Sunday 2 August 2015

When it Rains The Clouds Sing "Miya Ki Malhar"


After the scorching summer heat, the monsoons bring much needed relief and joy to the capital city.The best part it is the jun-july of every year the childish girl within me reminds me that I am a monsoon child.

Being a bong I cannot deny that I love Autumn.But somewhere within I am a monsoon child. The first rain, as we remembered was told to us in our even younger days, settles the dust and impurities from the sky above and should be avoided.But somehow the first rain is what I cannot resist.The  rain  drenched streets and  the dancing trees are the real monsoon delight.

Rain  drenched city and a cup of coffee never fails nomatter how hard  the day  be.

As the metro starts nearing the targetted destination , when  you  look  at  the  canvas of the sky  you will notice the clouds painting the  story of megh malhar.

Malhar symbolises a raaga of monsoon.According  to  some verses the indian  classical music and the raagas are based on  seasons and philosophy  that  relates the  season cycle with different  stages and feelings of human  life.
Mal-har” actually means  washing  away the evil .
As I  take a  look  at the rain  drenched city a  part of my soul sings Malhar. There are many variations of Raga Malhar, and are categorised chronologically based on the era of their composition - prachina (before the 15th Century), madhyakalina (15th - 18th Century) and arvachina (19th Century and thence). Ragas Shuddha Malhar, Megh Malhar and Gaud Malhar belong to the first period
Miyan ki malhar is a variation introduced by Tansen (one of the composers in the court of the Mughal emperor Akbar), which follows the swaras: S R g m P D n N. Though Miyan ki malhar and Raga Bahar have the same tone material, the melodic movements in Miyan ki malhar are rather serious and slow, moving more in the lower tetra-chord, whereas movements in Bahar are more sprightly and centre around the high Sa.

I can  relate malhar allot to  the advent rain  the alap and prelude is a lot more serious as  it stands as a symbol of  the thunder while the melody part runs smooth and goes towards the higher notes depicting the intensity of beautiful rain.
And my heart sings
Bijuri Chamake Barase
 Meharawa Aayilo Badariya
Ka Karun Maayi Mora Jiyara Tarase  
 Ghan Garaje Ghan Bijuri Chamake
 Papiha Pee Pee Ter Sunaawe
Ka Karun Maayi Mori Jiyara Laraje

Nomatter how much  devotion  we  have  for  Indian Classical Music ,we bongs kind of fail to related  most things unless they have a strong connection  with our very own Robi Thakur’s Creation .

Whenever I  listen  to Tagore’s song Jhoro Jhoro Borishe Bari Dhara  I feel a strong touch  of  Miya ki Malhar.

ঝরঝর বরিষে বারিধারা
হায় পথবাসী, হায় গতিহীন,   হায় গৃহহারা 
ফিরে বায়ু হাহাস্বরে,   ডাকে কারে জনহীন অসীম প্রান্তরে--
রজনী আঁধারে॥
অধীরা যমুনা তরঙ্গ-আকুলা অকূলা রে,   তিমিরদুকূলা রে।
নিবিড় নীরদ গগনে   গরগর গরজে সঘনে,
চঞ্চলচপলা চমকে--   নাহি শশীতারা 
The beauty of River Yammuna in  Monsoon  somehow remins me of a few lines  from  the song



অধীরা যমুনা তরঙ্গ-আকুলা অকূলা রে,   তিমিরদুকূলা রে।
নিবিড় নীরদ গগনে   গরগর গরজে সঘনে,

CEASELESS is THE welter of rain that wearies the sky.
Alas for the forsaken! Alas for the homeless wanderer!
The shrieks of the wind die away in sobs and sighs.
What flying phantom does it pursue across the pathless wild?
The night is hopeless like the eyes of the blind.
Alas for the forsaken! Alas for the homeless wanderer!
The waves are frantic in the river lost in the shoreless dark.
The thunder growls, the lightning flashes its teeth.
The lights of the stars are dead.
Alas for the forsaken! Alas for the homeless wanderer!
- Translated by Rabindranath Tagore


Being a monsoon  child all I can  say  is my love  for  Music and Rain  somehow dedicate this blog  to my readers .Its is just a random  feeling penned down  nothing  else .

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