Narendra Nath Dhar


Narendra Nath Dhar is an Indian classical musician who plays the instrument Sarod. One of the finest exponents of the Shahjahapur/Gwalior Seniya Gharana, he is not only known for his purist style of play, but also for his own emerging style, through which one can easily distinguish his way of playing from that of others.

Early life and training

Dhar began his initial training in Sarod under his father Late Nemai Chand Dhar. The early demise of his father was no deterrent in his pursuit of learning and growth. He started training under Pt. Samarendra Nath Sikdar, the then disciple of Pt. Radhika Mohan Maitra. In 1969, Pt Maitra, later brought Dhar under his tutelage and played a crucial role in shaping him into one of the most exciting talents of his generation. His musical prowess received a further honing under Ustad Amjad Ali Khan.

Style of play

Dhar has often been commended for keeping his style of play true to the core as well as giving his renditions an own idiomatic touch. His typical Alap reflects the true style of Tantrakari Been Ang as well as the traditional playing of 'Alap' and 'Jod'. The fine aspects of Sarod playing mark his innovation and creativity through 'Tantrakari', 'Laykari' and different styles of 'Ekhara Taan'. He has brought audiences all over the world the timeless compositions of great stalwarts of his generation and past.

Performances and career

The talent of Dhar has been duly recognized over the years by audiences in India and overseas. He has performed in prestigious music conferences of India sharing the stage with veteran musicians and dancers. A prize winner in the All India Radio Music competition in instrumental music in the year 1970, he was also awarded the National Scholarship from the Department of culture, Govt. of India for intensive training in Sarod from 1975 to 1978. In 1995, he was honoured with the prestigious Naushad Award by the Government of Uttar Pradesh for his outstanding contribution in the field of Instrumental music. He was also awarded the Akademi Award by the Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi in the year 2000. A regular AIR and Doordarshan artist, HMV has released an audio cassette with the featuring title as 'Golden Talents of HMV'.