Origins & History
Aneesh Pradhan dates the gharana to the first half of the 18th century, and SwarGanga puts the founder's birth at about 1700. Pradhan calls Siddhar Khan Dhadhi the earliest known tabla player. His name also appears as Sidhar and Sudhar Khan, and course notes on Robert Gottlieb's recordings spell the surname Dhari and place his birth in the late 1700s.
Siddhar Khan learned the pakhawaj, the barrel drum, before he turned to the tabla. SwarGanga credits his work on the chanti, the rim of the right drum, with making the tabla a regular accompaniment for khayal singing.
In the 18th century, James Kippen writes, many musicians left Delhi for the Awadh courts at Faizabad and later Lucknow. The Lucknow and Ajrara gharanas both came from the Delhi line, and Pradhan calls Delhi the fountainhead of the tabla gharanas in many players' view.
"Six gharanas are widely recognised"
Chronologie historique
Siddhar Khan is born
The gharana begins in Delhi
Musicians leave Delhi for Awadh
Ajrara founders born
Inam Ali Khan records for Gottlieb
Lineage & Legacy
The guru-shishya tradition passed down through generations
By SwarGanga's account Siddhar Khan taught his son Bugra Khan. Bugra Khan's disciple Sitab Khan then taught the founders of the Ajrara gharana. In the 20th century Pradhan names Natthu Khan as a significant exponent. Gamay Khan's son Inam Ali Khan, called the gharana's khalifa, or head, recorded for Gottlieb's survey of solo tabla in 1971.
Founder
Siddhar Khan Dhadhi
Born about 1700
Founder
18th century, by SwarGanga's account
Bugra Khan
18th century
Son of the founder
Sitab Khan
18th century
Disciple of Bugra Khan
20th century
Natthu Khan
1875-1940
Tabla player
Gamay Khan
1883-1958
Tabla player
Inam Ali Khan
1924-1986 or 1990
Khalifa of the gharana
The gharana system is rooted in the guru-shishya (teacher-disciple) tradition, where musical knowledge and style are passed down through direct apprenticeship over three or more generations.
Key exponents
- Siddhar Khan Dhadhi, founder, born about 1700
- Bugra Khan, son of the founder, by SwarGanga's account
- Sitab Khan, teacher of the Ajrara founders, by SwarGanga's account
- Natthu Khan, 1875-1940, exponent of the gharana
- Gamay Khan, 1883-1958, father of Inam Ali Khan
- Inam Ali Khan, 1924-1986 or 1990, khalifa of the gharana
Caractéristiques musicales
Distinctive style, techniques, and aesthetic philosophy
Overall Style
Delhi tabla is played at the rim. Musicians call it kinar baj, the rim style, because the main right-hand stroke falls at the edge of the drumhead, and many phrases use only two fingers. Pradhan describes it as a band baj, a quieter and closed style, set against the more resonant khula baj. The qaida, a theme with set variations, sits at its centre.
Kinar baj
Two fingers
Closed and quiet
The qaida
Signature Repertoire
The core Delhi repertoire is peshkar, qaida and rela, with mukhra, mohra and short tukras. It uses fewer pakhawaj bols and gives less weight to parans. Delhi qaidas are mostly in chatusra jati, a four-fold division, on bols such as dhit, tit, dhage, tinakina and tirakita. The peshkar is said to have begun in Delhi, though most modern peshkar playing follows the Farrukhabad manner.
Compare with Similar Gharanas
Understand how Delhi Gharana (Tabla) differs from other traditions
Select a Gharana to Compare:
| Delhi Gharana (Tabla) (Current) |
Lucknow Gharana (Tabla) (Comparing) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Type | Tabla | Tabla |
| Origine | Delhi | Lucknow |
| Era | Late 18th century | |
| Style | Delhi tabla is played at the rim. Musicians call it kinar baj, the rim style, because the main right-hand stroke falls at the edge of the drumhead, and many phrases use only two fingers. Pradhan describes it as a band baj, a quieter and closed style, set against the more resonant khula baj. The qaida, a theme with set variations, sits at its centre. | The Lucknow manner is khula baj, the open style: bolder, more resonant strokes that use the palm with the fingers, set against Delhi's two-finger playing at the rim. Open and closed are not always clearly defined, and khula baj also plays closed strokes with force. The style draws on pakhawaj technique and on kathak, whose dancers shaped its fixed compositions. The dance school itself has its own page, the Lucknow gharana of Kathak. |
Influence & Legacy
Two gharanas came from Delhi. The Lucknow gharana was founded by Bakhshu Khan and, it is commonly believed, by Modhu Khan, though SwarGanga names Modhu Khan alone. The Ajrara gharana was founded by Kallu Khan and Miru Khan. Delhi and Ajrara make up the Dilli baj, against the Purab or eastern baj of Lucknow, Benares and Farrukhabad, and students of every gharana learn Delhi qaidas.
Offshoots & Related Styles
Sources
- Aneesh Pradhan, Tabla performances by maestros of the Delhi gharana, Scroll.in (2016)
- SwarGanga Music Foundation, Siddhar Khan (n.d.)
- DigiTabla, Dilli Gharana, Baj and Six gharanas (n.d.)
- Skidmore College course notes on Robert S. Gottlieb, Solo Tabla Drumming of North India (2013)
- James Kippen, The Tabla of Lucknow (1988)
Questions fréquentes
What is the Delhi gharana of tabla?
The Delhi or Dilli gharana is the tabla school that Siddhar Khan Dhadhi began in Delhi in the first half of the 1700s. Its style is the kinar baj, played at the rim with two fingers. Its qaidas are a foundation for players of every gharana.
Who founded the Delhi gharana of tabla?
Siddhar Khan Dhadhi founded the Delhi gharana of tabla, and Aneesh Pradhan calls him the earliest known tabla player. SwarGanga puts his birth at about 1700, while course notes on Gottlieb's recordings place it in the late 1700s. He trained on the pakhawaj before the tabla.
Which musicians belong to the Delhi gharana of tabla today?
The most recent khalifa, or head, of the Delhi gharana in the 20th century was Inam Ali Khan (1924-1986 or 1990), son of Gamay Khan, who recorded for Robert Gottlieb's survey in 1971. Aneesh Pradhan also names Natthu Khan (1875-1940) as a significant exponent of the gharana.
How does the Delhi gharana of tabla differ from the Lucknow gharana?
Delhi tabla is a closed, quieter style played largely with two fingers at the rim, while Lucknow's open style uses the palm with the fingers. Delhi centres on qaidas, and Lucknow, shaped by kathak, builds fixed forms such as gat, tukra and paran. Lucknow came from the Delhi line. Read more on the Lucknow gharana page.
What is the difference between bandh baaj and khula baaj in tabla?
Bandh baaj is the closed, quieter style of tabla, and khula baaj the more resonant, open one. Aneesh Pradhan places Delhi in the band baaj. The line between them is loose, and most players now practise both, in differing measure by gharana.
Is the Delhi gharana the oldest tabla gharana?
SwarGanga calls the Delhi gharana the first and fundamental gharana of tabla, and Aneesh Pradhan reports that it is regarded as the fountainhead of the others. The Punjab gharana developed separately, so not every gharana descends from Delhi, though Lucknow and Ajrara do.
Is the Delhi tabla gharana the same as the Delhi vocal gharana?
No. The Delhi tabla gharana, founded by Siddhar Khan, is a separate tradition from the Delhi gharana of khayal singing, which shares only the city name. See the Delhi gharana of khayal.
Why do tabla students of every gharana learn Delhi qaidas?
Tabla students of every gharana learn Delhi qaidas because the qaida, a theme with set variations, is the core of the Delhi repertoire. Most players, whatever their gharana, treat a grounding in Delhi qaidas as essential.
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