Hindustani classical music Research Papers (original) (raw)

2025

This is my attempt to present for easy reference a full (as full as possible) list of Hindustani ragas, classified in my own way. This is only a list. For further details on any particular raga, the reader must tap other sources (notably... more

2025

Diving into the intricate tapestry of Bengali folklore, particularly the enchanting tales of 'Thakurmar Jhuli,' unveils a treasure trove of moral lessons deeply embedded in the cultural and literary fabric of Bengal. This paper delves into the profound moral teachings encapsulated in 'Thakurmar Jhuli' and their potential applications in primary education. The folk songs and poems in the Thakurmar Jhuli collection give us a peek into the diverse cultural, religious, and linguistic traditions of West Bengal, as they are portrayed through traditional oral storytelling. Through a meticulous analysis of selected narratives, this study aims to unearth key moral lessons that can be seamlessly woven into the primary education curriculum, nurturing values like empathy, kindness, honesty, and courage among impressionable young minds. This study adopts a qualitative research approach, focusing on the analysis of selected stories from 'Thakurmar Jhuli.' The insights gleaned from this research can serve as a guiding beacon for educators and curriculum developers seeking to harness the transformative power of folk tales in instilling moral values in primary education.

2025, Nada Jnana Jyothi

The therapeutic potential of Hindustani classical music lies not only in its sonic properties but also in its deep spiritual, mathematical, and physiological connections. This paper explores the scientific and psychological relevance of Hindustani music therapy, its ancient foundations in Nada Yoga, its connection with Chakra activation, and its real-life healing applications. Drawing from case studies and integrating both traditional and modern research findings, this study aims to validate Hindustani music as a potent tool in holistic medicine and mental wellness.

2025

The tuning debate between A=432Hz and A=440Hz has been a topic of interest in both music and science. While A=440Hz is the modern standard, A=432Hz is often seen as being in harmony with nature, the cosmos, and natural laws. This paper explores the historical background, mathematical relationships, and psychoacoustic aspects of both frequencies. By examining the theories and findings associated with each tuning, the paper seeks to understand the impact these frequencies may have on music, perception, and well-being. Ultimately, the debate touches on broader philosophical questions about music's role in aligning human experience with the natural world.

2025, Revitalizing Health through Humanities Foregrounding Unheard Trends

The therapeutic value of music has been recognized globally. Indian classical music’s healing attributes have been acknowledged by musicologists and medical practitioners. Music therapy as a discipline has not been popular in India but... more

2025

Indian classical music is a vast and intricate tradition shaped by centuries of cultural evolution, philosophical thought, and regional influences. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the two primary streams of Indian... more

2025, Bodhi International Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Science

Hindustani Classical Music is an offshoot of Indian Classical Music which evolved with several Forms and Styles during medieval period in northern India. Both the Classical and the Semi-classical genres as exercised and performed by the Court-musicians still exist through numerous compositions, known as Cheez or Bandish among the Gharana representatives and the common practitioners. Gharana as exclusive in Hindustani Classical Music brought about variety and versatility in the styles of presentation for performances. Raga being the core of Indian Classical Music and some individuals' utmost creative intellect, considered as the prevailing Cultural Tradition which naturally has enriched the repository of Hindustani Classical Music too through specified Forms and Styles in the medium of Bandish. This paper attempts to assemble various associated matters of the prevalent Classical and Semi-classical music towards proper assessment, maintenance and sustainable development among the practitioners belonging to institutional background as well as other conventional teaching-learning system of this society.

2024, Vageeshwari

Hindustani classical music is a very expressive art form. Through its development during medieval times, the melodic mode (also known as the Raga) has been expressed through paintings. These raga(s) along with their consort, the Ragini (s) are picturised beautifully by artists in the ragamala paintings. This study aims to delve into one such parent raga Deepak, and its Ragini (s), and study it through the semiotic analysis of the paintings.

2024, Vageeshwari The World Classical Music e-Research Journal

The Indian aerophonic instrument Bansuri is an indispensable part of India's cultural and musical development. It is an ancient instrument which has continued to mark its importance in the field of Hindustani and folk music. Thus it becomes essential to study this wind instrument from a scientific point of view. Understanding the physical phenomena thus becomes a prerequisite for understanding this instrument and its substance in musicological context. In this paper the concepts of formation of edge tones, nodes and antinodes, structure & construction, and some external factors have been discussed in reference with the sound of bansuri.

2024

Beyond the Binary explores the intersection of gender with cross-cultural identity in composer Reena Esmail's professional life and choral music. This intersection manifests in her musical style, which accesses the resonant spaces between Western and Indian classical music. I argue that it is through the convergence of Esmail's gender identity with her cross-cultural identity that her compositions challenge gender norms and break down perceived barriers between East and West, inviting her listeners into an intersectional feminist space. This project synthesizes musicological, theoretical, and ethnographic methods, and is meant as a starting point for choral musicians and scholars to consider cultural difference and its impact on choral music. What begins as a consideration of social themes within Esmail's life and work culminates in a practical musical analysis and performance practice guide to aid conductors in preparation of Esmail's music. The compositions discuss...

2024, American Understanding of India

Sometimes the time lag between a paper presented and a paper published can extend to decades. Although this paper was published in 2001, it was actually based on a conference held in the mid-1980s. So it is obviously very much dated.

2024, Library Progress International

This review-based article explores the life, musical style, and contributions of Ustad Amir Khan, a legendary figure in Hindustani classical music. Delving into his biography, we uncover a narrative shaped by familial musical heritage and a transformative journey from heritage-laden beginnings to becoming a luminary of the Indore Gharana. Khan's relocation to Bombay marked a pivotal phase where he refined his aesthetic sensibilities and crafted a distinctive style blending the spiritual essence of Dhrupad with Khayal's allure. His influence extended beyond the concert stage, leaving an indelible mark on Indian cinema's musical landscape. Through a blend of tradition and innovation, Khan's vocal prowess, characterized by emotional depth and storytelling, captivated audiences worldwide. Influenced by a diverse array of mentors and musical traditions, Khan's style reflects not just technical mastery but a deeply personal journey of artistic evolution. This article examines his unique approach to singing, characterized by strategic use of pauses, exploration of ragas, and sparing application of ornamentation. Khan's legacy serves as a timeless reminder of music's power to uplift, inspire, and unite us, transcending generations and leaving an enduring imprint on the soul of Hindustani classical music.

2024, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi And Kirana Gharana: Some Observations

Of arts, some are demonstrable, others indemonstrable; and demonstrable are those the construction of the subject whereof is in the power of the artist himself, who, in his demonstration , does no more but deduce the consequences of his operation. [...] Thomas Hobbes-The English Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmsbury, ed. Sir William Molesworth (London, 1839-45), vii 183-4.

2024, Indian Fine Arts: In Global Context

This paper aims to trace the impact of colonisation on Indian Classical Music, over the period of roughly 1500 years, starting from the earliest known external rule by Persians to the last rule by the British, just prior to the independence of India. This paper states the different
colonisers over the period and the duration of their respective rules. This paper also summarises the different kinds of Classical Music in India. Additionally, this paper also notes that there must be the extinct kinds - those that are no longer in practice. This paper notes the respective changes brought upon by the different periods of colonisation, the potential continuity of changes from one coloniser to the next, the cross cultural influence that said to have happened as well as the interesting cases where a conflicting source of change is claimed. The Central Asian colonisers covered are Persian, Greek, Turkic and Afghan, Mughal; the European colonisers covered are Portuguese, Dutch, French and British.

2024, Jay Kay Books

This monograph explores the profound artistry of Ahad Zargar, a pivotal figure in Kashmiri Sufi poetry, highlighting his spiritual and literary contributions. Born in 1882 in Kashmir, Zargar's poetry reflects the deep mystical insights of Sufism, characterised by themes of divine love, spiritual longing, and transcendence. His verses, enriched by a blend of languages (Kashmiri, Persian, Arabic, and Sanskrit), demonstrate a unique fusion that transcends cultural and linguistic barriers. The study delves into Zargar's life, influences, and poetic legacy, examining how his work resonates with Sufi principles like Tauba, Zuhd, and Tawakkul. It also emphasises the role of his descendants, particularly Khurshid Zargar, in preserving and interpreting his poetry and Kaiser Zargar's ongoing dedication to Sufism. This examination underscores Zargar’s significant role in the Sufi tradition and his enduring impact on contemporary spiritual and literary discourse.

2024, Swar Sindhu

In the 21st century, Hindustāni Classical Music has seen its adaptation onto various kinds of instruments viz, Aerophones, Chordophones, Membranophones, and Idiophones. Jalataraṅga / Jalataraṅgaṃ / Jaltarang is an Idiophonic solo concert instrument in Hindustāni Classical Music where musicians have performed exclusive Rāga concerts. This study through casestudy method attempts at exploring the performance of Rāga Bhūpāl Tōḍi on Jalataraṅga and analysing the approach to Rāga and the playing techniques. Analysis has been done for the Introductory-Ālāp segment of the Rāga presentation with respect to the following parameters - relative duration, range of svara-s explored, structure of ālāp, approach to rāga phrases, and playing techniques. This study leads to understanding the approach to performing Hindustāni Classical Rāga-s on Jalataraṅga.

2024, Modern Asian Studies

During the Second World War, India was under British rule and functioned as a military, industrial, and logistical base for Allied operations. The British government mobilized India’s resources to pay for the war effort, and the Indian Army expanded dramatically, becoming the largest volunteer army in human history. Nearly two-and-half million Indian troops served and fought around the world, in all four theatres of the global conflict. Building on the pioneering work of historians Indivar Kamtekar, Yasmin Khan, and Srinath Raghavan, among others, this interdisciplinary special issue argues for the centrality of the war to political, cultural, and economic developments in twentieth-century South Asia.Footnote2 Raghavan has perceptively pointed out that, unfortunately, many scholars of South Asia often mistakenly assume that the Second World War was merely a kind of ‘mood music’ surrounding, but not necessarily influencing, the anticolonial struggle and the subsequent independence and division of British-ruled India in 1947.Footnote3 Alongside a growing body of scholarship on India and the war, this special issue hopes to put to rest the idea of the war as mere ‘mood music’ once and for all as it tunes in to its cultural, social, and technological reverberations in South Asia across the decades.

2024, International Journal of Humanities & Social Science Studies (IJHSSS)

The tradition of Hindustani Classical Music is age-old. Different forms under this music evolved out of Indian Classical Music in due course time. Raga is the core of Indian Classical Music and the prevailing Cultural tradition as well. Various Classical and Semi-classical Forms of Hindustani Classical Music such as Dhrupad, Dhamar, Khyal, Tappa, Thummri, Tarana etc. had been exercised by the Court-musicians and the Gharana Maestros since from the medieval period in northern India. Gharana, an exclusive feature or system in Hindustani Classical Music, is meant for maintaining the standard and variety. The practice of the same has also meticulously been observed among the Performers and Practitioners belonging to specified Gharanas till the twentieth century. The overall standard as well as the versatility of such music is being found gradually deteriorated in spite of the foundation of numerous institutions under the Department of Higher Education across the country as well as consistent practice and performances among the learners both from institutional and private segments.
This paper intends to find the cause of the concurrent problem through proper analysis and the solution at the same time.

2024, Sangeet Galaxy

This research paper aims to comparatively analyze the theoretical models of 22 Shruti-s modelled by Bharata Muni around 200 BCE 1 and by Dr. Vidyadhar Oke in recent times with respect to their practical applicability in the actual practice of music. Dr. Oke is a musicologist, a harmonium player and an inventor of 22 Shruti-s harmoniums who used a quite different method for the determination of his model from Bharata Muni. This paper highlights some subtle and stark differences between their methods, models and even their probable conception of Shruti-s. Subsequently, their models will be scrutinized on the basis of practical evidence acquired through empirical research attempted in the past to measure the exact mathematical denomination of Shruti-s. This will help to ponder upon the applicability of these theocratical models or perhaps any model in the actual practice of music. In addition, this paper will also hint towards the need for new empirical research in this field for making possible future advancements driven by scientific evidence.

2024, Mysticism and Ethics in Islam

In this paper, I will explore the contours of Rīshī Sufi poetry as a tradition of Islamic devotional literature inculcating unique religious and ethical visions nourished by an encounter of the Sanskritic Śaiva and Persianate Sufi imaginaries. I argue that Rīshī Sufi poetry is a multiform environment—that is, a space where the conceptual alignment of two premodern literary and religious imaginaries produces localized, unique visions of religious identity, practice, and conduct. Close readings reveal the Kashmiri Sufi corpus as a site of alignment, fostering polythetic ethical and religious imaginaries.

2024, The Book Review

"UNISH SHATAKER BANGLA SAHITYE HINDUSTANI SANGEET" by Anindya Bandopadhyay was published in 2022. The book, written in Bengali by Bandopadhyay, is an interesting and easy read on the subject of musical writing in the nineteenth century... more

2024, Nineteenth Century Music Review

Abstract: Print created the urge to innovate new modalities of musical knowledge production and dissemination in nineteenth-century Bengal. Publication of music books made the bifurcation between music theory and practice clearer, but... more

2024, Acoustics of Empire: Sound, Media, and Power in the Long Nineteenth Century

From the book, Acoustics of Empire, edited by Peter McMurray and Priyasha Mukhopadhyay -- the complete work is Open Access and available from Oxford University Press. This chapter explores the interaction and dialogue between early... more

2024

In medieval Kashmir, women, particularly queens, defied traditional roles and emerged as influential figures in politics, religion, and society, challenging historical norms. Didda, Sugandha, and Suryamati; alongside lesser-known contributors, played diverse roles in shaping the region's destiny. Beyond politics, their religious contributions are evident in temple constructions, highlighting their impact on the cultural landscape. This exploration unveils the nuanced agency, resilience, and dynamic participation of women in navigating the complex historical context of medieval Kashmir. It showcases their ability to form strategic alliances, overcome societal challenges, and contribute significantly to the vibrant tapestry of Kashmir's history, challenging stereotypes and enriching the narrative with their multifaceted roles.

2024, Historical Research Journal of History and Archaeology, 1, (2):15-21

Islam and Sufism have played significant roles in shaping the cultural, religious, and social landscape of Kashmir. This overview explores the historical development and impact of Islam and Sufism in the region, tracing their roots from the early spread of Islam to the emergence of Sufi orders and their influence on Kashmiri society. It examines the interplay between Islamic teachings, Sufi practices, and indigenous Kashmiri traditions, highlighting the syncretic nature of religious expression in the valley. The abstract discusses the role of prominent Sufi saints and their contributions to Kashmiri literature, music, and art, emphasizing their enduring legacy in fostering spiritual harmony and cultural diversity in the region.

2024

This paper is inspired in part by the necessity for examination of the cross-cultural application of musical terminology, and suggests that such examination is illuminating of both our understanding and of our own interpretative assumptions. I examine the term "heterophony", both in general and in how it is used to describe melodic accompaniment, or sangat, in North Indian music. I argue that the value of heterophony as a term of translation lies in its insistent multivalence, its imprecision. I emphasise the importance of understanding both musical processes and the aesthetic and socio-musical factors that help to determine and are represented therein.Ovaj je tekst djelomice nadahnut potrebom za ispitivanjem međukulturalnih primjena glazbene terminologije. Nakon kratkog navođenja primjera za takve probleme ispitivanjem primjene termina \u27drone\u27 (trubanj) sugerira se da takvo ispitivanje može osvijetliti i naše razumijevanje vlastitih interpretativnih pretpostavki. Is...

2024, PhD. Dissertation

The sarangi is a North Indian bowed viol with three main playing strings and thirty-five sympathetic or drone strings. This research on sarangi players in Hindustani music, the classical music tradition of North India, explores issues of gender, castes, and exclusion as they pertain to the performance, circulation, and reception of music both past and present. It encompasses the study of Sufi mysticism, languages, and social and cultural processes involved in music, making this work relevant to scholars of religion, anthropology, linguistics, and history, as well as music.
Just as acoustic overtones produced by the multiple strings of the sarangi enable many voices to resonate in harmony, “Bridge Overtones: Lessons from the Sarangi” enables many voices to resonate with connections across continents, cultures, and media. I use the five bridges that carry the sarangi’s three main strings and thirty-five sympathetic strings over the body of the instrument as metaphors to investigate the sarangi’s relationship to culture, history, politics, and social mobility. The research on sarangi players is written both objectively, using evidence drawn from literary sources and ethnography, and reflexively, based on personal experience being an eighth-generation Muslim hereditary performer. In offering a nuanced analysis of the sarangi’s role as an accompanying instrument, a newly coined term and theory is proposed to broaden the understanding of Hindustani music.

2024, Academia.edu

Mahmood Gami is the most prominent poet of the 19th century, sufi and romantic cult poet from south kashmir. He is well known to have introduced various forms of poetry of literary genres such as Masnavis, Ghazals and Vatchuns. In the vast history of Kashmir poetry, Mahmood Gami is the only poet after Nund Reshi whose works have been preserved with much faith and fervour and is available in hundreds of versions. Among his contemporary guilds of poets, he had great affiliation and affinity with Wali-ul-allah mattoo. When Wali-ul-allah's younger brother expired, mahmood compiled an elegy in his grief. The elegy has been included in Wali-ul-allah's mathnawi named Hemal Nagrai. Wali-ul-allah mattoo also tributes him in the following verses:
"Khosusan kashran Manz marde nami
Chui Kam kyah Aey Zama Mahmood Gami
Mai kornem tem seatha Shah baad dilshaad
Soa eos kathryn Manz mardei ustaad".

2024

Brought up in a predominantly dhrupadi ambience, Tagore perhaps could not come to terms with the predominantly khyal-based transition of Hindustani music that took place since the 1920s. He maintained an uneasy alliance with the latter... more

2024, isara solutions

The Indian classical music has a very rich tradition and lineage which has formed a large repertoire through ages. What makes this genre so intense and unworldly? What essence does it have that attracts the classes of all age and lineage? What are the factors that infuse richness to this art which since hundreds of years has apparently changed faces but kept its grandeur alive? In this article we have tried to find out the factors essential for practicing this meditative art form called Indian classical music. This article talks about contemplation and imagination as the prime factors in unlocking the spiritual dimensions of this journey called music. In this research, an introspection has been done to understand the work of great stalwarts as to what makes their work unique winning wide acclaim. Further, we have discussed the art of stage presentation and its impact on the audience.

2024, Springer

It is a well-known fact that most western music is based on equal temperament, but Indian music is based on just intonation. However, the west has always been in the lead in creating electronic music processing tools like keyboards and software like Ableton Live. These instruments and programmes made by the west and intended mainly for Western music are increasingly used in Indian film music and a lot of fusion music (Equal temperament).A quantitative assessment is required to determine how severe the compromise is when using this software or instruments for Indian music production. We discovered that, despite numerous papers stating the distinction between the two types of scales (just intonation and equal temperament), there isn't a single thorough study that carries out trials and documents the honour. We are conducting this study for the first time. In this piece, we experiment with numerous Indian instrumental and vocal compositions to compare equal temperament with merely intonated scales. We discovered that the compromise is minimal when the music is mostly instrumental but significant when it is vocal. We also identified intriguing patterns in the musical notes (of Indian music) that were "closer" to the equivalent equal temperament notes than just intonated notes by examining the frequency values. For this study's sake, we evaluate plain notes exclusively; we do not examine musical notes containing the words "gamakam" or "meend." Since only plain notes are discussed in this text, Carnatic and Hindustani music can benefit from them. Finally, we make the dataset available to the general public to encourage more research in this area.

2024, Royal Music Association Research Chronicle

Global music history projects have become increasingly popular in recent years. Going global has its advantages: it develops conversations between researchers working on disparate regions; it sheds light on larger frameworks that are less evident on smaller scales of analysis; it decentres how we teach music history; and it retraces a global hinterland for music systems that have conventionally been called 'Western'. At the same time, the global history approach raises challenges for researchers working on the world beyond Europe. In particular, there is the danger of unintentionally reinstating Eurocentrism, either by uncritically exporting research questions based on the European experience to the wider world, or by narrowing our focus onto those musicians and scholars who engaged with European ideas and practices, especially in colonial settings. This work is valuable, but it also comes with risks. This essay considers these problems through a case study: a largely forgotten music scholar, Goswami Pannalal, who travelled and taught across north India in the late nineteenth century. Examining his musicological study in Hindi, the Nād Binod ('Sonic Delight', 1896), I consider how far asking 'global' questions might shed light on his work, and offer an alternative reading based on a 'significant geographies' approach.

2024, Articulate

Since the 18th century, the identity and importance of khayal has gained prominence in Hindustani art music. Predominantly, khayal sahitya or song-text reveal narrative themes associated with romance, devotion, myths, natural phenomena and interpersonal relationships. Though the literal translation of some khayal song-texts may demonstrate sexist or patriarchal perspectives, they are also open to multiple metaphorical interpretations. This paper examines traditional compositions in the raags Yaman and Bhairav from the early-twentieth century compendium Kramik Pustak Malika, in order to understand themes addressed in their sahitya. The works of recent composers have also been examined to understand continuity and change in the narrative themes presented in khayal in contemporary times. Modern composers have reiterated existing traditional themes as well as explored new themes. Despite the introduction of new themes as mentioned above, their circulation has been limited in the performance setting. Further to this, select audio/video recordings of performances in the raags Yaman and Bhairav have been studied with regard to the presentation of the song-text in performance, the use of words in elaboration, and any notable deviation from the song-text provided in the Kramik Pustak Malika.

2024, isara solutions

In Hindustani music or Indian classical music, the bandish or composition has been in existence since Vedic time. Ruchas sung in Samgaayan laid the foundation for bandish. Post Samgaayan era, Jaatigaayan was the dominant genre that evolved. The compositions of Jaatigaayan comprised of four lines and had all the characteristics of a raga. After Jaatigaayan, Prabandha evolved which was more structured and bound by the rules. It had well defined elements like Udgraha, Dhruva Melapak, Abhog and Antara whereas Swar, Pada, Ten, Biruda, Paat and Taal were its facets. This structure was similar to that of a bandish. A Dhrupad bandish was made up of sthayi, antara, sanchaari and abhog. Khayal evolved after Dhrupad and had two significant parts; sthayi and antara. Khayal Khayal originated and created a revolution in the world of Indian Classical music by becoming a significant style of singing in the North India. The term Khayal originated from a Persian word 'Kheyal' and the credit of this discovery is given to Amir Khusro. The Mughal emperor, Mohammad Shah Rangeele had Niyamat Khan or Sadarang as the court musicians in the18th century in his royal court and he was known for the wide spread of Khayal.

2024, PRANAV JOURNAL OF FINE ARTS

Jhālā is an integral part of the sitār recital, and the sitār players have been using this aṁg as the concluding section since 1900. Several texts describe the variations as Ulat Jhālā, Sulat Jhālā, Thok Jhālā, Kattar Jhālā, and other variations like bol-designs on the cikārī. There are significant studies on the evolution of sitār, playing styles, techniques, and construction. Roychoudhary, B and Bandyopadhyay, Sripada mentioned different types of Jhālā but did not describe them under the reference of Imdadkhani Gharana. Roychaudhary also enumerated various forms of Jhālā as subsections of 12-aṁg ālāp. The current investigation identified the characteristic forms of Jhālā, the components carried forward and percolated through the lineage of Imdadkhani Gharana. The research identified and studied 30 sample videos of Imdad Khan, Inayat Khan, Vilayat Khan, and Shujaat Khan from the YouTube repository. The data covers 118 years, from 1904 to 2022, as referenced on YouTube. These recordings were critically analysed. The findings reveal that the basic structural form of Jhālā remained intact, with a few additions in variations with the transitions from one generation to the next.

2024, The Hindu as ‘Legacy of a Yogini’

Annapurna Devi, a renowned musician, opted for the path of a Yogini instead of the stage for five decades. Amidst various worldly roles—the forsaken wife of Sitar legend Pandit Ravi Shankar, daughter of his Guru musician Baba Allauddin Khan, and mentor to acclaimed musicians—her withdrawal from the limelight intrigued many, prompting many to know about the enigmatic life of a legendary amazing musician.

2024

Identifying similarities between ragas in Hindustani music impacts tasks like music recommendation, music information retrieval and automatic analysis of large-scale musical content. Quantifying raga similarity becomes extremely challenging as it demands assimilation of both intrinsic (viz., notes, tempo) and extrinsic (viz. raga singingtime, emotions conveyed) properties of ragas. This paper introduces novel frameworks for quantifying similarities between ragas based on their melodic attributes alone, available in the form of bandish (composition) notation. Based on the hypothesis that notes in a particular raga are characterized by the company they keep, we design and train several deep recursive neural network variants with Long Short-term Memory (LSTM) units to learn distributed representations of notes in ragas from bandish notations. We refer to these distributed representations as note-embeddings. Note-embeddings, as we observe, capture a raga's identity, and thus the similarity between note-embeddings signifies the similarity between the ragas. Evaluations with perplexity measure and clustering based method show the performance improvement in identifying similarities using note-embeddings over n-gram and unidirectional LSTM baselines. While our metric may not capture similarity between ragas in their entirety, it could be quite useful in various computational music settings that heavily rely on melodic information.

2024, OPUS PUBLISHER & DISTRIBUTORS B - 32, West Nathu Colony, Shahdara Delhi - 110093 Email: opuspublishers@gmail. com www. opusbooks. in. net

From its origin the human life is always encountered by three questions which are still in search of linguistic universal answer. First who I am and where from I come, second the surroundings and environment around me exists for what and the third, is there anyone or who controls every particle of this universe. These questions become the main component for existence of three different approaches of thinking i. e. , Philosophy, Religion and Science. Saint literature or Sufism is basically a philosophy, a way of life and is that mode of religious life in Islam in which the emphasis is placed, not so much on the performances of external ritual as on the activities of the inner-self in other words it signifies Islam mysticism. There are various opinions regarding the etymology term of Sufism. Since early time some have also linked the word Sufi with Sufiya (Purified or chosen as friend by God.) Other would connect it with 'Saff means rank, as though file Sufis were spirituality is the first rank in virtue of his Communion with God. During the sixth and seventh century of the Islamic era, the way Sufism reached the height of its popularity, and Sufis like Ibn Arabi and Rumi wrote important books about the mysteries of gnosis and the journey towards God. Sufism in Kashmir is related to Rishism (a local thought to pious one's soul) however with so many similarities between these two thoughts; there exists differences also in practice. This manuscript will highlight these differences and will also deal the position and existence of local elements in Sufi literature of Kashmiri with special references by couplets of different Sufi Poets of Kashmir.

2024, Materials Today: Proceedings

Raga todi, an Indian classical music raga is emerging as a therapeutic approach in mental health and well being. This study aims to assess the relationship of raga todi and state anxiety at the time of novel coronavirus spread across the globe. 30 young female adults of age 20-28 years were randomly assigned to experimental group and control group of 15 participants each to which a pre and post test of State Anxiety test of STAI-A was administered. Results stated that state anxiety is negatively correlated to the listening of raga todi. Thus, listening to raga todi could be useful in reducing the state anxiety level provoked by a stressful life event like the lethal coronavirus pandemic.

2024, Her journey since 1947 and the path ahead

This article briefly surveys women instrument players, particularly in Hindustani art music. While taking a historical review of women instrumentalists, this article gives basic information about the contribution of women instrumentalists... more

2024, Journal of the Oriental Institute M.S. University of Baroda

Kashmiri language 'koshur' is the language of people living in the valley of Kashmir and its adjoining valleys in the south and east. According to census the magnitude of Kashmiri speakers was 55276698 during 2001. There is a general consensus among historical linguistics that Kashmiri belongs to the Dardic branch and is closely akin to Shina. Shina is also a subgroup of Dard language. Kashmiri language is also said to be a prakrit of pure and original Sanskrit. There is a controversy among scholars and philologists over the origin of the language. The present paper attempts to address the raison d'etre, which made the language recede into oblivion. This endeavor aims to highlight the reasons that are tapering the scope and virginity of the language among its own speakers.

2024, SHODHASAMHITA

Kashmir had a legacy of multiculturalism from earliest times. The plurality of Kashmir had given space to Islam and mystic ideology of Sufism in 14 th century, which brought a revolutionary social movement with scores of customs and values related to the behavior of people. These customs and values were readily adopted and absorbed by the natives of the place.

2023, Empirical Musicology Review

In this paper, I investigate structural proportions in improvised Hindustani (North Indian) vocal music. 235 examples of two types of ālāp were examined: 175 in the genre of khayāl, 60 in the genre of dhrupad. Both studio recordings and recordings of concerts were used. Three sets of proportions were investigated: the climactic arrival at the upper tonic as a proportion of the time till a point of structural change that is made explicit through rhythmic intensification (C:R), the first point as a proportion of the whole (C:W), and point of rhythmic intensification as a proportion of the whole (R:W). Average proportions for each genre, and the degree of consistency-flexibility within each genre were measured. The results show that proportions may vary between genres, but that flexibilityconsistency does not. The data obtained were also used to investigate proportions and consistency-flexibility amongst singers of similar stylistic training, across individual singers, and across different performances by the same singer. The conclusions are followed by suggestions for a further, emic-driven examination of proportionality.

2023, International Review of The Aesthetics and Sociology of Music

2023, Journal of development and social sciences

Kashmir is multicultural, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and diverse pluralist region in which the people from difference religions, cultures and ethnicity having their own faiths and interests but living together in cohesion and social harmony. The objectives are to explore the social transformational process in Kashmiri society by the most influential personalities. The foundation of this pluralist society is surrounded around few personalities like Lalla Arifa; a legendary lady saint who was founder of modern Kashmiriyat through her philosophical poetry. She contributed as a remarkable thinker, a mystic, a philosopher, social activist and reformer who challenged the conventional caste-based divisions and brought social unity. This study is based upon qualitative research methods focusing upon analytical and descriptive approaches to identify her messages which are currently known as "wakhs". These "wakhs" are recognized as reformist intellectualism and sophistic methodology. Her literary contribution made social binding, mutual respect and harmony in Kashmir.

2023, Swar Sindhu Volume 11, Issue 02, July-December 2023

Music is a potent medium with the remarkable ability to evoke emotions, create moods, and inspire creativity. Within the realm of design and creative expression, music assumes a vital role as a catalyst for innovative thinking, enriching the overall creative process. This article delves into the intricate relationship between music and design, shedding light on how music profoundly influences creative endeavors, facilitates ideation, and enhances the design experience. Moreover, the article explores the psychology of music and cross-modal perception, while presenting compelling case studies from diverse creative industries. These case studies contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the pivotal role that music plays in driving innovative design solutions.

2023, Journal of AppliedMath

This work is a part of our ongoing research project entitled Hindustani Raga Analysis Using Statistical Musicology with Therapeutic Applications for Stress Management. Using the perceived stress scale (PSS), baseline data were collected on 28 participants, 14 for the control group (non-music intervention group) and the remaining 14 for the case group (music intervention group), the allotment of a participant to one of the groups being done using randomized control trial (RCT) to prevent bias in allocation. After 5 music therapy sessions, the follow-up data were collected and the scores (0, 1, 2, 3, 4) were filled for the 10 questions in the questionnaire of the PSS scale. The rating is 0–13 implying low stress, 14–26 implying moderate stress and 27–40 implying high stress. As per the PSS rule, those having stress levels below 13 were dropped from the study. Thus, the actual number of participants in both groups would be less than those interviewed (sample size n = 7 for each group)....