Among the many unique and much-loved traditions of Hindustani classical music is the adherence to the time-raga theory, the concept of the samay raga which is linked by its swaras to specific times of day or night, to seasons, to colours, to moods.
In this musical landscape there are eight prahars (or time periods) in the diurnal twenty-four hour cycle; in each prahar, the swaras of individual ragas are fluid shape-shifters, the notes gliding from shuddha to komal to tivra, evoking deep emotions from the listener. The specified swaras themselves are the response to the phenomena of nature: to the varying luminosity of light and the sun traversing from the muted shades of dawn through brilliant sunshine to the deep velvet of midnight; to the swollen indigo clouds of the monsoon and the bright promise of spring. The specific combinations of swaras in a given raga are cast as mood enhancers, creating the aural environment for emotions of meditative devotion or romantic love, joy or pathos.
To some musicologists, the time theory is merely an old illusion sanctified by long belief. They will point out that it has long disappeared from Carnatic classical music. And they add that modern devices, which enable access to online music 24x7, render obsolete all concepts of time. But to others, it is a credo to be followed because of (among other reasons) its power of association, its ability to convey imagery in sound to the receptive Indian sensibility.
In the light of these contradictory viewpoints it was particularly revealing to listen to a concert by Vidushi Lalith Rao and her nine of her talented students titled “Bhairav to Bhairavi” performed under the aegis of the Sanskriti- Pt Vasant Thakar Memorial Fellowship. Within the span of two hours, listeners were transported through a selection of illustrative ragas reflecting the daily trajectory of sun and light, including the pivotal sandhi prakash ragas of early morning and evening when light and darkness meet.
Lalith Rao offered great variety within her presentation: it included the forms of dhrupad, dhamar, khayal, tarana, chaturang; the rich selection of ragas ranging from Lalit to Shree and Yaman included the seasonal ragas of Malhar and Basant; the performers sung solo and in duets and some renditions were in chorus.
The choices highlighted the compositions of many eminent musicians, including Ustad Khadim Husain Khan. Not surprising, as Lalith Rao is a leading member of the Agra-Atrauli gharana and he was her teacher, so we were treated to a delightful choral rendition of Khan saheb’s “Khelo Hori” -- an apt choice for this time of year—set in raga Alhaiya Bilawal, a raga of the late morning mirroring the luminous beauty of a fully lit up sky.
Many nuances of music can escape even the most educated ear; here, the music was made more enjoyable by Rao’s commentary which explained how ragas and moods change according to the time of day. To her commentary she brought not only her erudition, her experience and musicality honed by years of dedicated study and performance but also a gift for communication. As an example, one can quote from her commentary, introducing the ragas of the afternoon:
For the tired soul
“After these Uttarang Pradhan ragas, where the beauty of the raga unfolds in the upper half of the octave, the sun is reaching its zenith. There is now need for a soothing quieter mood to act as a balm for the tired mind and body, after a morning of hectic activity. The ragas turn Poorvang Pradhan, with the raga revealing its identity in the lower half of the octave, and how perfectly the Shudh Madhyam and Rishabh of the Sarang family quench the thirst of a tired soul! There is a stillness at the heart of all movement in Indian music, which comes out so vividly in the Sarangs…”
You can see how she has evoked the essence of raga for her audience without shying away from technicalities. Her own role as guru is truly expressed in the way she has trained and shaped the talent of her students, and was clearly audible in those who performed in that performance. The equally talented accompanists were Gurumurthy Vaidya on pakhawaj and tabla, Shashibhushan Gurjar on the second tabla and Vyasmurti Katti on harmonium.
In her closing commentary she said, “…we have attempted to take a peep at eternity – the continuing cycle of eight prahars, in less than one prahar.”
Quite an accomplishment! That said, what was it like to listen to raga Darbari in the full light of the sun? A little strange, I must confess, we are so accustomed to listening to its grave majesty in the deep darkness of the night. However, the last word must go to an enraptured listener who remarked, “I feel as if I have been on a beautiful and intense musical journey through a whole day in this short spell of time.”
