
2007 USA: OCTOBER 2007
11 to 15 October Los Angeles [workshop] 16 October Travel to Colorado 17 October Lecture at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs 18 October Concert at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs 19 October Travel to Chicago
20 October Open
21 October Travel to Manhattan, Kansas 22 October Concert at the Kansas State University 23 October Travel to Urbana Champaign, IL 24 October Concert at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
25-26 October Open
27 October Concert at Spandan, Moline/Chicago, IL
28 to 30 Open
31 October Departure from ORD, Chicago for Berlin, Germany
Europe
04 Nov Concert at SMB National Museum, Berlin 05~09 Nov Research in SMB Museum 10 Nov Concert in Berlin 11 Nov Departure for India
USA: OCTOBER 2005
03 October Arr. Chicago ORD and then to Urbana-Champaign 05 October Meeting with Faculty Members of UIUC and SPICMACAY/BSA Core Group 06 October Concert 7:30 p.m. [2100 MBA] 07 October IPS/Engg/SOM Computer Music Groups Meeting and Other meetings 10 October Group interactions/classes 11 October India Studies Lecture [noon] 12 October Talk in the evening [venue TBA] 13 October Group interactions/classes 15 October Concert at the University of Chicago 17 October Workshop at the University of Chicago 19 October Presentation at The College of New Jersey, NJ 21 October Concert in Rochester, NY 24 October Recording for India Archive Music, Inc., Manhattan, New York 26 October Concert at Drury University, Missouri at 7 pm 29 October Workshop and Concert at Moline, IL 30 October Workshop at Moline, IL 31 October Departure from ORD, Chicago for India
FRANCE: JANUARY 2005
26 January 2005 Arrival: CDG, Paris in the morning 27 January Concert at La Rochelle] ————— SOLD OUT 28 January Concert at the Musee Guimet, Paris : 20:30 hrs. ————— SOLD OUT 29 January Concert at MJC in Toulouse 30 January Workshop and concert in Gamas [Ariege] 31 January Concert near Marseille 01 February Concert in Marseille ————————- SOLD OUT 03 February 2005 Departure from CDG, Paris in morning 12 September, 2004 Arrival in Berlin 13~14 September Visit SMB Museum, Berlin 15 September Concert at Berlin Museum 16~21 September XIIIth International Conference of German Musicological Society at Weimar, Germany [presentation on the 20th September] 22 September Concert in Berlin before Newsgroup 24 September Arrival in Vancouver, Canada 25 September Concert in Vancouver 27 September Visit to Simon Fraser University 28 September Reaching Edmonton as Distinguished India-Focus Visitor to the University of Alberta 28 September Workshop at the University of Alberta 03 October Concert at the University of Alberta [UoA organized the concert in collaboration with Ragamala Society, Edmonton] 05 October Workshop at the University of Alberta 07 October Arrival in the USA [Moline, Chicago] 08 October Two workshops at Augustana College 09 October Workshop at River Music for the Jazz Musicians of the locality. 10 October Concert at Concert at Wallenberg Hall, Moline 11 October Concert at the University of Illinois [SPICMACAY] 12 October Workshop at the St. Ambrose Uniersity 13 October Workshop at a college in Moline 14 October Concert before a selected gathering, Moline 16 October Concert in New York 17 October Concert at Massachusetts Institute of Technology [Mithas] 19 October Concert at the University of Oklahoma 20 October Workshop at the University of Oklahoma 22 October Concert at the University of Pennsylvania 24 October Recording in New York for the India Archive Music, Inc. 25 October Departure for India from JFK, New York June 13 Presentation at the PELLERVO-INSTITUUTTI, Espoo [Finland] UNESCO Pre-Conference June 16 Presentation at the Plenary Session of UNESCO Conference, Jÿvaskÿla, Helsinki [Finland] June 18 Presentation at H320, UNESCO Conference, Jÿvaskÿla, Helsinki [Finland] June 21 Concert in Paris, France June 22 Concert Di Pinte, Brussels, Belgium June 23 Workshop at the University of Köln, Germany June 26 Concert in Toulouse, France June 27 Concert in Toulouse, France June 28 Concert at St etienne(near Lyon), France June 29 Concert [Final item] at the 15th District Music Festival, Paris [France] July 01 Concert in Marseilles, France July 02 Concert in Paris
