Morning Raga: Sind Bhairavi

Morning Raga: Sind Bhairavi is a 24-minute-43-second instrumental composition performed by sarod maestro Ali Akbar Khan with tabla accompaniment by Chatur Lal. The track appears as side A2 on the 1956 album Music of India: Morning and Evening Rāgas, released by His Master’s Voice on a 12\" vinyl LP. The recording exemplifies the ālāp-jor-jhālā structure characteristic of the Sind Bhairavi rāga, traditionally associated with dawn performances in the Hindustani classical tradition.

The album pairs morning and evening rāgas, with this track serving as the opening long-form piece. Khan’s sarod playing emphasizes the rāga’s komal re (flattened second) and komal dha (flattened sixth), while Lal’s tabla provides rhythmic support in the teental cycle during the jor and jhālā sections. The recording session’s exact location and production personnel remain undocumented in available sources. His Master’s Voice distributed the vinyl in India and select international markets, though later reissues or digital remasters are not confirmed in the provided context.

The collaboration between Khan and Lal was frequent during the 1950s, with this album marking one of their early commercial recordings. Sind Bhairavi holds significance in the Maihar gharana repertoire, which Khan represented as a disciple of Allauddin Khan. The track’s duration reflects the extended improvisational approach typical of classical Indian recordings from the era, prioritizing rāga development over concise formats. No lyricists or additional instrumentalists are credited for this performance.