Most scholars of Indian music consider dhrupad, and its cognate form dhamār, to be the oldest extant subgenres of Hindustānī music. The practice and performance of this art has grown in popularity in recent times, though a wider understanding of the art remains elusive. Practitioners, scholars, and hereditary keepers of the tradition often choose to exude an air of esotericism, rather than offering a practical and logical explanation for the objectives, structure, function, and performance of the art. In this talk, we touch on each of these aspects, particularly delving into a model of dhrupad that defines it as a musical entity in multiple dimensions. Specifically, we consider dhrupad from the perspective of alāp syllables, the tonal complex of the rāga, time and rhythm, tonal dynamics, and textual content. In each of these dimensions, we introduce a logical calculus that governs the progression of content. Taken in totality, these calculi, when followed, uniquely define a well-formed dhrupad performance. We hope that this talk will allow the attendee to more critically listen to and understand a dhrupad performance. 

The Shastra Aur Prayoga Conference aims to explore the intersections between text and practice in Indian performing art traditions by bringing together academics, musicians, dancers, and connoisseurs in dialogue. The conference is unique in its approach, analyzing topics in Indian classical performing arts through a interdisciplinary lens. It represents the breadth of geographies Indian classical performing arts extends its reach within and outside of India. 

The conference is divided into a symposium and a concert. The symposium constitutes of a lecture by Mandakranta Bose ( Bharata and his Nāṭyaśāstra: A descriptive/prescriptive text on dramaturgy), and a panel discussion with scholars, musicians, and dancers ( Bharata's Nāṭyaśāstra and its Impact on Śāstra and Prayoga). The concert will feature Arijit Mahalanabis (Dhrupad Vocals) and his student Kishan Patel (Pakhawaj).