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Welcome to this site dedicated to the ragas of hindustani music as played on the santoor. Here you will find information about the main concepts of Indian classical music, a presentation of the major ragas performed on the santoor, notations of compositions and audio examples.  

The learning process of a raga implies memorizing a number of compositions in the same raga in order to build a "reservoir" of melodies that can come into play while improvising. These compositions have long been jealously preserved and transmitted orally only to a select few. Following the pioneering work of musicologist Vishnu Narayan Bhātkhaṇde (1920-1937), several vocal compositions (bandiśa) and instrumental compositions (gata) were made available to students, musicians and researchers through a notation system adapted to Indian music. This site is specifically designed to present the compositions played in the santoor gharānā established by Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. Santoor music

*Warning*

The learning process of a raga cannot be done without the contribution of a teacher capable of guiding the musician in the acquisition of performative knowledge that transcends mere reproduction. This site has no other claim than to offer a reference tool to the musician already engaged in the practice of hindustani music. However, we can always hope that the musical material presented here resonates beyond a closed circle, puts new strings in vibration and inspires more musicians to undertake what will surely be a wonderful journey.

santoor

raga

compositions

indian classical music

About 
Note on Transliteration

This site was created by Jonathan Voyer as part of a postdoctoral research-creation project carried out with the collaboration of Pandit Satish Vyas and Dr. Maneesha Kulkarni, professor at the music department of Mumbai University. This project was funded by Fonds de recherche  du Québec (FRQSC).

We opted for transliteration rather than transcription.  We use the system of the "International Alphabet for Transliteration of Sanskrit" (IAST).Thus, the term " बंदिश " is transliterated into "bandiśa" and not transcribed into "bandish". All the transliterated terms are neutral and written in italics, with the exception of names (including the name of ragas, e.g. Ahīra Bhairava). The vowel "a" attached to the final consonants is preserved for uniformity. The terms already translated in English are written as such, we will read "raga" and not "rāga".

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