25 STRINGS FOR THE SOUL
North Indian classical music brings together tradition, spirituality, and artistic mastery. Among its revered instruments, the Maihar Sarode is distinguished by its deep, resonant tone and expressive range. Through intricate melodies and improvisation, this majestic instrument gives voice to the soul of North Indian classical music.
A Glimpse into the History of the Sarode
The origins of the Sarode can be traced to ancient stringed instruments played between 200 BCE and 200 CE, during the period of Bharata Muni, author of the Natya Shastra. By the 20th century, the instrument had evolved into its modern form through the contributions of Acharya Baba Allauddin Khan and his son, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
The Anatomy of the Maihar Sarode
Craftsmanship: Carved from a single block of seasoned teak or toon wood.
Goatskin soundbox/belly: Enhances tonal depth and warmth.
25 metal strings: 4 Nayki (playing), 4 Jawari (resonating), 2 Chikari (drone), and 15 Tarab/Taraf (sympathetic) strings.
Fretless mild-steel fingerboard: Enables smooth sliding notes and meend.
Brass Toomba and bone bridges: Amplify string vibrations and create a majestic resonance.
Plectrum: The strings are plucked with a plectrum made from coconut shell.
The story of the Maihar Seniya Gharana begins with Mian Tansen, the legendary court musician of Emperor Akbar in the 16th century. The Seniya tradition continued across generations through his daughter Saraswati and later figures such as Nawbat Khan, Sadarang, and Ustad Mohammad Wazir Khan.
Acharya Ustad Allauddin Khan, reverently known as Baba, later shaped this inheritance into the distinctive instrumental tradition now celebrated worldwide as the Maihar Seniya Gharana. Deeply rooted in the austere and meditative aesthetics of Dhrupad, the gharana is especially known for the expansive unfolding of Alap, Jod, and Jhala—an approach marked by depth, spiritual intensity, and serenity. Equally central is the disciplined presentation of each Raag in its purest form, with clarity and fidelity to its essential character.
Through Baba’s disciples and descendants, the gharana profoundly influenced the course of modern North Indian classical music. Its celebrated exponents include Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Vidushi Annapurna Devi, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Pandit Nikhil Banerjee, Pandit Pannalal Ghosh, Ustad Aashish Khan, Professor Dhyanesh Khan, and many other influential musicians.
Atish Mukhopadhyay carries this legacy through more than four decades of training under Ustad Aashish Khan, Professor Dhyanesh Khan, and Vidushi Ameena Perera, along with occasional guidance from the legendary Ustad Ali Akbar Khan Sahib.
Images clockwise from Top-Left:
Gandabandhan ceremony on Saraswati Puja with Guru Ustad Aashish Khan in 1992
Receiving 'Medha Search Talent' Certificate from Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Pandit Kishen Maharaj in 1992
During a learning session in Kolkata with legendary Ustad Ali Akbar Khan Sahab during early 90s
With Ustad Ali Akbar Khan Sahab in December 2008 in his San Rafael home
