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The Province of Poorvi (Page 1 of 2) By Rajan P. Parrikar Rajan P. Parrikar is a recognized expert on Indian Classical music and shares his knowledge freely with those interested in the subject. He has written a series of articles on Classical Indian Music some of which have been archived on Sawf. Click here to read Rajan's earlier articles.

Rajan P. Parrikar, in his Bata sandals

Namashkar.

The monograph preceding this feature was dedicated to Marwa and its purlieu (see The Marwa Matrix). Marwa and its neighbouring tract, Poorvi, supply the vast majority of vespertine melodies for the Hindustani system. The principal rAgas embosomed in these two worlds represent the highest level of melodic inventiveness known to mankind. On behalf of the charming girls of Sawf, I invite you to join us on this jaunt as we survey the lay of the Poorvi Province. Throughout the promenade, M =shuddha and m =teevra madhyam.

The Poorvi-Pooriya Dhanashree-Paraj-Basant Axis

Poorvi is a rAgAnga, a rAga and a thAT. The Poorvi thAT is coincident with the 51st Carnatic melakartA Kamavardhini with the swara set: S r G m P d N. The Marwa thAT differs from Poorvi through its use of the shuddha dhaivat. This seemingly minor alteration, however, generates a profoundly different governing dynamic. Recall that the chief rAgas of the Marwa group - Marwa, Pooriya and Sohani - all drop the pancham. But with the komal dhaivat in Poorvi, the aesthetic imperative makes the pancham indispensible. And so it is that almost all the rAgas of this thAT carry that swara. The pancham is often langhan alpatva (skipped) momentarily in key sangatis but it is never wholly absent (there are, as always, notable exceptions). The rAgas of the Poorvi thAT fall broadly under two sub-classes subject to their anga heritage: the Shree-anga rAgas and the Poorvi-anga rAgas. The mighty Raganga Raga Shree has been dealt with earlier and readers are referred to Raga Shree: Close Encounters. In the ensuing paragraphs we shall write out the lakshaNAs of the four chief rAgas of the Poorvi ensemble and flesh out the arcana associated with each of them.

The lakshaNAs of Raga Poorvi are considered first.

S, N' S r G and N' r G
The shaDaj comes in both modes, skipped and otherwise. The development gravitates towards the gandhAr in either direction, as we shall shortly see.

G r G m P, P m G, r S N' S r G
With the right ucchAraNa these poorvAnga clusters are sufficient to establish Poorvi.

N' S r G, r M G, Gm P, d, P m G M (r)G, r (G)M G
This tonal phrase packs a great deal of Poorvinformation. The peculiar behavior of shuddha madhyam comes into play here and dispels any incipient ideas of Pooriya Dhanashree. Take stock of the two different modes of approach to the shuddha madhyam (it will be seen later how the ucchAraNa and chalan keep Poorvi distinct from Paraj on this score). The gandhAr in Poorvi comes in for special treatment. Note, for instance, the kaN of r in the M-laden cluster.

m d S" and m d N, N S"
The tonal phrases typically employed for the uttarAnga launch. Although the pancham is an important nyAsa swara it is also rendered langhan alpatva in movements in either direction.

S", N S", r" N d, P
A crucial tonal sentence found in several rAgas of the Poorvi thAT, notably Pooriya Dhanashree and Shree. The ucchAraNa of r" N d P for the Shree-anga rAgas assumes a slow, piercing meeND.

P, m P d m G r S r G
The bridge that ties together the poorvAnga and uttarAnga tonal activity.

Putting it all together we formulate a sample chalan:

S, N S r G, m G r G r (G)M G, r G m P, d m P m G M (r)G;
m d N S", S", N r" N d, P, d m G M (r)G, r S N' S r G

We now move to Raga Pooriya Dhanashree which is all the go these days and has elbowed Poorvi out from the concert stage. Pooriya Dhanashree retains most of the lakshaNAs of Poorvi sans the shuddha madhyam. However, while Poorvi is gandhAr-based, the breath of Pooriya Dhanashree's life is the pancham. Accordingly, most of the tonal activity is centred around that swara. A couple of other additional lakshaNAs merit mention since they encase the rAga signature, to wit:

P, m G m r G, P

The reiteration of G m r G is a sine qua non and the concluding hook-up with P from G as shown is recommended to instal the dominance of P. The Arohi prayogas in Pooriya Dhanashree are almost always via N' r G m P whereas in Poorvi N' S r G is also admitted.

< -- Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande

Obiter dictum: On the subject of of nomenclature, Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande conjectures that when the erstwhile Kafi-thAT Raga Shree branched into a Poorvi-thAT Shree, a similar transformation in its janya Raga Dhanyasi may have given rise to a counterpart Dhanashree, which, on account of its Poorvi-thAT affiliation, took on the moniker "Poorvi Dhanashree," finally settling into "Pooriya Dhanashree."

Next in line, Raga Paraj. This is an uttarAnga pradhAna rAga with melodic emphasis in the vicinity of the tAra shaDaj. In the poorvAnga there are two madhyams, like Poorvi; the distinction lies in the ucchAraNa and chalan. The uttarAnga has a superficial resemblance to Basant that may confuse the casual ear but not that of an initiate. The melodic trajectory in Paraj hews to the Kalingada line while retaining its Poorvi-thAT swaras. Oftentimes, the two are combined into "Paraj-Kalingada." Let us develop the rAga heuristically:

P, Pd Pd mP, (m)G M G, m G r S
The intonation of the shuddha madhyam-laden phrase is direct without intermediary kaNs (cf Poorvi). The Kalingada chalan can be retrieved from the above by replacing m with M. Sometimes an explicit G M P M G is also taken.

md md N, N S" N d S" N
Again, a likeness of Kalingada obtains (there we have only the shuddha madhyam and Pd replacing md). The elongation of N in S" N d S" N is a Paraj signpost.

S" N d P, G m d S" N, N S"r" S"r" N S" N d S" N
The dhaivat is rendered durbal throughout.

Paraj is a chanchal prakriti rAga. Additionally, the recommended Arohi locus forgoes the rishab, as in N' S G m d N.

We come to the final member of the Poorvi quartet - Raga Basant. Like Paraj, Basant is an uttarAnga pradhAna rAga. The difference lies in its chalan and ucchAraNa, and its drawing on portions of the Shree-anga. There are also special sangatis that are uniquely Basant. The following tonal sequence captures its essence:

m d r", S", r" N d P, [P] mG m->G, m G r S
The first half of the chalan derives its ucchAraNa from Shree. It is slow, meeND-laden and gambheer in prakriti. Note the jump from d to the tAra saptak r". The second half begins with the square-bracketed pancham (to denote a shaken (and stirred) swara). The molecule - [P] mG m, G - where the first m is quick and the second is elongated is sui generis to Basant.

d N r" N d P, G m d N m, G, m d G m G, m G r S
The r" N d P is Shree-inspired. Note, however, that the critical lakshaNAs of Shree - the strong rishab and the r-P coupling - are absent in Basant. The rishab, in fact, is skipped in Arohi sanchAris. The G m d N m and m d G m G are redolent of Pooriya albeit with the komal dhaivat.

m G r S, S M, mMG, N d P
The shuddha madhyam is not required in Basant but is often included as an additional artifact for rAga bheda. It appears in a small LalitAnga cluster and the thought is typically terminated in the manner indicated above.

This completes our prolegomenon of the Poorvi based melodies. These rAgas are so pregnant with nuance that they can scarcely be expounded effectively through the written word. Nevertheless, it is hoped that some flavour of the melodic depth, ingenuity and the power of Raga has been conveyed. In practice the lakshaNAs of rAgas are burnt into a musician's being through tAleem and, in the case of the 'higher' musician, also through ceaseless reflection.

Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang"

In the opening clip, Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" discursively ranges over the Poorvi terrain. It is a magnificent display spanning 18 minutes. He addresses both shAstra and its praxis, adducing traditional compositions to fortify the development. One particularly poignant moment is around 9:30 where he briefly recites a lakshaNgeet of Bhatkhande in Raga Basant; it is a revelation of the Chaturpandit's drishTi. Ramrang, in what is by a long chalk, the finest exposition extant on the subject -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/jha_poorvispeak.ram

The audio procession begins. The selections comprising this panorama are the pick of the basket, many of them unpublished. The four principal Poorvi rAgas are represented on this page and the derivatives on the next. It is left to the reader to discern the fidelity to, or the extent of departure from, generally accepted lakshaNAs.

Raga Poorvi

'Light' items adhering strictly to Poorvi are not very common. From MEERA (1979), Ravi Shankar's tune is voiced by Vani Jairam: karuNA suno Shyam mori -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/vanijayaram_karuna.ram

Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" vilambit rendition takes a famous traditional kHayAl: TonamA he mA'i -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/jha_poorvi_vil.ram

The beautiful joD-bandish in druta is Jha-sahab's own: kavana mantra tantra -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/jha_poorvi_druta.ram

< -- 'Aftab-e-Mousiqui' Faiyyaz Hussain Khan

Aftab-e-Mousiqui Faiyyaz Khan's AlAp in this detailed clip is a masterful statement -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/fhk_poorvi_alap.ram

Faiyyaz Khan's well-known 78 rpm rendition: Mathura nA jA re -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/fhk_poorvi.ram

The Gwalior platoon is in full strength. Sharatchandra Arolkar gives us the traditional piyarwA more in tilwADA tAla. Notice the exquisite meeND from m to M at around 1:49 -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/arolkar_poorvi.ram

Yashwantbuwa Joshi in another solid Gwalior essay, via piharwA ki bAse tu mohe in tilwADA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/yjoshi_poorvi.ram

A beautiful Poorvi from Ghulam Hussain Shaggan. There's an explicit chromatic use of the two madhyams: sukha sampata -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/shaggan_poorvi.ram

A traditional bandish in vilambit jhoomrA by Shaila Datar: Dilliya nagarwA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/shailadatar_poorvi.ram

Mogubai Kurdikar wields a Sadarang cheez: Avana kahi -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/mogubai_poorvi.ram

The same bandish is developed by Azmat Hussain Khan who had his feet firmly planted in both the Atrauli and Agra schools -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/ahk_poorvi.ram

Another Atrauli-Jaipur confrere, Padmavati Shaligram, plies a well-known traditional composition: kagavA bole -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/shaligram_poorvi.ram

Radhika Mohan Moitra is considered one of the most influential musicians to come out of Bengal. He developed a style of sarod that is complementary to that of the Maihar turkey Allauddin Khan. We pick up as Radhubabu begins his jhAlA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/rmm_poorvi.ram

Poorvi is sometimes sung with a shuddha dhaivat particularly in Bengal as witness this Tagore composition rendered by Suchitra Mitra -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/suchitra_beenabajao.ram

That completes the Poorvi offering. It is a pity that such a profoundly beautiful melody has been cast off by most performers of the day. Bhatkhande remarks that some tantrakArs, especially from Rampur, assert that the dhaivat in Poorvi is 'chaDhi.' This is, of course, a matter of individual or stylistic choice.

Raga Pooriya Dhanashree

There is no better vehicle of expression today for the bathos-stricken than Raga Pooriya Dhanashree. The rAga finds employment aplenty in all genres.

Jitendra Abhisheki chants from the Bhagavat Geeta -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/abhisheki_bhagvadgeeta.ram

M.S. Subbulakshmi's Dashavatara Stotram is set to music by K. Venkataraman -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/mss_jayajagadeesh.ram

M.S. Subbulakshmi with 'Gayan Maharshi' Alladiya Khan -- >

Koyaliya uDa jA, sings the perennially lorn Mukesh -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/mukesh_koyaliya.ram

Amir Khan's classic rendition in BAIJU BAWRA (1952). Naushad probably arranged for the Ustad's breakfast: tori jai jai -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/amirkhan_torijaijai.ram

Asha Bhonsle's jeevalagA is held up by Marathi dingbats as the biggest pimple on the musical face of Maharashtra. The composition by Hridaynath is C-grade but that is sufficient to send the ghats and their pathetic lapdogs, the Goans, into raptures. There is a strong influence of Raga Shree in this number -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/asha_jeevalaga.ram

Asha's next effort, patterned by composer Roshan after a famous cheez (readers will recall Lakshmi Shankar's recording), is a class act. From SOORAT AUR SEERAT (1962): prema lagana -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/asha_premlagana.ram

Two non-film tunes by Khaiyyam in Mohammad Rafi:

dardminnat -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/rafi_dardminnat.ram

muddat hu'i hai -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/rafi_muddathui.ram

< -- Lata Mangeshkar, Amir Khan and Vasant Desai

From SAMPOORNA RAMAYANA (1961), Lata gently sways to Vasant Desai's baton: ruka jA'o -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/lata_rukjao.ram

We get back into the classical theatre. The lakshaNAs emerge beautifully in Gangubai Hangal: araja suno -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/gangubai_pooriyadhan.ram

The same bandish is handled by Gangubai's guru, Sawai Gandharva. To those who can sense what is what it ought to be at once evident that these voices carry in them the stamp of anubhava -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/sawai_pooriyadhan.ram

Gangubai Hangal -- >

Kumar Gandharva with his own compositon, bala gayee jyot -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/kumar_pooriyadhan.ram

Azmat Hussain Khan -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/ahk_pooriyadhan.ram

Ravi Shankar -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/rs_pooriyadhan.ram

An exquisite page from the unpublished files of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/bgak_pooriyadhan.ram

This section concludes with Kesarbai Kerkar. The label on HMV has it as Pooriya Dhanashree but that is an error. The key Pooriya Dhanashree lakshaNAs are nowhere to be seen. Also notice the two dhaivats. This is a type of Gouri. See On Raga Lalit-Gouri for a rendition of the same bandish by Abdul Karim Khan in the Marwa-thAT Gouri. At any rate, a glorious display by Kesarbai: ati prachandana -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/kesarbai_gouri.ram

Raga Paraj

Vasantrao Deshpande sets the Ganges on fire with this delightful live performance. Recall Jha-sahab's enunciation of the governing lakshaNAs and delight in Vasantrao's realizing them. The vilambit is the traditional lAla Aye ho followed by the cheez pavana chalata. It is not at all important to know that Zakir Hussain of San Anselmo is on the tabla -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/vasantrao_paraj.ram

Vasantrao's druta cheez, pavana chalata, is a composition of 'Sanadpiya,' the colophon of Tabaqqul Hussain Khan of Bareilly who was employed at the Rampur court. Pandit Bhatkhande collected and documented several compositions from him. Thakur Jaideva Singh writes in his Indian Music: ...[Sanadpiya's] thumaris were based mostly on instrumental pieces (gatas) which he heard from the instrumentalists of Ramapura. So they strike the listener like instrumental pieces rendered in bolas (wordings). Such thumaris in madhya laya (medium tempo) are known as Bandhana or Bandisa-ki- thumari or Bola-banta-ki-thumari. Their beauty lies mostly in their dance-like rhythmic effect...

The uttarAnga pradhAna mien of Paraj is underscored in the Atrauli-Jaipur conception which dispenses altogether with the shuddha madhyam. We first have Mallikarjun Mansur with akhiyAN mori lAga rahi -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/mansur_paraj.ram

The selfsame composition in Kesarbai's imperious gAyaki -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/kesarbai_paraj.ram

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, too, has no use for the shuddha madhyam in his own composition. The development sometimes comes close to treading on Basant's toes: laTaka chalata -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/bgak_paraj.ram

The Rampur-Sahaswan view of Paraj through the masterful hands of its distinguished exponent Mushtaq Hussain Khan -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/mhk_paraj.ram

< -- Mushtaq Hussain Khan in concert with Thirakhwa on the tabla

Agrawale Vilayat Hussain Khan sings the cheez we heard from Vasantrao - Sanadpiya's pavana chalata. However, Vilayat Hussain's antarA attributes it to an "Alampiya." Bhatkhande has it documented after Sanadpiya and Thakur Jaidev Singh's description and Vasantrao's manner of treatment seem to support that case.

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/vhk_paraj.ram

There is no doubt whatsoever of the authorship of the next bandish. Faiyyaz Khan treats the celebrated composition of 'Saraspiya' (Kale Khan of Mathura): Manmohan Brij ko rasiyA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/fhk_paraj.ram

We conclude with Ravi Shankar -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/rs_paraj.ram

Raga Basant

The familiar song by Bhimsen Joshi from BASANT BAHAR (1956) kicks off the pageant. The composers are Shankar-Jaikishan: ketaki gulAba -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/bhimsen_ketaki.ram

Dinanath Mangeshkar -- >

Dinanath Mangeshkar tAns are the musical equivalent of a Disneyland joyride: precipitous and thrilling. Here he is with a Sadarang cheez: aba rtu -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/dinanath_basant.ram

Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" in an enchanting old concert recording -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/jha_basant.ram

This unpublished edition of Basavraj Rajguru finds him in fine feather. The traditional kHayAl of 'Manrang,' nabi ke darbAra, is followed by the chestnut phagavA braja dekhana ko -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/rajguru_basant.ram

A traditional composition, panaghaTavA thADo mA'i, by Krishnarao Shankar Pandit -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/krsp_basant.ram

A rare capture of Abdul Karim Khan's baDA kHayAl -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/akk_basant.ram

The rAga lakshaNAs must not be lost sight of. The excited reader may, at this point, dwell on the points of distinction between Paraj and Basant, armed that he is now with actual renditions.

Pannalal Ghosh was indisputably the greatest flautist of our times. Chaurasia has at times displayed admirable mastery on the instrument but Pannalal was a far, far greater musician -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/pannalal_basant.ram

We bring the curtain down on this segment with Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. He combines Hindol and Basant in this mehfil recording-

http://www.sawf.org/audio/poorvi/bgak_hindolbasant.ram

On the next page we survey some derivative rAgas of the Poorvi thAT. All of them have been acknowledged by tradition. The key lakshaNAs and gestalt of the basic rAgas, once digested, facilitate understanding of the sankeerNa rAgas. For the latter are essentially a combination or a subset of the fundamental behaviors sometimes with a special sangati or two brought in. We will now tread on the juice and keep the commentary terse.

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