INTERRELATIONSHIP AND CONTRIBUTION OF DIFFERENT GHARANAS IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM OF PANDIT VISHNU NARAYAN BHATKHANDE

Abstract [English]

The history of Indian classical music is profoundly glorious. Its origins are traced back to the Vedas. Beginning with the Samaveda and traversing through various historical epochs to the modern era, this journey has witnessed many transitions. The tradition of Indian classical music has been preserved and developed through the Guru-Shishya parampara (teacher-disciple tradition). Within this tradition, various gharanas (lineages) enriched music through their distinct styles, singing techniques, raga structures, rhythmic applications, and ornamentations (alankars). During the transition between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when the Indian musical tradition was in a state of fragmentation and ambiguity, Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande played a vital role in providing it with a systematic, scientific, and educationally viable framework.

Bhatkhande’s educational methodology was not merely theoretical; it was based on the study, comparison, and coordination of traditional musical knowledge prevalent in various gharanas. By studying the specific characteristics of different lineages, he developed a teaching system that serves as a bridge between tradition and modernity. This article examines the interrelationships and contributions of various gharanas within his educational framework. The study analyzes the technical contributions of different gharanas through primary and secondary sources. The conclusion indicates that by transforming the 'Shruti-Smriti' (oral-aural) tradition prevalent in India into a 'Lekhan-Shastra' (notational/written) tradition, Bhatkhande ji gave Indian classical music a global identity.