Dhrupad Style: A Soulful Genre of Hindustani Classical Music

From Maihar, Gwalior, Indore Gharanas to Dhrupad & Khyal styles, Madhya Pradesh is endowed with various musical houses and genres of Indian Classical Music. Among these soulful music forms, Dhrupad is one of the oldest continuing forms of Hindustani Classical Music in the world. The harmonious genre represents the deepest thoughts of Indian culture and connection with the inner self. It uses the whole body in a yogic manner to produce a melodic sound.

Dhrupad is famous for Jugalbandi (entwined twins) of musicians and some popular duo of all time are the Dagar and Gundecha Brothers. Born in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, Umakant and Late Ramakant Gundecha have been the leading musical pair of Dhrupad style who have performed in many Indian and international music shows. For their contribution to the Indian classical music, they were awarded with prestigious Padma Shri in 2012, fourth highest civilian award in India and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2017 by the government of India. They were trained under the Dagar brothers Zia Fariduddin Dagar and Zia Mohiuddin Dagar at the Dhrupad Kendra, Bhopal. Both the gurus belonged to the major Dhrupad forces in the country.

The Dhrupad Kendra Bhopal was established by the government of Madhya Pradesh in 1981 to promote the rich heritage of Dhrupad music by training the aspiring singers through 'teacher-apprentice tradition' or 'guru-shishya parampara' of education. It is an ancient tradition of teaching in which the students devote their lives to learn from their gurus.  The institute also trains student coming from different nationalities. Despite speaking different languages, music becomes the common mode of communication that connects the unlike souls at Dhrupad Kendra. The music of Dhrupad truly justifies that music is indeed a universal language and has no barriers.

Travel to Madhya Pradesh and discover the rich and vast musical history of the state.