Ajmer

Ajmer is a studio album by Indian classical sitarist Imrat Khan, released in 1991. The recording marks a solo performance by Khan, accompanied by tabla artist Shafaatullah Khan on select tracks. The label Water Lily Acoustics produced the album in CD format as part of its catalog of North Indian classical music.

The album features two extended raga performances. The first track presents Rag Alhaiya Bilaval, a morning raga associated with the Bilaval thaat. The second composition, Rag Imratkauns, is a rare raga created by Khan himself, blending elements of the Kafi and Todi traditions. Shafaatullah Khan provides tabla accompaniment exclusively on this track. The recording session location remains undocumented, but the release aligns with Water Lily Acoustics’ emphasis on high-fidelity acoustic capture.

Khan’s interpretation on Ajmer showcases the vilambit (slow) and drut (fast) sections typical of the khayal-influenced instrumental style. The album title references the city of Ajmer in Rajasthan, though the connection to the musical content is not explicitly detailed in available sources. The 1991 release date coincides with Khan’s period of international recognition, following his relocation to the United States in the 1980s.

Water Lily Acoustics, founded by audiophile Kavi Alexander, specialized in direct-to-disk and digital recordings of Indian classical artists. The label’s production standards for Ajmer included minimal post-processing to preserve the natural resonance of Khan’s sitar and the accompanying tabla. No alternate editions or reissues of the album have been confirmed in public records.