News: The Madhya Pradesh High Court dismissed an appeal seeking permission to perform religious and cultural activities at the tomb of Tansen in Gwalior.
About Tansen
- Birth: He was born into a Hindu Gaur Brahmin family in Gwalior as Ramtanu Pandey.
- Guru: He was discipled to Swami Haridas, the legendary composer from Vrindavan and court musician of the stellar Gwalior court of Raja Man Singh Tomar.
- Career and patronage
- He got his first break as musician and composer in the court of Raja Man Singh Tomar of Gwalior.
- He spent most of his adult life in the court and patronage of the Hindu king of Rewa, Raja Ramchandra Singh (1555–1592).
- He joined Akbar’s court at about the age of 60 in 1562.
- He was among the Navaratnas (nine jewels) at the court of Akbar.
- Titles: The title “Mian” was bestowed upon him by Mughal Emperor Akbar.
- While “Tansen” was his common name, bestowed upon him by Raja Vikramjit of Gwalior.
- Musical contribution
- He is remembered for his epic Dhrupad compositions, creating several new rags.
- He was instrumental in establishing the very first musical gharana the “Gwalior Gharana” of Hindustani music.
- He was also an instrumentalist who popularised and improved the plucked rabab (of Central Asian origin).
- Compositions: Tansen’s musical compositions covered many themes, and employed Dhrupad.
- Most of these were derived from the Hindu Puranas, composed in Braj Bhasha, and written in praise of gods and goddesses such as Ganesha, Saraswati, Surya, Shiva, Vishnu.
- Death: Tansen died in 1586 in Delhi.
- Grave: His remains were buried in the mausoleum complex of his Sufi master Shaikh Muhammad Ghaus in Gwalior.
- The tomb of Hazrat Sheikh Muhammad Ghaus was declared a protected monument of national importance in 1962 under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
- Grave: His remains were buried in the mausoleum complex of his Sufi master Shaikh Muhammad Ghaus in Gwalior.
