Maarg Manthan · Topic 4.5

Forms of Indian Music (Dhrupad, Khayal, Thumri, Ghazal, Qawwali, Varnam, Kriti)

Art & Culture › Music · Topic 4.5

Forms of Indian music are the set types of composition and performance within the classical, semi-classical and devotional traditions. Dhrupad is the oldest classical vocal form, associated with Gwalior's Raja Man Singh Tomar (15th century) and sung to the pakhawaj. Khayal is the dominant form today. Thumri is a romantic semi-classical form of Lucknow and Banaras, ghazal is an Urdu poetic form, and qawwali is a Sufi devotional form linked with Amir Khusrau. In the south the main forms are varnam and kriti. Other forms include tappa, tarana, bhajan, kirtana and dadra.

6 min read · UPSC Prelims · Art & Culture · Music

At a Glance

Oldest vocal form Dhrupad
Dominant form today Khayal
Semi-classical Thumri, tappa, dadra
Sufi form Qawwali
South Indian Varnam and kriti
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Art and Culture: Music

Where Does It Fit?

This topic follows the pillars of raga, tala and swara and shows how they are shaped into compositions. It helps in match-the-list questions that link form, region and exponent. Previous topic: Main Pillars of Indian Music (Raga, Tala, Swara). Next topic: Musical Instruments (Tata, Sushir, Avanaddha, Ghana Vadya).

What Are the Main Forms and Their Features?

Form	Origin and region	Features	Exponents
Dhrupad	Oldest form, patronised by Raja Man Singh Tomar of Gwalior. Mughal court under Akbar	Serious and devotional, in Sanskrit-derived Braj text. Starts with an unmetered alap using syllables like nom-tom. Accompanied by the pakhawaj, with no emphasis on ornament. Four parts: sthayi, antara, sanchari and abhog	Dagar family, Gundecha Brothers, Zia Mohiuddin Dagar
Khayal	Persian word for imagination. Linked by tradition with Amir Islam Khan from 1608; Dacca made capital Mewar Settlement with…">Khusrau; developed under Sadarang at Muhammad Shah’s court	Bada (slow) and chhota (fast) khayal, with taans, bol-baant and improvisation. Accompanied by tabla and sarangi or harmonium	Bhimsen Joshi, Kumar Gandharva, Kishori Amonkar
Thumri	Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow and Banaras, associated with Nawab Wajid Ali Shah	Light classical, romantic and devotional, in Braj Bhasha, with Radha Krishna as theme. Bol-banao style of elaborating text	Girija Devi, Begum Akhtar, Siddheshwari Devi
Tappa	Punjab, camel drivers’ songs, developed by Shori Mian in the 18th century	Fast and intricate taans in Punjabi and Pashto-influenced text. A short, emotional song	Gwalior and Banaras singers
Ghazal	Arabic and Persian poetry form, popular in Urdu in North India	Couplets (sher), each complete in itself, with refrain (radif) and rhyme (qafia). Theme is love and longing	Begum Akhtar, Mehdi Hassan, Jagjit Singh, Ghulam Ali
Qawwali	Sufi devotional music, associated with Amir Khusrau and Chishti dargahs	Group singing with chorus and clapping, with harmonium and dholak. Texts in Persian, Urdu and Hindi, praising God and saints	Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Sabri Brothers
Varnam	Carnatic music, the opening piece of a concert	Shows the structure of a raga. Made of pallavi, anupallavi, muktayi swara and charanam	Composed by Ponnayya Pillai and others
Kriti	Carnatic music, composed songs	Pallavi, anupallavi, charanam. Main item of the concert	Tyagaraja, Dikshitar, Syama Sastri

Which Other Forms Should You Know?

Other form	Details
Tarana	a fast piece of Hindustani music that uses meaningless syllables such as tana and derani, attributed to Amir Khusrau
Dadra	a light classical form in 6-beat dadra tala, close to thumri
Hori and Kajri	light classical forms linked to spring festival of Holi and to the monsoon
Chaiti	songs of the Chaitra month, as part of folk and semi-classical singing of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
Bhajan and kirtan	devotional songs; kirtan is group singing, and kirtana in Carnatic music is a devotional composition
Tillana	a closing dance and concert piece of Carnatic music, with brisk rhythm; similar to tarana
Padam and javali	slow and fast romantic compositions of the south, used also in dance
Sufiana kalam	Sufi music of Kashmir, played on santoor

What Else Should You Remember?

Alternate spellings: khayal is also written khyal, thumri as thumree, qawwali as kawwali, and dhrupad as dhrupada or dhruvapada. Ghazal is also spelt gazal and tappa as tappah. The singers of qawwali are called qawwals
Dhrupad schools: traditional gharanas called banis: Dagar, Darbhanga, Bettiah and Talwandi
Haveli sangeet: devotional dhrupad-based music of Vallabha sect Krishna temples, in Gujarat and Rajasthan
Khayal composers: Sadarang (Niyamat Khan) and Adarang (Firoz Khan), at the court of Muhammad Shah, the 18th century Mughal ruler
Begum Akhtar: known as Mallika-e-Ghazal; honoured with Padma Bhushan after death
Qawwali: Chishti sufi dargahs of Ajmer and Delhi are venues; Amir Khusrau was a disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya
Bada and chhota khayal: slow khayal uses vilambit laya in ektal or tilwada; fast khayal uses teental or ektal in drut laya
Thumri styles: Purab ang (Banaras), Punjab ang and Lucknow style; Bol-banao is typical to Lucknow
Instruments with forms: pakhawaj with dhrupad, tabla with khayal, harmonium and sarangi in thumri and ghazal
Spread of ghazal: the form entered film and light music in the 20th century and is today popular in Pakistan and India
Folk forms: many regional styles such as Baul and Lavani are covered in Folk Music (Baul, Lavani, Bhangra)
Raga base: all forms depend on raga and tala, as explained in Main Pillars of Indian Music (Raga, Tala, Swara)

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Match the list: form with region, such as thumri with Uttar Pradesh and tappa with Punjab
Oldest: dhrupad as oldest vocal form and Man Singh Tomar as patron
Features: thumri as light classical with romantic text, ghazal as couplets
Persons: Amir Khusrau, Sadarang, Begum Akhtar, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Common errors: saying that khayal is older than dhrupad, or that qawwali is Carnatic

As an analytical point, the forms show how Indian music responded to patrons: temples and courts favoured dhrupad, later courts preferred khayal and thumri, and shrines kept qawwali alive. This shows how art mirrors the society that supports it.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Forms Match the list
Oldest Dhrupad facts
Persons Exponents and patrons

What Came Next?

The next topic describes musical instruments by the four classes of Indian classification. Next topic: Musical Instruments (Tata, Sushir, Avanaddha, Ghana Vadya).

Key People and Terms

Sthayi First part of dhrupad
Radif Refrain in ghazal
Sher A couplet
Alap Slow opening
Taan Fast melodic run
Bandish Fixed composition

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Oldest: dhrupad, with pakhawaj.
Dominant: khayal; Sadarang.
Thumri: Lucknow, Banaras; Begum Akhtar.
Qawwali: Sufi; Amir Khusrau.
South: varnam opens; kriti is main.

Do Not Confuse With

Dhrupad and khayal Austere older form versus ornamented later form
Thumri and ghazal Braj text semi-classical versus Urdu couplet
Varnam and kriti Opening exercise piece versus main composition

Memory Hook

Dhrupad is old and stern, khayal is dreamy, thumri flirts, qawwali prays.

Mains Angle

Questions on music treat it as living heritage. These points give a frame.

Patronage Temples, courts, shrines
Syncretism Qawwali and Sufi music
Revival Dhrupad revival and fusion

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Indian music forms reflect the composite culture of the subcontinent. Discuss.”

How to Answer

Forms Dhrupad to qawwali.
Fusion Persian and Indian blend.
Patrons Temple, court, dargah.
Way Document and teach.

GS Relevance

Prelims: music forms, origin, patrons, features, exponents. GS Paper 1: Indian heritage and culture, music traditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the oldest form of Hindustani vocal music?

Dhrupad is the oldest surviving form of Hindustani vocal music. It is a serious, devotional style that begins with a slow alap and is accompanied by the pakhawaj. It was patronised by Raja Man Singh Tomar of Gwalior in the 15th century and later flourished under the Mughal emperor Akbar.

What is khayal?

Khayal is the most popular form of Hindustani classical vocal music today. The word means imagination in Persian. It has a slow part called bada khayal and a fast part called chhota khayal, with scope for improvisation by taans. It developed in the 18th century under Sadarang at Muhammad Shah's court.

What is thumri?

Thumri is a light classical form from Lucknow and Banaras in Uttar Pradesh. It is romantic and devotional, usually in Braj Bhasha with the love of Radha and Krishna as its theme, and stresses emotion over strict raga rules. Girija Devi and Begum Akhtar were noted singers.

Who is associated with qawwali?

Qawwali is a Sufi devotional music form, traditionally credited to Amir Khusrau of the 13th to 14th century, a disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi. It is sung in groups with chorus and clapping, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan made it known worldwide.

What are varnam and kriti in Carnatic music?

A varnam is an opening piece of a Carnatic concert that shows the full shape of a raga, while a kriti is the main composition, with pallavi, anupallavi and charanam. The Trinity of Tyagaraja, Dikshitar and Syama Sastri are the most famous kriti composers.

Why are forms of Indian music important for UPSC?

Prelims asks to match forms with regions, patrons and exponents, such as thumri with Lucknow and Banaras, tappa with Punjab and dhrupad with Man Singh Tomar. Mains uses forms like qawwali and ghazal to show the composite culture that grew from Persian and Indian traditions.

What is the difference between dhrupad and khayal?

Dhrupad is the oldest surviving classical vocal form, serious and devotional, sung in Braj text with a pakhawaj and little ornament. Khayal, meaning imagination, is freer and more ornamented, with taans and improvisation, and is accompanied by the tabla. Khayal is the dominant form in concerts today.

What is the difference between thumri and ghazal?

Thumri is a light classical form of Lucknow and Banaras, sung in Braj Bhasha with romantic Radha-Krishna themes and based on ragas. Ghazal is a poetic form of Urdu couplets, each complete in itself, with a refrain and rhyme, and is less bound to raga rules. Begum Akhtar sang both.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 Dhrupad is the oldest surviving form of Hindustani vocal music.

True

It is accompanied by the pakhawaj.

2 Tappa originated in Bengal.

False

It began in Punjab.

3 Qawwali is associated with Sufi tradition and Amir Khusrau.