ABSTRACT
Riyāz [Hindi रियाज़, or riyājh रियाझ in Marathi, riyāżat رياضت or riyāż رياض in Urdu, anglicised as Riyaz or Riaz, lit. “systematic practice” or “training,” “discipline,” “religious exercise”] is, by all accounts, a charged word in the world of Hindustani art music! It enjoys a prestige next only to such other terms as guru [mentor, religious teacher, spiritual preceptor], gharānā [family, household, lineage; school of music or dance; community of performers] and raṅg [colour, character, mood, sentiment, expression, atmosphere, tone, amusement, concert]. 1
