Vardhani: Jod

Vardhani: Jod is a dhrupad composition performed on the rudra veena by Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar. The track appears as the fifth recording on the 2018 album Ragas Abhogi & Vardhani (Rudra Veena // Seattle // 9 March 1986), released by Ideologic Organ in digital media format on 14 May 2018.

The performance captures a live concert recorded in Seattle on 9 March 1986. Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar presents Raga Vardhani in the jod section, a structured improvisational phase in dhrupad that emphasizes rhythmic and melodic development. The track spans 7 minutes and 47 seconds, showcasing the artist’s mastery of the rudra veena, a fretless lute traditionally associated with the Dagarbani style of dhrupad.

The album pairs Raga Vardhani with Raga Abhogi, both rendered in the alaap-jod-jhala framework characteristic of the Dagar tradition. The recording preserves the acoustic ambiance of the 1986 performance without additional studio processing. No further details about the accompanying artists, venue specifics, or production personnel are documented in available sources.

Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar (1929–1990) belonged to the 19th generation of the Dagar gharana, a lineage renowned for its austere and meditative approach to dhrupad. His performances on the rudra veena emphasized deep tonal exploration and intricate layakari (rhythmic play). This release marks one of the few commercially available recordings of his live work from the 1980s.