বিষ্ণুপুর ঘরানা/Bishnupur Gharana

The video is a presentation on the dhrupad gharana of Bishnupur in West Bengal. It is written and directed by Ashoke Viswanathan and includes interviews and performances from eminent researchers and vocalists. The Bishnupur Gharana is traced back to a descendant of Tansen, Bahadur Khan, who came to Bishnupur in the 17th century when classical music was on a decline in North India. He was appointed as a musician at the court of the Malla King Maharaja Raghunath Singh Deo II who was a great patron of the arts.The founding of the Bishnupur Gharana was a significant step in the development of music and the expansion of a distinctive dhrupad culture in Bengal. In Bishnupur, the alap was sung without any gamak and words were given importance. Several of the ragas were sung differently from the versions prevalent in other parts of India.