Dhrupad is today considered the most serious Hindustani vocal form. Evoking images of elegance and grandeur, it demands from its singers a deep knowledge of raga and a thoroughgoing competence in vocal rhythmic improvisation. A lengthy vocal exposition of the melodic mode precedes the composition, and rhythmic play within the meter of the song concludes the performance.
In the early 1500s, North India was divided into princely realms, and a variety of vocal genres existed...