Preserving the Raga: Was it Only Royalty Who Saved Indian Classical Music?

Mrs. Ruchi Telang’s musical journey began not in a palace or under the spotlight of a prestigious sabha, but at home — at the feet of her first teachers: her mother, Dr. Vandana Telang, and her grandfather, Pandit Anand Bihari Telang. A child of just five, she was already playing the tabla like a seasoned maestro, her small hands mastering rhythms that echoed with generations of tradition. Over the years, she would go on to learn the sitar, harmonium, tabla, and a wide repertoire of Indian classical instruments — not just as a performer, but as a true student of the art.

She later pursued formal training at Delhi’s revered Shri Ram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, completing her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Hindustani classical music. Her journey deepened when she became a disciple of Pandit Amarnath, a direct student of Ustad Amir Khan, and Shrimati Shanti Sharma — both stalwarts of the Indore Gharana.

Today, when Ruchi Telang speaks of gharanas, she does so not with nostalgia, but with clarity. “Raj Gharanas weren’t just about a particular musical style,” she explains. “They were about ecosystems of preservation. Courts gave musicians the space, the patronage, and the respect to live a life of sadhana — a life where music wasn’t rushed, wasn’t diluted.”

But in a world without kings and royal courts, who carries that responsibility now?

“Today, the legacy of Indian classical music is being carried forward by young artists — some trained in traditional guru-shishya parampara, others blending classical roots with contemporary platforms,” she says. “We may not have the darbars anymore, but we have dedicated homes, intimate gatherings, digital concerts, and above all, a renewed reverence among the youth.”

She believes this quiet revival is not accidental. It’s the result of generations of mothers, grandfathers, and gurus — like her own — who passed on not just compositions but the discipline, devotion, and philosophy of the art.

“Classical music survives not because of grand gestures,” she reflects, “but because someone, somewhere, still sings the raga at dawn.”