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Esraj

Esraj

The esraj is an Indian stringed instrument found in two forms throughout the Indian subcontinent. It is a relatively recent instrument, being only about 300 years old. It is found in North India, primarily Punjab, where it is used in Sikh music and Hindustani classical compositions and in West Bengal. The esraj is a modern variant of the dilruba, differing slightly in structure.

Dilruba and its variant, the Esraj, had been declining in popularity for many decades. By the 1980s, the instrument was nearly extinct. However, with the rising influence of the "Gurmat Sangeet" movement, the instrument has been once again attracting attention. Rabindranath Tagore made this instrument mandatory for all the students of sangeet bhavana of Shantiniketan. Esraj is the main accompanying instrument for rabindra sangeet in Shantiniketan.

Esraj is the modern variant of Dilruba. Dilruba was created some 300 years ago by the 10th Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh, who based it on the much older, and heavier, Taus This made it more convenient for the Khalsa, the Sikh army, to carry the instrument on horseback.

Esraj is the modern variant of Dilruba. Dilruba was created some 300 years ago by the 10th Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh, who based it on the much older, and heavier, Taus This made it more convenient for the Khalsa, the Sikh army, to carry the instrument on horseback

Comments

Pooja Mon, 19/07/2021 - 19:31

Here Sri Buddhadev Das essentially talks about the  structure of the Esraj. He sheds light on the different components and framework of the instrument and how it has evolved throughout time. 
He describes all the nifty little features, the components gone into the making of this special Esraj including a particular kind of leather, copper coated strings and resins among others.
 

Pooja Mon, 19/07/2021 - 19:32

Arshad Khan is a rare modern exponent of the esrj, a bowed instrument from Bengal which can mimic the cry of the human voice with startling accuracy.

Learn more about the music:

Arshad Khan is a leading exponent of the esraj, a rare bowed-fretted instrument from Bengal, long associated with Sikh devotional music. The instrument has been declining in popularity for decades, but is enjoying a small resurgence thanks to the ‘Gurmat Sangeet’ revival movement of Silk spiritual song. Arshad plays classically as well as bringing his instrument’s rich, vocalistic tone to soundtracks and fusion projects.

Bhairavi is often described as the ‘queen of ragas’. It takes its name from the Hindu goddess of destruction, and conjures versatile moods. To some it can evoke ‘awe, terror, and chaos’; to others ‘a pleasant sobering atmosphere of love and piety’. It is played at sunrise, or alternatively as the final piece in a concert. Understanding the raga in depth is crucial to Hindustani learning - bansuri master Rupak Kulkarni recounts the approach of his guru Hariprasad Chaurasia: “Guruji taught me Raag Bhairavi for five years. When I complained about the repetition, he said: ‘You have to practice Bhairavi until your last breath’. That is what made me realize what swarabhyas [the study of notes] means”.

It is based on the form SrgmPdnS - all swaras [notes] are komal [flattened] except Sa, Ma, and Pa, like the Western Phrygian scale or Carnatic Raga Hanumatodi. The vadi and samvadi [king and queen notes] are typically taken to be Ma and Sa. The raga commonly takes a versatile mishra (‘mixed’) form - all 12 notes are allowed, thus injecting some comparatively rare chromaticism into Hindustani music. Its flexibility is unmatched in the raga pantheon. 

Recorded by Darbar on location in Mulshi, India:
-Arshad Khan (esraj)

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