This document provides context and details about the Hindu devotional song "Mhara janam maran" performed by Chiranji Lal Tanwar. It discusses that the song is from the state of Rajasthan in India and expresses longing for the arrival of Lord Krishna. It also provides background on Indian classical music traditions and describes the instruments used in the performance, including the sarod, sarangi, pakhawaj, tabla, and cymbals. The structure of the piece is outlined as having an introductory alap section followed by the fixed bhajan song composition. The closing rhythm is identified as the Kecherwa Tal with its 8 beat pattern.

1. Rag Desh – Version 2 – ‘Mhara janam maran’ performed by Chiranji Lal Tanwar (voice)
Context
The song is a Hindu devotional song from Rajasthan and is known as a bhajan. The song tells of
tender waiting in longing anticipation of the arrival of Lord Krishna in the morning. The words in
translation from the Hindu are:
‘You are my companion through life and death and I cannot forget you night and day. My heart
pines for you and I feel totally restless when I am not able to see you.’
Indian music can be divided into two great musical traditions; the music of Northern India (the
Hindustani tradition) and the music of the South (the Carnatic tradition). This piece is taken from the
Indian classical tradition of Northern India. One of the context’s of Indian music is oral tradition. This
means that the music is taught through listening and by word of mouth. Additionally, Indian families
have a system of master-pupil teaching which is know as a gharana. This means that a father might
teach his son how to play through an intensive course involving listening and memorising and this
will then be taught through generations of the family.
Instruments
One of the instruments used is the Sarod. The Sarod is a plucked string instrument with no frets.
Another instrument used is the Sarangi, which is a bowed string instrument, has a gentle tone and is
ideally used to accompany singers. Another instrument used is the Pakhawaj which is a large double-
headed drum. The tabla is used which is a small set of two drums of different sizes- the smaller one
is made of wood and the larger one is made of metal which is known as the baya. The cymbals are
also used in this piece.
Structure
There are two movement in this piece - the Alap and the Bhajan(song). During the Alap, a short
introduction on the sarangi is played, then the singer vocalises a melody in free time based on notes
of the rag. This is a version of the chorus from the song.
At the end of the piece, the Bhajan movement is played. This is the ‘fixed composition’, which in this
case means that a song is in verse form. The table first joins in, followed by a short sarod solo and
then the sarangi. The dynamics and tempo soon increase as the music develops to fast and exciting.
Rhythm
The rhythm of this piece is know and the Kecherwa Tal which consists of 8 beats in the rhythm of
(2+2+2+2). 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Clap Clap Wave Clap