In Hindustani music, a gharānā is a system of social organization linking musicians or dancers by lineage and/or apprenticeship, and by adherence to a particular musical style.

Vocal gharanas

The best-known vocal gharānās are:

• Gwalior gharana, Gwalior
• Agra gharana, Agra
• Kirana gharana
• Jaipur-Atrauli gharana
• Rampur-Sahaswan gharana
• Patiala gharana
• Delhi gharana
• Bhendi Bazar gharana
• Benaras gharana, Banaras
• Bishnupur gharana, Bengal
• Kasur gharana
• Mewati gharana
• Sufiana gharana, Kashmir
• Sham Chaurasia gharana, Punjab (Pakistan)

Some of the lesser known gharanas are:-

• Darbhanga gharana, Darbhanga,Bihar - This Gharana is famous for rendition of Dhrupad. The style of Dhrupad of Darbhanga Gharana is also known as Khandar Vani. Pt. Ram Chatur Mallik was the most famous exponent of this Gharana in recent times. The famous exponents of this Gharana today are Pt. Vidur Narayan Mallik and Pt. Abhay Narayan Mallik.
• Bettiah gharana, Bettiah, Bihar - This Gharana is also well known for its rendition of Dhrupad.
• Vishnupur Gharana, Vishnupur, West Bengal - Also referred to as Bishnupur Gharana - Famous for Dhrupad.

Gharana	Based At	Famous exponent
Lucknow gharana	Lucknow	Pt. Achchan Maharaj (Jagannath Maharaj)
Sikar Gharana		Ustad Liaquat Ali Khan, Ustad Sharafat Ali Khan
Nana Panse gharana	Mathura	Pt. Makhanji
Farukhabad gharana	Farukhabad	Ustad Masit Khan, Jyan Prakash Ghosh, Keramatullah Khan

Instrumental gharanas

The best-known instrumental gharānās are:

Tabla

• Ajrarra Gharana (players: Shafat Hussin Khan, Latif Ahmed)
• Delhi Gharana, associated with the Ajrarra Gharana
• Benaras Gharana (players: Kishen Maharaj, Kumar Bose)
• Farukabad Gharana (players: Shankar Ghosh, Anindo Chatterjee)
• Lakhno Gharana (players: Santosh Biswas, Swapan Choudury)
• Punjab gharānā (players: Alla Rakha, Zakir Hussain)

Wind and String Instruments

• Gulam Ali Ggarana (Sarod)
• Sufiana Gharana of Kashmir (Santoor)
• Imdadkhani gharana or Etawah gharana (Sitar, Surbahar, Sarod, Guitar)
• Indore gharana (Been and Sitar), Indore
• Jaipur gharana, Jaipur
• Maihar gharana, Maihar
• Bishnupur gharana

Dance gharanas

In Kathak performers today generally draw their lineage from three major schools of Kathak: the Jaipur gharana, the Lucknow gharana and the Banaras gharana (born in the courts of the Kachwaha Rajput kings, the Nawab of Oudh, and Varanasi respectively); there is also a less prominent (and later) Raigarh gharana which amalgamated technique from all three preceding gharanas but became famous for its own distinctive compositions.

External links

• Gharanas of Hindustani Music