Raags Performed:
- Raag Multani
Musicians :
- Jyoti Hegde (rudra veena)
- Surdarshan Chana (jori)
- Debipriya Sircar (tanpura)

At the age of 12, when distractions grapple with the mind ripe with a thousand curiosities, Jyoti Hegde was pining to learn the rudra veena. Considered the king of Indian instruments, a mythical creation of Lord Shiva (inspired by his consort Parvati’s hand over her breasts in a reposeful posture), the bulky rudra veena poses a huge challenge to any musician. Hegde’s undeterred gumption and immersed dedication has put her on top as the only female musician in India who can handle this ancient, masculine instrument with elan.

In this video from the ninth Darbar festival, one can see Jyoti Hegde serenely playing Raag Multani. This raga represents a state of mind when, having completed the day’s chores on a relentlessly hot day, one pauses to contemplate or take stock with wisdom, prudence and courage. Hegde strums an alap and jod in this contemplative raga followed by a composition in madhyalay Ektal.

In the introduction, Hegde’s journey to the vadi swar Pa (5th) through the assymetrically structured path of Multani is redolent with a griping pathos underpinned by emotions of yearning. Her sonorous, sweeping bends on a curvaceous melodic line are masterful. She introduces the raga in unhurried cadence, following up with a jod, where she infuses an unrelenting and crisp linear pulse.

Filling up the spaces with the strum of the chikari (onomatopoeic word denoting the top-most string on the veena strummed to maintain pulse and play the jhalla), she adds textures to this part and carves out rotund oscillation between the notes.

She is accompanied by Surdarshan Chana on the Jori, another rare instrument that owes its origins to its classical antecedent, pakhawaj – a percussion instrument that was used to accompany dhrupad. The jori was created by splitting the pakhawaj into two drums by the 5th Sikh saint Guru Arjan Dev (1563-1606) when kirtans (spiritual hymns) were transforming from classical to more of a devotional style. Hegde’s madhyalay composition in Ektal is supported beautifully by Chana. The stately sound of the jori is calibrated to the dense weave of the veena’s sound and he positions his improvisations in majestic moments throughout the recital making the presentation compact.

Named after Multaan (North-West region of undivided India), this raga is known for its vast expanses that keeps yearning for the unattainable – as observed by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, who felt that the raga represented the oppressive heat of the deserts during summer afternoons. It is derived from the Todi thaat and its jati is audav-sampurna. The vadi swar is Pa (5th) and the samvadi swar is Sa (1st). Re, Ga and Dha are komal or flat and Ma is teevra (sharp 4th). Multani omits Re (2nd) and Dha (6th) in the ascent but applies them in the descent, albeit delicately. Its arohana and avarohana are as follows:

N. S g, m P, N S’

S’N, d P, m g, m g r S

To avoid the shadows of Raag Todi, the treatment of Multani’s komal Re and Dha play a vital role. Both are fleetingly touched. The ati-komal Re invariably touches Sa while its komal Ga touches the teevra Ma. This heavy raga evokes deep pathos