Raga Khamaj: short alap, gat in rupak tal (7 beats), gat in fast tintal (16 beats)

Chandrakaush Khamaj is a studio recording of North Indian classical music released in 1988 on CD by Raga Records. The album features sitarist Nikhil Banerjee accompanied by tabla player Mahapurush Misra. The release compiles material from a 1967 session.

The second track on the album presents a performance in Raga Khamaj with a duration of 30 minutes and 24 seconds. Banerjee opens with a concise alap that establishes the raga’s melodic framework. Misra provides rhythmic support throughout the composition. The performance transitions into a gat set in rupak tal, a seven-beat rhythmic cycle. Banerjee then develops a second gat in fast tintal, a sixteen-beat cycle, showcasing intricate taans and melodic elaborations. The interaction between Banerjee’s sitar and Misra’s tabla underscores the improvisational and structural elements of the Khayal-influenced instrumental tradition.

The album title Chandrakaush Khamaj references the raga’s association with the Khamaj thaat, though specific details about the 1967 recording session’s production context remain undocumented. Raga Records issued the material in 1988 as part of its catalog dedicated to archival and reissued classical Indian music. No alternate editions or additional tracks from the original session are confirmed in available sources.