Raga Ahir Bhairav: Alap and Jor / Vilambit Gat in Tintal / Madhya Gat in Ektal / Drut Gat in Tintal

Raga Ahir Bhairav: Alap and Jor / Vilambit Gat in Tintal / Madhya Gat in Ektal / Drut Gat in Tintal is a 31-minute, 40-second instrumental composition performed by sitarist Debashish Bhattacharya and tabla player Samir Chatterjee. The track appears as the first recording on the 1992 album Debashish Bhattacharya & Samir Chatterjee, released by India Archive Music in CD format.

The performance follows the traditional structure of a North Indian classical raga presentation. Debashish Bhattacharya opens with an alap and jor in Raga Ahir Bhairav, establishing the raga’s melodic framework. The composition progresses through a vilambit gat set in tintal (16-beat cycle), followed by a madhya gat in ektal (12-beat cycle). The piece concludes with a drut gat in tintal, showcasing faster improvisational passages. Samir Chatterjee accompanies on tabla, providing rhythmic support and interactive dialogue with the sitar.

The album title derives from the collaboration between the two artists. The release date is confirmed as 1992, though specific recording details and production personnel remain undocumented in available sources. India Archive Music issued the work as part of its catalog dedicated to traditional and contemporary Indian classical music.

Debashish Bhattacharya employs a modified sitar technique in this recording, though the album does not specify whether he uses his signature chaturangui (a multi-stringed guitar-sitar hybrid) or a conventional sitar. Samir Chatterjee’s tabla playing adheres to the Benares gharana style, characterized by intricate fingerwork and dynamic control. The track exemplifies the khayal-influenced instrumental approach common in Hindustani classical music of the period.