Bhatkhande, Vishnu Narayan

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Bhatkhande, Vishnu Narayan

Bhatkhande, Vishnu Narayan, eminent Indian musicologist; b. Bombay, Aug. 10, 1860; d. there, Sept. 19, 1936. He studied jurisprudence, and concurrently investigated the systems of Indian ragas. While earning a living as a lawyer, he traveled throughout India to collect authentic ragas. In 1910 he abandoned his legal practice and dedicated himself exclusively to Indian folk music. His compilations of ragas are invaluable resources. He publ. Hindusthâni sangit paddhati (4 vols., Marathi, 1910–32), Śrimal-laksya sañgitam (Bombay, 1910), and Kramik pustak mālikā (6 vols., Marathi, 1919–37).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire