Issue 63 Vol III, May 15, 2008

A R T  &  L I T E R A T U R E

Indian classical music: the birth of Patiala Gharana
Harjap Singh Aujla

THUMRI is the most romantic form of classical music. Most experts term it as a semi-classical form of North Indian Music. Although “Khayal Ang” of classical music originated from the time of Guru Gobind Singh (1675 – 1708), but after its inception it appears that it stayed dormant for more than a century. During the reign of the last Mughal Emperor of India Bahadur Shah Zafar, the rendition of “Khayal Shaili” overshadowed the “Dhrupad Shaili” completely. It was around year 1850 that “Thumri” (Thum-ri) became popular, though it originated earlier. Thumri, in fact, emerged from the fusion of classical and folk music of Uttar Pradesh. Or we can also say it resulted from the partial simplification of classical music. Thumri finds a strong connection with classical dance form of “Kathak” that initially flourished in the culturally rich cities of Benares and Lucknow, in the last decade of the 19th Century and the first half of 20th century.

“Patiala Gharana” of North Indian classical music was running in two parallel streams. The ancient “Dhrupad and Dhamar” stream of music kept flowing un-interruptedly. The grand-father of Nazaqat Ali Khan and Salamat Ali Khan was a famous “Dhrupad” exponent of village Sham Chaurasi in Hoshiarpur District of Jalandhar Division. Legendry Ghazal singer Mallika Pukhraj was also trained in “Dhrupad” variety of music. “Partal” variety, which involves several Taals for the same poetical composition, was evolved primarily in the Darbars of the early Sikh Gurus. It kept flourishing after the period of the Gurus in the historic Gurdwaras of Tarntaran, Amritsar and Sultanpur Lodhi. “Partal” variety of music found its acceptance in the “Patiala Gharana Dhrupad Shaili” under the influence of Mahant Gajja Singh. Mahant Gajja Singh imbibed it mostly while staying at Sultanpur Lodhi. The “Khayal” form of rendition of Ragas” was adopted by the Kasur and Amritsar based branch of musicians of “Patiala Gharana”. Later on it was adopted by the Sikh religious musicians (mostly Rabanis) based in historic Gurdwara Janam Asthan Sri Nankana Sahib and the Golden Temple in Amritsar. During the twentieth century the “Khayal” style of classical music was accepted in all the Rababi families of Punjab and it influenced the non-Rababi Sikhs too.

Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, the princely ruler of Patiala (1891 – 1938) was a widely traveled statesman. He had heard “Thumri” from Gauhar Jan of Calcutta, Amritsar born Indu Bala and Kamla Jharia of Bihar. In fact Kamla Jharia happened to be the most recorded Thumri artist of India during the early part of the twentieth century. She rendered a lot of “Ghazals”, “Naats” and “Bhajans” in Thumri style. “Thumri” became the hallmark of the music “Gharanas” based in Lucknow and Benares. According to Allah Rakha, India’s highly celebrated “Tabla Master”, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh did not want his “Gharana” untouched by this most romantic form of classical music. He encouraged the leading musicians in the “Patiala Gharana of Music” to master the “Thumri” format. Ustad Kale Khan did the first experimentation in singing of “Thumri”, but none of his records is available. Later on I confirmed with Late Maharaja Bhupinder Singh’s Long Island New York based son Raja Mrigendra Singh and he agreed with the information provided by Allah Rakha. Raja Mrigendra Singh added that after the decline of the Mughal Darbar of Delhi, most of their court musicians left for other places for patronage. Ustad Tans Khan of Delhi Durbar came to the court of his (Raja Mrigendra Singh’s) great grand father Maharaja Narendra Singh. General Alia and Fatta, both musicians of Patiala Gharana, learnt a lot from Tans Khan, including the light classical forms like Thumri and Dadra. But they found it below their dignity to sing light-classical music. During the wedding of his father Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, General Ali Bux came back to Patiala. He was accompanied by the then famous dancer singer Gauhar Jan. That is the time when Thumri really knocked at the doors of “Patiala Gharana of Music”.

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan perfected the art of “Thumri” and his renditions became the hallmark of “Patiala Gharana’s Thumri Gayaki”. It took him almost a decade of “Riyaz” to perfect his version of “Thumri” singing. He recorded about twenty “Thumris” on 78rpm (three minute duration) records during mid-forties. Most of these discs are available with serious collectors of music. Later on Bade Ghulam Ali Khan’s style was adopted by Amanat Ali Fateh Ali Khan, also of the Patiala Gharana (now this family is in Pakistan).  Begum Akhtar’s “Thumri” singing reflected a unique amalgam of Patiala and Lucknow styles. Now Hussain Bakhsh of Pakistan also sings “Thumri”. Bade Ghulam Ali Khan’s younger brother Barkat Ali Khan also sang “Thumris” in special gatherings called “Mehfils”. After Bade Ghulam Ali Khan’s death, his son Munnawwar Ali Khan also kept the “Punjab Tradition of Thumri” alive. But after Munnawar Ali Khan’s death hardly anybody in East Punjab or in rest of Northern India sings “Patiala Thumri”. Late Bakar Ali Khan, who died a few years ago at Malerkotla in East Punjab, knew the art of “Punjabi Thumri”. He was willing to teach it to his students, but there were hardly any students to learn “Patiala Thumri” from him. To our bad luck this art is dying now, in both India and Pakistan. It will take a big effort to revive it.

Late Bhai Samund Singh enjoyed listening to “Thumris” and Sant Sujan Singh incorporated some elements of “Punjabi Ang of Thumri” in his rendition of Sikh religious music. Now Bhai Gurmeet Singh Shant (originally of Amritsar, now settled in Jalandhar) is adopting “Punjabi Ang of Thumri” in his religious music. He is still in the early stages of development of this kind of musical amalgam.

[Harjap Singh Aujla lives in New Jersey, USA and can be contacted at harjapaujla@gmail.com]

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