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Real Heroes of Folk Music – India’s Unsung Instrumentalists

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Across India, folk music is more than entertainment-it is memory, identity, and a living museum of emotion. Behind every tune lies a musician whose hands have shaped the sound of a community for generations. These musicians-often unseen, unheard, and uncelebrated-are the real heroes of India’s folk culture. They carry stories older than written history, yet their names rarely appear in mainstream media or on global platforms. Their music has survived droughts, migrations, invasions, and changing rulers. But today, the danger comes from silence-the silence that comes when an art form is ignored. Who Are the Unsung Instrumentalists? Voices from Village to Stage India’s folk instrumentalists come from small villages, tribal hamlets, temple communities, and riverbank settlements. Many learn music not through formal training but through family traditions where a child grows by watching their elders play. A kamaicha player from Jaisalmer may have inherited the instrument from his gra...
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What Is a Gharana in Indian Music? History, Meaning and Legacy

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Indian music has always been more than melodies. It is a living heritage shaped by communities, families, saints, poets, and performers who devoted their lives to their art. Among all the traditions that define Indian classical music, the Gharana system remains one of the most important yet misunderstood. To many, it is simply a word associated with classical singers or instrumentalists. But in reality, a Gharana is a world of its own - a lineage, a philosophy, a style, and a lifelong identity. To understand Indian music deeply, you must first understand what a Gharana truly represents. What Is a Gharana? A Gharana is essentially a musical family or lineage that passes down a distinct style of singing or playing from one generation to the next. The word comes from “Ghar,” meaning house. It does not always mean a biological family; instead, it refers to a community of disciples trained under a particular guru. A Gharana carries a unique approach to raga, rhythm, improvisation, orna...
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How Live Folk Instruments Shape the Spiritual Mood of ‘Maya’

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Some songs entertain you.  Some songs stay with you. Maya is a song that quietly settles in your heart. Rooted in the Nirgun Sufi folk tradition of Uttar Pradesh, it doesn’t shout for attention. Instead, it gently pulls you inward. The reason behind this deep feeling lies in one powerful choice: the use of live folk instruments. Every sound in Maya feels real, grounded, and deeply connected to India’s spiritual soil. At the heart of Maya is Raahein Gharana’s vision of bringing India’s folk traditions back into everyday listening. Through their Rhythmic Roots series, Raahein Gharana works closely with regional musicians to ensure that folk music is not recreated artificially, but lived and performed authentically. In Maya, their commitment is clearly felt - from the choice of Nirgun Sufi poetry to the decision to record live folk instruments that preserve the spiritual honesty of Uttar Pradesh’s musical heritage. The song stands as a reminder that when folk music is nurtured wi...
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Beyond Illusion: The Spiritual Meaning of ‘Maya’ in Indian Folk Music

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India’s music has always been a language of the heart. Behind many folk melodies lies a conversation with life’s deeper truths. One of the oldest and most persistent themes is Maya - the idea that the visible world is temporary, deceptive, or shifting, and that true peace lies beyond its pull. This concept threads through Bhakti and Sufi poetry, village songs, and the quiet bhajans sung at river ghats. In recent times, the UP Nirgun Sufi release “MAYA” by Raahein Gharana brings this philosophy back into focus using the very tools that make folk music powerful: simple lyrics, live instruments, and space for silence. Let’s explore what Maya means in Indian folk tradition, how folk music expresses it, and how the new song MAYA turns philosophy into feeling. What “Maya” means in Indian spiritual thought Maya is a central idea in many Indian traditions. It names the attractive, changing world—wealth, fame, desire that pulls the mind outward. Saints and poets from Kabir to Guru Nanak and ...
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Why Kashmir’s Mughal Gardens Are Becoming a Cultural Filming Hub Again

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For centuries, Kashmir’s Mughal Gardens have stood as living poetry—carefully shaped terraces, flowing water channels, ancient chinar trees, and views that feel almost unreal. Built as spaces of reflection and beauty during the Mughal era, these gardens were never meant to be silent monuments. They were designed for music, conversation, art, and gathering. Today, that original spirit is returning, as Kashmir’s Mughal Gardens once again emerge as vibrant cultural filming hubs for music, cinema, and storytelling. In recent months, filming has resumed in the Kashmir Valley after a period of uncertainty, with music album crews capturing performances inside Srinagar’s historic Mughal Gardens. This revival is not just about aesthetics—it marks a deeper cultural renewal where art, heritage, and resilience come together. Mughal Gardens: Designed for Art, Not Just Admiration The Mughal Gardens of Kashmir—Shalimar Bagh, Nishat Bagh, and Chashme Shahi—were created as places where architectu...
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Poetic Beauty of Kashmiri Sufi Folk Music - Explained Through Ba Paerai Khan

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Kashmiri Sufi folk music does not demand attention—it gently welcomes you in. It flows like the Jhelum, calm yet profound, carrying centuries of poetry, devotion, and lived experience. Ba Paerai Khan, presented by Raahein Gharana, revives this timeless tradition with care and reverence, reminding listeners that Sufi music from Kashmir is as much about warmth and hospitality as it is about melody. When Music Becomes an Invitation, Not a Performance At its heart, Ba Paerai Khan is built around an invitation. Phrases like cxe ban mehmaan (“be my guest”) and ti gaxhi jaan haai vesiye (“that would be the best, my friend”) are not just lyrics—they reflect Kashmir’s cultural ethic of openness, compassion, and shared humanity. This is where poetry and philosophy meet in sound. The Roots of Kashmiri Sufi Folk: Poetry Born from the Valley Sufi folk music in Kashmir evolved through centuries of spiritual practice, oral storytelling, and poetic expression. Unlike music meant for spectacle,...
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Why Teri Choti Is More Than a Song - It’s Haryana’s Folk Identity Reimagined

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Folk music has always been the heartbeat of Haryana. It lives in the courtyard of every Chaupal, in the rhythm of harvest seasons, and in the stories passed down through generations. But every once in a while, a song arrives that does more than entertain - it rekindles cultural memory. “Teri Choti,” an original Haryanvi folk-style romantic song by Raahein Gharana, is one such creation. Rooted in traditional imagery yet presented through a contemporary folk-fusion arrangement, Teri Choti doesn’t just add to Haryana’s musical landscape - it reshapes how folk identity can be experienced by today’s listeners. A Song Rooted in Folklore, Wrapped in Romance At its core, “Teri Choti” is a celebration of feminine grace as seen through the eyes of rural Haryana. The song paints its muse with small, intimate details - her jingling choodiyan, the soft glow of mehndi, the rhythm of her payal, and the elegance of her ghungroo. Each image transforms everyday ornaments into symbols of affection. This ...
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