Varanasi Classical Music Guide

The tabla is the heartbeat of Varanasi's musical world. The Banaras gharana of tabla is one of the six major tabla gharanas in India, distinguished by its resonant bass-heavy sound and the central role of the bayan (left drum). Legendary Banaras tabla masters include Pandit Kishan Maharaj, whose nimble fingers and commanding bayan work defined the style for decades, and his disciples who continue teaching in the city today.

The shehnai — a double-reeded wind instrument related to the oboe — is inseparable from Varanasi. Ustad Bismillah Khan (1916-2006) put the shehnai on the world stage from his home in Varanasi, where he played every morning at the Vishwanath Temple. The shehnai's plaintive sound is considered auspicious; it is played at temple ceremonies, weddings, and festivals throughout the city.

Thumri is a semi-classical form of romantic devotional music, and Varanasi (Banaras) is its spiritual home. The Banaras style of thumri is more earthy and folk-flavored than the Lucknow style — it draws from the bhakti tradition and the songs of everyday life in the Ganga plains. Girija Devi (1929-2017), called the Queen of Thumri, was born and trained in Varanasi and is the defining voice of this tradition.

Ravi Shankar (1920-2012), who introduced the sitar to global audiences, spent his formative years in Varanasi and acknowledged the city's influence on his approach to music. The ancient concept of ragas — melodic frameworks that correspond to specific times of day, seasons, and emotional states — is most deeply lived and taught in Varanasi, where the connection between music, spirituality, and daily rhythm remains unbroken.

Dhrupad is the oldest surviving form of Hindustani classical vocal music — austere, meditative, and demanding. It is performed in slow, expansive phrases with minimal ornamentation. The Dagar family, one of the most important dhrupad lineages, has deep roots in the Banaras tradition. BHU's music department preserves dhrupad teaching and organizes occasional recitals that are open to the public.

The site of the Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh (February-March, five days, free). Outside festival season, informal musical gatherings sometimes occur in the courtyard. The atmosphere — evening lamps, incense, the sound of devotional singing drifting from within the temple — is deeply evocative.

Banaras Hindu University has one of India's finest music departments. Student recitals and departmental concerts are periodically open to the public, particularly during academic festivals (November-December). The faculty includes students from across India pursuing degrees in tabla, sitar, vocal music, and classical dance.

The traditional baithak — a private concert held in a musician's home or a patron's drawing room, with listeners sitting on the floor close to the performer — is the most authentic way to experience Varanasi's classical music. These concerts are announced informally. Some guesthouses in the Assi Ghat area organize baithak evenings for their guests, often featuring genuine maestros.

Musicians practice and perform on the ghats, especially in the early mornings and evenings. Assi Ghat has a tradition of informal music gatherings, particularly around the morning aarti. The sound of a sitar or harmonium floating across the river as the morning mist lifts is one of Varanasi's defining experiences.