Knowledge nugget of the day: Haveli Sangeet

Subject: Art and Culture 

Why is this taxable relevant?

Haveli Sangeet is simply a blend of music, spirituality, and past that exemplifies India’s intangible taste heritage. From the position of the UPSC CSE, this taxable is important arsenic it relates to assorted important themes, specified arsenic the interaction of the Bhakti Movement, the fusion of religion and art, and the improvement of classical music. All these aspects are important for UPSC preparation.

Key Takeaways :

1. Haveli Sangeet, popularly known arsenic temple music, is simply a unsocial philharmonic contented rooted successful past temple euphony successful India. It is simply a vibrant look of devotion, transcending its origins successful temple rituals to go an integral portion of India’s classical euphony heritage.

2. This euphony signifier declined during the medieval play but saw a revival with the emergence of the Bhakti movement, peculiarly done the Pushtimargiya Sangeet Parampara of the Vaishnav Sampradaya.

3. Haveli Sangeet, though lone astir 5 centuries old, preserves the traditions of Bhakti euphony that person been contiguous successful India’s temples for implicit 5,000 years. The endurance of Haveli Sangeet is credited to dedicated practitioners who defended its purity against outer influences, ensuring the continuity of this spiritual creation form.

Vallabhacharya and Haveli Sangeet

1. In 1556, Vallabhacharya recovered a divine signifier of Bhagwat, which helium named Lord Shrinath, oregon the ‘Consort of the Goddess of Wealth,’ successful a cave connected Giriraj Mountain. Vallabhacharya intended to physique a expansive temple for this deity but was acrophobic astir its imaginable demolition during the reign of Aurangzeb. As a result, the deity was moved respective times earlier yet uncovering a imperishable location successful Nathdwara, Rajasthan.

2. Vallabhacharya selected 4 disciples—Kumbhandas, Surdas, Parmanandas, and Krishnadas—for devotional services, and Kumbhandas was appointed the archetypal kirtankar (singer) of Shrinath. 

3. Ashta Sakhas: The contented flourished nether Vallabhacharya’s son, Shri Vitthalnath (also known arsenic Shri Gusai). Gusai systematised the sewa (service) and added 4 much disciples  — Govindawami, Chhitaswami, Chaturbhujdas and Nanddas — to the archetypal group, forming the Astachaps oregon Ashta Sakhas (eight companions) of the Lord. These Astachaps were maestro composers, blending substance and euphony with exceptional skill.

4. Gusai introduced the concepts of raga (melody), bhog (offering), and shringar (adornment) arsenic integral parts of the sewa. The raag sewa involves singing padas (devotional hymns) successful antithetic ragas and taals (rhythmic cycles) according to the 8 prahars (time periods) arsenic portion of the Ashtayam sewa, including Mangala, Shringar, Gwaal, Rajbhoga, Uthapan, Bhoga, Sandhya, Aarati, and Shayan.

The kings from crossed the states of India, namely Rajasthan, Gwalior, Agra, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra were each followers and disciples of the Vallabh Sampradaya, and frankincense this accepted euphony yet reached their tribunal musicians..

5. Today, the temple of Shrinathji successful Nathdwara, known arsenic the Haveli of Shrinathji, serves arsenic the spot of the Pushtimarg. Since the Pushtimarg temples were referred to arsenic Havelis, the euphony associated with these temples became known arsenic Haveli Sangeet.

Haveli Sangeet- A blend of contented and devotion

In Bhagwat Purana, determination are 9 forms of devotional services: proceeding (sravanam), chanting (kirtanam), remembering (smaranam), serving (pada-sevanam), worship of the deity (arcanam), praying (vandanam), carrying retired orders (dasyam), serving Him arsenic a person (sakhyam) and sacrificing everything for the Lord (atma-nivedanam). Among these, kirtanam holds a important place. The Pushti Margiya temples of the Vallabha sect became large centres of Kirtan Bhakti, wherever Haveli sangeet thrived.

The Legacy of Haveli Sangeet 

1. Pandit Jasraj was 1 of the precise fewer Indian classical musicians who was blessed to person performed Haveli Sangeet successful astir of the temples successful India.

Pandit Jasraj besides popularised Haveli sangeet, the indispensable constituent of which is dhrupad. (Source: Express Archive)

2. There is simply a misconception that Haveli Sangeet is sung lone successful the Dhrupad style, portion Khyal, Kirtana, and Bhajan styles are besides common.

📍Khyal Gayaki: It emphasises melody (Bhav and Raga Pradhan), wherever the absorption is connected the raga alternatively than the lyrics. 

📍Dhrupad Gayaki: It is bushed and word-centric (Taal and Shabd pradhan), with the lyrics fixed prominence. In Dhrupad singing wrong the Haveli Sangeet, a performer cannot interruption a operation oregon connection during layakari (rhythmic improvisation).

BEYOND THE NUGGET:  Indian classical music

1. Today, we admit 2 systems of classical music: Hindustani and Carnatic. Additionally, determination are respective different traditions specified arsenic folk, tribal, etc. 

2. Carnatic euphony is chiefly recovered successful the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. In contrast, the classical euphony of the remainder of India is known arsenic Hindustani Classical Music. Notably, determination are areas successful Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh wherever the Hindustani Classical strategy is besides practiced. 

3. Carnatic euphony is characterized by its homogeneity, whereas Hindustani euphony reflects a much heterogeneous Indian tradition.

(Sources: Rediscovering Haveli Sangeet: A travel done India’s past temple music)

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