Ustad Bahauddin Khan Dagar, possibly the you-ngest of the few remaining players of the oldest surviving north Indian classical instrument now called the rudra veena (earlier known as just the Been), was the main attraction of ‘Dhrupad Gurkul’, Behala’s second anniversary program-me at the Birla Academy.

The opening ati mandra portion of his 48-minute alap in Hansadhvani was not pitch-perfect, but the defect disappeared in the mandra and madhya saptak. In these portions one could hear the instrument in its majestic grandeur. However, the phrase Ni Re Ga is not used in Hansadhvani since it evokes Yaman. Bahauddin made frequent use of it. Playing steadily, he reached the tar saptak sadaj on the 23rd minute and then went on to the jod.

There was a brief session of lad-lapet in the faster portion of this section and also excellent thhok jhala. The 10-minute tarparan in this raga and the brief aochar and tarparan in Malkauns were played with cool competence. Rishav Dhar, the pakhawaj accompanist, gave a good account of himself. The quick changeover from the all-natural scale of Hansadhvani to the all-flat Malkauns created a pleasurable effect, though, traditionally speaking, 8.43 pm was a little early for Malkauns.

The evening had opened with chorus dhrupad in Multani by Gurukul students and was followed by alap and dhrupad in Jog by Ashoka Dhar, senior pupil of the late Ustad Nasir Aminuddin Khan Dagar.