Gayaki of Banaras Ghat
The Ghats of Banaras are the origin of the Purab Aang Gayaki, which has been popularised over the years by many eminent artists of our country. But history says that this Gayaki has its roots before the establishment of the Mughal Empire and the old tradition has prevailed in this era, challenging the modern Indian music to successfully create a niche but a sophisticated & learned audience for itself.
India being the most diversified country has its own beauty in living united with people of various culture. I connect the Purab Aang Gayaki to the lives of the local folks and their music. Their culture has a huge impact to the rich Gayaki that the Banaras Gharana has imbibed. History reminds us that the elites enjoyed listening to the Baijis sometimes in a Darbar or in private boats that used to sail through the Ganga in the Ghats of Banaras. Their Gayaki portrays the simplicity of life of the natives which relates to the young boys diving in the river, saints going for their early bath and worshipping the Sun, young girls and boys playing with their friends and the ladies busy at their household chores.
The Banaras Gharana has diversified itself into various fields of Hindustani Classical Music like Khayal, Thumri, Tabla, Instrumental music, Dance (Kathak) and many more with each having its own beauty and prominent styles that creates a separate identity for the Gharana to be recognised by the audience. But over the years Banaras has gained the attention of the outside world because of its pristine clear gayaki in Thumri and other semi classical genres like Chaiti, Dadra, Tappa, Tap-rubayi, Baramasa, Hori, and Kajri which all originated from the Ghats of Banaras.
Great musicians like Ustad Bismillah Khan, Vidushi Girija Devi, Siddeshwari Devi, Rasoolan Bai, Pt Rajan Sajan Mishra, Pt Channulal Mishra, Pt Kumar Bose, Pt Birju Maharaj and others delegates belong to the Banaras Gharana and have showed their work in various parts of India as well as abroad.
Legendary Shennai Maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan quoted that “An image can never be the real thing. Varanasi is where the ganga flows, where I play the shennai for Lord Balaji. I shall be at home, nowhere else but in India”. This quote of Khansahib makes this very clear that people of Banaras are much deep rooted to their land and culture. Khansahib’s contribution in the field of Hindustani Classical Music is immense. He is considered the pioneer of making Shennai a mainstream instrument for playing in concerts. Once stated in his interview, he has also incorporated styles from other great vocalists of that time and has given us a completely improvised and new gayaki keeping the original flavour of Banaras intact which he has learnt from his maternal uncle.
Not only Bismillah Khan, our beloved Appaji ---- popularly known as Vidushi Girija Devi also once said in an interview that she wanted to die in the hearts of Banaras. She has also stated her bonds with the streets, the beautiful ghats, the food and the people of Kashi ----- The place where she was born. She has also played a key role in shaping the Banaras Gayaki. In an interview she stated that she used to be bewildered while listening to the artists singing a Thumri, Dadra or Kajri as they would sing the song blindly without focussing on the beauty of the lyrics and this being the major reason behind the gayaki not being accepted by the masses for a long time and was only enjoyed by the elites. She along with other great and legendary musicians like Siddeshwari Devi and Rasoolan Bai broke through the traditional practices and introduced the emotions of the Bandish giving equal importance to the beauty of the melody keeping intact the meaning and the beauty of the lyrics.
Diversification was so much imbibed by the people of Banaras, that the glorified place has gifted us many multi-talented musicians who have not only outshone their work but have also proposed multi-dimensional ways of promoting and visualising the art. Out of many talented musicians I admire the peerless and incomparable work of Pt Birju Maharaj ji. His mastery over Kathak have mesmerized his audience but his beautiful voice have also created immense impact on the masses. He used to sing Thumris while playing the Harmonium with so much ease and especially his expressions just by sitting on stage have kept me always in an awe. He is also a great Tabaliya and used to play the Tabla and Pakhawaj very well. Infact he confessed that his three gurus were completely different from each other. He narrates a funny story - where he used to be confused after learning a particular Bol (Ta ta ka thunga) from his uncle Pt Lachhu Maharaj ji and later learning the same bol from his other uncle Shambhu Maharaj ji. He further explained that he main reason behind confusion is the immensely diversified way of interpreting the Bols as Lachhu Maharaj’s style was much masculine and Shambhu Maharj’s style focussed more on the beauty and emotions that the bol conveyed. He further said that his aunt used to give him suggestions that he should show the art accordingly when he is learning from his uncles. But as heard from his eminent students like Saswati Sen Panditji mastered all the three styles with equal excellence.
Another multi-dimensional artist whose soulful gayaki always attracted me is Pt Rajan & Sajan Mishra --- Known as the Mishra Brothers. Their pristine gayaki with so much simplicity and ease has always attracted the masses. Their gayaki transcends us to a world of peace as they focus more on the poetic beauty and emotions of the Raga or the song they are singing. In an interview Pt Rajan Mishra ji said that “My father (Pt. Hanuman Mishra) used to tell us that if one’s rendition does not provide bliss to oneself, then it can never rejuvenate his audience.” Duet singing is a rare thing in Khayal gayaki but the Mishra Brothers broke through the stereotypical or traditional method of singing and started singing together in concerts. Their soulful yet powerful renditions were widely accepted and acknowledged by masses in India and abroad.
I feel that I am not able enough to write on Banaras Gharana, but as a music lover I have always tried to express the beauty of the Gayaki of the Ghats. Now Let’s dive into a small video clip where we have collected some moments of various artists spent by them at Banaras.