ABSTRACT
Chapter 7 is devoted to the study of the Nathdwara school of pakhāvaj. At first the author traces the story of the Vallabha sect and then analyses the role of music in the cult which centres on the King-God Nāthjī, who is, at the same time, the supreme god and the king of the universe residing in his temple/palace at Nathdwara. He introduces the different groups of musicians on duty in the temple of Nathdwara focusing on those playing in front of the god and highlighting that this class of musicians is on the verge of extinction. Then, he studies the story of the main family of pakhāvaj players associated with the temple and its playing style strongly connected with ritual worship and imbued with the precise aesthetic approach of the sect. The last section of the chapter is devoted to Pandit Dalchand Sharma, the main representative of the Nathdwara school and the main informant of the study.
