Dhrupad

Dhrupad is the oldest surviving genre of Hindustani classical music, a solemn vocal and instrumental tradition that developed in the temples and courts of northern India from the fifteenth century. Its performance unfolds in two great arcs: an unmetered alap that explores the raga note by note, and a composed dhrupad or dhamar song set to pakhawaj drum cycles such as chautal. The *Dagar* family's austere singing, *Asad Ali Khan*'s rudra veena and the voice of *Uday Bhawalkar* exemplify a style prized for gravity, precision and meditative slowness.