The Chronicles of Khayal

Much of our understanding of India’s musical traditions are based on fantastical & amusing episodes. The ability of musicians to invoke rain & fire upon rendering a certain raga is one such example. In fact, the Hindustani Classical Sangeet - celebrated for its enormity or limitless & expansive nature - has been a great illustrator of secular & syncretic traditions.
‘Khayal’ is one such definitive manifestation of the said tradition that developed as a preeminent form over the years, almost as a natural crystallisation from preexisting styles.
Derived from the Arabic-Persian word 'khayal' (کهيال | ख्याल | khyāl, or खैआल | khaiʼāl), the name literally translates to 'imagination' or 'lyric'. Accordingly, it requires both the imaginative skill of the artiste during a performance, as well as the ability of the audience to be receptive & appreciate it.
Historians locate the crystallization of Khayal mainly within the royal courts of Mughal emperors in medieval North India amongst which the prominent name that laid the cornerstone through musical contributions & synthesis, as well as patronage, include, musician-poet Amir Khusrow (13th century AD), Sharqui Sultans of Jaunpur(15th Century AD) & Niyamat Khan Sadarang(17th century AD).


The political shift during the 19th century - the gradual consolidation of Britishers - brought a change in power dynamics as patronage to arts declined. The eventual outcome of this led to the formation of Khayal Gharanas named after the places they were situated or the courts where they flourished such as Gwalior, Jaipur-atrauli, Agra, Kirana, e.t.c.
Each Gharana operated through a fiercely guarded bond of unity ‘Guru-Shishya Parampara’ where each Ustad(Guru) would ‘riyaz’ in strict secrecy to jealousy guard his art.
There are instances where pupils would hide behind doors & under the furniture to extract musical treasures unwilling gurus of Khayal.
Furthermore, the Khayal concerts would continue in the night starting at around 9, ending only at the crack of dawn the next day.

Today, classical art forms including Khayal exist in niches with the number of concerts & their hours plummeting. The raw inventiveness with which legends like Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Amir Khan, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Kishori Amonkar, Kumar Gandharva, Mogubai Kurdikar interacted with their audiences needs a definite revival.

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