Preface to the Second Edition
It is heartening that, after
more than eight years since the release of this book, it continues to engage the
attention of serious music lovers. The
book has brought me in touch with some of the finest scholars and connoisseurs
of Hindustani music in India and abroad. Their reactions and comments have suggested
to me those facets of our music, which readers would like me to explore more comprehensively.
Two segments of this
book appear to have engendered the widest interest. The most important, not
surprisingly, is the phenomenon of the Raga. A close second is the coverage of
musical instruments. Both subjects are inexhaustible. An attempt is, however,
made in this edition, to enrich the contents of these two sections of the book.
On the subject of
Raga-ness, I have added two new chapters reflecting my current understanding
and concerns. To the original chapters, I have added post-scripts where I
thought they were warranted. The
chapters on the instruments have been revised, and made more comprehensive. The
coverage of instruments has been enlarged with chapters on the Tanpura, the Violin, the
Bansuri, the Pakhawaj and Tabla, and the Harmonium, which have appeared in my most
recent book, Hindustani Music Today
(DK Printworld, 2012).
I trust these additions
will make this book significantly more valuable to my readers.
Deepak S. Raja
Mumbai
Vijaya Dashami, 2013
