What is Basant Panchami’s connect to music?

How Spring is always heralded with singing and dancing

An iconic composition in Raag Basant, ‘Phagwa brij dekhan ko chalo ri…’ sung by Pt. Bhimsen Joshi around Basant Panchami (February 2) still rings in my ears, more than 40 years after I heard it. The notes and lyrics were so evocative of Spring in verdant Vrindavan.

Basant Panchami, which heralds the season of Spring, is a day sacred to musicians. It is the day when Saraswati, the goddess of the arts, is worshipped. Spring signals new beginnings, burgeoning life, and a time of hope. The Indian musical tradition that uniquely attributes music to every emotion (rasa) and to every time of the day (prahar), has a special music for this important season too. Perhaps, the extreme variations in temperature in North India, with the freezing cold winter being dispelled by Spring’s warmth, is celebrated and welcomed. Elsewhere too, this change in season is special. Specific raags for Spring have been created and popularised.

Spring has four main raags — Basant, Bahar, Hindol and Paraj. Raag Kafi is also rendered a lot during this season. The season of Basant goes on until Holi, which is again celebrated with songs. Kafi being a favourite choice for Holi too. The fascination with these raags associated with seasons extend to the visual sphere as well, with Ragmala paintings depicting them beautifully. Raag Hindol was always depicted as a swing (hindola), and Basant as a garden with flowers, peacocks, birds and dancing girls.

While Basant, Hindol and Paraj are considered traditional raags, Bahar has been attributed to the 13th century musician-poet Amir Khusrau. It is interesting that Bahar has a striking similarity to Mian ki Malhar, created by the 16th century musician-composer Mian Tansen, and this cannot be considered a coincidence. In note structure, Mian ki Malhar is distinct from other existing Malhars, so it was probably inspired by Bahar, though a few say the reverse is true.

Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar, whose family has been practitioners of dhrupad for 20 generations, confirms that there are traditional dhrupads composed in Bahar, though attributing a time frame to their composition is impossible.

Gwalior gharana exponent Pt. L.K. Pandit recalls quite a few compositions in Bahar by Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, who composed under the pen name ‘Akhtar piya’. In the gharana, considered the senior gharana of vocal music, there are Ashtapadis composed in Bahar. Over time, Bahar came to be associated with auspicious occasions too, and was not confined to Spring. There are several compositions in Bahar, which speak of weddings, grooms and sehras.

However, Basant remains the primary raag of Spring, and can be rendered at any time of the day. Adi Basant is considered the original form of Basant, and Shuddha Basant another variant. Earlier, every concert held in February and March always featured raag Basant or a variant. However, this practice has since been abandoned. Basant Bahar and Hindol have been rendered in different combinations, with other raags as well, creating around 25-30 variations. Popular Spring raags include Bhairav Bahar, Basant Bahar, Hindol Bahar and Hindol Basant. Usually, the lyrics of the compositions in these raags reflect the season, speaking of flowers, breeze, bees and romance.