Bhendi-Bazaar
Introduction
The Bhendi Bazaar Gharana is a unique vocal gharana of Hindustani classical music that was founded around 1890 by three brothers—Chhajju Khan, Nazir Khan, and Khadim Hussain Khan—in the Bhendi Bazaar area of Mumbai (then Bombay). The founders originally belonged to the Moradabad area of Uttar Pradesh but migrated to Mumbai, where their gharana became better known by its Mumbai location rather than its geographic origin. The name "Bhendi Bazaar" itself derives from the British pronunciation "Behind the Bazaar," referring to the neighborhood's location between the bustling lanes of Mohammed Ali Road and Khetwadi, which evolved over time into its current nomenclature.
The three founding brothers received their initial musical training from their father, Ustad Dilawar Hussain Khan, and later studied under Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan of the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana and Ustad Inayat Khan of the Dagar Gharana. This diverse training created a unique synthesis that became the hallmark of the Bhendi Bazaar style. The gharana represents an urban Mumbai sensibility applied to classical music, creating a distinctive approach that emphasizes technical precision, breath control, and clear articulation.
The features of the Bhendi Bazaar Gharana include using aakar (vowel sounds) for presenting khyals in an open voice with clear intonation, exceptional stress on breath control, and the ability to sing long passages in a single breath. The gharana has a preference for madhyalaya (medium tempo) and uses the well-known Merukhand or Khandmeru system for extended alaps. The singers incorporate complex merukhand permutations into their raga elaboration and employ aesthetic ornaments imported from the Karnatak system, such as brukas—short, swift, and razor-sharp executions of melodic ideas during raga elaboration—and sargams executed with great aesthetic feeling and finesse.
The gayaki places exceptional emphasis on pronunciation and enunciation, setting this style apart from other khayal forms of singing. Ustad Aman Ali Khan (1888-1958), son of founder Chhajju Khan, stands as one of the most noteworthy figures of this tradition. He taught illustrious students including Anjanibai Malpekar, Pandit Shivkumar Shukla, Pandit T.D. Janorikar, and notably, the legendary playback singers Lata Mangeshkar and Manna Dey, who brought elements of this classical gharana into Hindi film music. During Partition, Aman Ali Khan migrated to Pakistan, leaving behind these dedicated disciples to continue his legacy and ensure the survival of the Bhendi Bazaar tradition in India.
