Surround Yourself with Hindustani Ragas

Surround Yourself with Hindustani Ragas is a DVD-Audio compilation released on June 14, 2005, by Nimbus Records. The album features performances by eight prominent Hindustani classical musicians: Imrat Khan, Salamat Ali Khan, Buddhadev Das Gupta, Asad Ali Khan, Ram Narayan, Shivkumar Sharma, Padma Talwalkar and Hariprasad Chaurasia. The release presents 21 tracks organized into raga-based segments, showcasing alap, jor, jhala and compositional gat sections across multiple ragas.

The album opens with a three-part exploration of Raga Miyan Ki Todi, including alap, jor and a gat performance. The subsequent tracks feature Raga Kalavati with vocal compositions Lagan More Laage and Banna Ban Aaye. The collection continues with Raga Gorakh Kalyan, divided into alap and a fast-paced gat in tintal. Raga Jogiya appears in three movements: alap, jor and jhala, followed by a composition in the seven-beat tivratal cycle. The album concludes with Raga Mishra Bhairavi, presenting alap and a fast tintal composition.

The artists represent multiple instrumental and vocal traditions. Imrat Khan performs on sitar, Salamat Ali Khan contributes khyal vocals, Buddhadev Das Gupta plays sarod, Asad Ali Khan features on rudra veena, Ram Narayan on sarangi, Shivkumar Sharma on santoor, Padma Talwalkar provides dhrupad vocals and Hariprasad Chaurasia performs on bansuri. The release format leverages DVD-Audio technology to deliver high-resolution surround sound, emphasizing the acoustic nuances of each raga.

The compilation does not include liner notes detailing recording dates or specific accompanists for each track. The label Nimbus Records distributed the album as part of its classical music catalog, targeting audiences interested in immersive Hindustani raga presentations. The track sequence adheres to traditional raga progression conventions, though the exact performance venues or recording sessions remain undocumented in available sources.