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Indian Classical

Ragas that bend time, talas that structure eternity — the ancient living tradition pressed into wax.

Ravi Shankar recorded over 60 albums and performed at Woodstock, Monterey, and the Concert for BangladeshM.S. Subbulakshmi was the first musician to address the United Nations General Assembly (1966)HMV India pressed Indian classical vinyl from 1907 — some of the earliest studio recordings in the worldA raga has time associations — some should only be played at dawn, others at midnightThe Carnatic system uses 72 parent scales (melakartas) compared to Western music's 12Calcutta Records has one of India's largest collections of original Indian classical LPsRavi Shankar recorded over 60 albums and performed at Woodstock, Monterey, and the Concert for BangladeshM.S. Subbulakshmi was the first musician to address the United Nations General Assembly (1966)HMV India pressed Indian classical vinyl from 1907 — some of the earliest studio recordings in the worldA raga has time associations — some should only be played at dawn, others at midnightThe Carnatic system uses 72 parent scales (melakartas) compared to Western music's 12Calcutta Records has one of India's largest collections of original Indian classical LPs

Indian classical music represents one of humanity's oldest continuously evolving musical traditions. Divided into two major streams — Hindustani (North Indian) and Carnatic (South Indian) — it is a living oral tradition passed from guru to shishya across generations. A raga is not a scale but a personality — a set of melodic rules, ornaments, and emotional associations that govern improvisation within vast temporal and tonal space.

The golden age of Indian classical music recordings spans the late 1950s through the 1980s, when HMV, Gramophone Company of India, and CBS pressed the performances of living legends onto vinyl. Ravi Shankar's sitar meditations, Ali Akbar Khan's sarod conversations, M.S. Subbulakshmi's Carnatic devotional recordings — these LPs are now irreplaceable cultural and sonic artifacts. Calcutta Records maintains one of India's largest collections of original Indian classical vinyl.

Timeline

AncientVedic chants — sam, gandhar, and the seven swaras codified

MedievalHindustani and Carnatic streams diverge — Mughal court patronage

1900s–30sFirst 78rpm recordings — HMV captures legendary court musicians

1950s–70sGolden LP era — Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan record masterpieces

1960sRavi Shankar meets George Harrison — Indian classical reaches the West

1980s+Fusion and contemporary masters — Zakir Hussain bridges traditions

Notable Artists

Ravi Shankar Ali Akbar Khan Bismillah Khan Vilayat Khan M.S. Subbulakshmi Bhimsen Joshi Hariprasad Chaurasia Zakir Hussain Amjad Ali Khan Ananda Shankar

Our Indian Classical Collection

189 titles

Barkha Ritu Aayi - Pt. Ajay Pohankar / Pt. Chhannulal Mishra / Ashwini Bhide / Sanjeev Abhyankar / Ustad Amir Khan Used Audio CD

₹399

Vantdraught 10 Vol.1 - Kuba -ensemble- Kapsa - Audio CD

₹3,499

Buddha - Bukimisha - Audio CD

₹3,199

Ritual - Capella De Ministrers ... - Audio CD

₹4,299

Ranjha - Shye Ben-tzur & Jonny ... - Vinyl LP Record

₹7,099

The Sounds Of India - Ravi Shankar - Vinyl LP Record

₹3,099

Maqam Al-iraq - Hamid Al-saadi - Audio CD

₹5,099

VG+

Great Maestros - Pandit Omkarnath Thakur Used Audio CD

₹599

Don Campbell – Healing At The Speed Of Sound 1

₹3,199

Adya – Adya Classic - Top 100

₹3,199

Basu, Trina & Arun... – Nakshatra

₹3,499

Cooder, Ry & V.m. ... – A Meeting By The River

₹11,499

Great Voices of India Vol. 2 - Various Artists Used Audio CD

₹899

Inside The Kremlin - Ravi Shankar Used Audio CD

₹899

Darbar - Ustad Amjad Ali Khan & Ustad Zakira Hussain Used Audio CD

₹899

sunset serenity: live in san francisco vol. 2 - pt. nikhil banerjee Used Audio CD

₹899

VG-

Thumri & Kajari - Dr. Prabha Atre Used Audio CD

₹899

VG+

Raga Yaman - Vilayat Khan Used Vinyl LP Record

₹2,499

VG-

Desi Todi / Madhuvanti - Bismillah Khan Used Vinyl LP Record

₹1,999

Shehnai - Bismillah Khan Used Vinyl LP Record

₹2,499

Shree / Sindhu Bhairavi - Ravi Shankar Used Vinyl LP Record

₹2,499

Percussion From India, Tabla In Solo And Duet - Alla Rakha Used Vinyl LP Record

₹2,499

VG-

Padma Bhooshan Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan - Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Used Vinyl LP Record

₹2,499

Moto Continuo - Luis Rabello - Audio CD - Brand New CD (Arrives in 20 days)

₹4,199

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Why Indian Classical on Vinyl?

Indian classical music on vinyl is the closest thing to a time machine that exists in recorded sound. A raga performance can stretch across an entire LP side — the raga unfolds, the tala cycles, the alap breathes — and vinyl preserves the spatial and dynamic reality of the tanpura drone, the resonance of the tabla, the attack and sustain of the sitar. Streaming compression destroys micro-tonal information that is essential to the grammar of the music. Original HMV pressings of Ravi Shankar played loud are revelatory.

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