Raga Nat Bhairav (Surbahar): Alap, Jor & Jhala

Raga Nat Bhairav is a studio album released in 2002 under the India Archive Music label. The recording features a performance of the raga Nat Bhairav on the surbahar, a bass variant of the sitar. The album adopts a traditional North Indian classical format, emphasizing the slow, meditative development of the raga through alap, jor, and jhala sections.

The primary artist is Manilal Nag, a noted exponent of the surbahar and a disciple of the Senia-Maihar gharana. He performs the lead role in the single-track composition. Samir Chatterjee accompanies on the tabla, providing rhythmic support throughout the 37-minute-16-second performance. The track sequence follows the conventional structure of Hindustani classical music, beginning with an unmetered alap that explores the raga’s melodic contours, progressing into the rhythmic jor, and concluding with the faster, percussive jhala.

The album was issued in CD format, with the label India Archive Music specializing in archival and contemporary recordings of Indian classical traditions. The release date is documented as 2002, though specific recording dates or locations remain unconfirmed in available sources. The track title, Raga Nat Bhairav (Surbahar): Alap, Jor & Jhala, directly describes the content, with no additional compositions or artists included in the release.

Nat Bhairav is a variant of the parent raga Bhairav, distinguished by its use of the komal re (flattened second) and komal dha (flattened sixth) in ascent and descent. The performance adheres to the dhrupad-anga style, characterized by deep tonal resonance and deliberate phrasing. The absence of lyrical or vocal elements centers the focus on instrumental expression, a hallmark of surbahar recitals in the Hindustani tradition.