Rag Puriya-kalyan
About Rag Puriya-kalyan
Rag Puriya-kalyan is a 1997 recording of the Hindustani classical raga Puriya-kalyan performed by sitarist Budhaditya Mukherjee. The album features a single uninterrupted track lasting 29 minutes and 25 seconds. Mukherjee presents the raga in the traditional khayal style, emphasizing its characteristic phrases and melodic contours within the Kafi thaat framework.
The performance follows the conventional structure of alaap, jor, and jhala>, followed by a composed section in madhyalaya teental (medium-tempo 16-beat cycle). Mukherjee employs the gayaki ang (vocal-style phrasing) on the sitar, a hallmark of his playing influenced by the Senia-Maihar gharana. The recording captures the raga’s evening (sandhi prakash) mood, with the artist exploring its shuddha dhaivat (natural sixth) and komal nishad (flattened seventh) as defining swaras.
The album was released in audio CD format, though the original label and production details remain undocumented in widely accessible sources. No accompanying artists, such as tabla or tanpura players, are credited in the available metadata. The track stands as a representative example of Mukherjee’s interpretive approach to the Puriya-kalyan raga, which he frequently performed in live concerts during the 1990s.
Notable aspects of the recording include the artist’s use of meend (glissando) and gamak (ornamentation) to highlight the raga’s emotional depth. The composition section introduces a rhythmic interplay, though specific bandish (lyrical theme) details are not preserved in public records. The recording’s duration aligns with the extended improvisational format typical of classical Indian instrumental albums from the period.