The depth of Hindustaani Classical Music

A journey through life. An analogy to the same could be a journey through a fifteen minute chhota khayal. (A chhota khayal is a genre of Hindustaani Classical Singing). Come to think of it, through the last 10 years, I have been wondering what the purpose of the 'chhota khayal', a focal point in Indian Classical music is. As it starts with the 'aalaap', it is like childhood, giving the raag a feel of what's to come in the next few stages. Sets the rules, defines the 'baadi' (most stressed syllable), and the 'sambaadi' (the second most stressed syllable), the focal points of the particular raag. By defining the rules early on, the 'raag' proceeds towards the sthaayi (the main couplet of the song, analogized to the formative adolescent stages as the character starts showing) and antraa( the grown-up where the character developed accentuates itself through a further example. It tries to do something different through different words but is stuck in a myriad of its own creations which it cannot escape from) - which through words traditionally portrayed a romantic thought. The song at this stage is in its maturity stage, and is often adorned with variations ('vistaars'). These help to break the monotony of the raag - yet play by the rules!

Once the effect starts becoming monotonic (this could be analogized to the stage just after the antraas where you have explored the entire raag within the realms of the rules and adorned it with the beauty of poetry) - things start speeding up when you least expect them to through the channel of 'taans'. You go through one after the other - like rafting in a stream full of cascades - which give you all the ups and downs of life without getting you drowned in them. Before you realize it - you are there - almost at the end. But the story does not end that easily. There is one last flurry of activity through the medium of 'bol taans'. These summarize the flavours of all that is captured by the raag. A fast forward of the entire message just played out before. And then, just as before it just began, there is a complete transfusion of all sounds and you come back to where you started.

Silence.