Vaiṣṇava Music in the Braj Region of North India

Abstract

This article provides an introduction to Vaiṣṇava temple music in the Braj region of North India, specifically focusing on Devālaya Saṅgīt, which encompasses Havelī Saṅgīt and Samāj-Gāyan. These orthodox vocal music forms, intimately linked to the love-sports of Lord Krishna, are presented as the "mother of all North Indian classical music," prefiguring and influencing genres like Dhrupad-Dhamār, Khyāl, and Thumrī. The author details the historical development and unique characteristics of Havelī Saṅgīt, associated with the Vallabha Sampradāya (Puṣṭimārg) and its "Aṣṭachāp" poet-musicians like Sūrdās, known for its stricter adherence to classical rāgas. In contrast, Samāj-Gāyan, a collective responsorial singing style, is explored as a more secluded tradition central to the Nimbārka, Haridāsī, and Rādhāvallabha Sampradāyas. The article highlights the interactive nature of Samāj-Gāyan, its use of archaic rāgas and specific tālas, and the challenges of its oral transmission in the absence of musical notation. Through detailed analysis of historical figures, liturgical practices, and songbook contents, the text offers an "insider's view" of these enduring, yet often elusive, devotional music traditions and their profound impact on Indian classical music.