Raga Puriya Dhanashri - Gats in Rupaktal & Teental

"Raga Puriya Dhanashri – Gats in Rupaktal & Teental" is a recorded performance by Indian classical musician Shivkumar Sharma. The piece features Sharma on the santoor, an instrument he popularized in Hindustani classical music. The performance was released in an unspecified year, though it aligns with Sharma’s mid-to-late 20th-century discography. The primary format of the recording is audio, likely distributed on vinyl, cassette, or CD, though the original label remains unconfirmed in available sources.

Sharma presents two gats (compositions) in Raga Puriya Dhanashri, a raga from the Poorvi thaat. The first gat is set to Rupaktal, a seven-beat rhythmic cycle. The second gat follows Teental, a 16-beat cycle common in Hindustani classical music. The performance adheres to the traditional structure of alap, jor, and jhala, though the specific duration of each section is not documented. The recording captures the interplay between melody and rhythm, characteristic of Sharma’s style.

The santoor, a trapezoid-shaped hammered dulcimer, produces the raga’s microtonal nuances through Sharma’s precise technique. The recording’s duration is 21 minutes and 59 seconds. Notable elements include the exploration of Puriya Dhanashri’s characteristic phrases, such as the use of komal re (flat second) and tivra ma (sharp fourth), which define the raga’s mood. The gats demonstrate improvisation within the framework of the talas, a hallmark of Hindustani instrumental performances.

Shivkumar Sharma (1938–2022) was a prominent exponent of the santoor and a key figure in elevating its status within classical music. His collaborations with artists like Hariprasad Chaurasia and Brij Bhushan Kabra expanded the instrument’s repertoire. This recording exemplifies his technical mastery and interpretive depth, though specific details about its release context, such as the album title or production credits, are not available in public records.