At the first crack of dawn, when the proud rooster puffs his chest to prepare for his wakeup call, a sharp Raag Bhairavi cuts him short. This is Hariharpur, the village of musicians, and the rooster has never been able to sing his murga baang.

Situated five km from Azamgarh city, the village has about 40 Brahmin families for whom music is a singular passion. “People in Hariharpur begin their day by brushing up their vocal skills or performing their riyaz on the harmonium, tabla or sarangi. This is a tradition that has been continuing for centuries,” said Kamlesh Mishra, a former village head. Mishra begins his day on the tabla before turning up as a lawyer at the Azamgarh collectorate.

“Centuries ago, three Brahmin siblings got 979 bighas of land from the ruler of Azamgarh as a reward for their musical skills. Since then, the Brahmins who dominate Hariharpur have turned this into a musical gharana,” said Mishra.

An evening stroll down the streets of the village can be a treat to the ears. Mishra’s house resonates with the beats of the tabla and the melodious bhajans that his sons sing. Down the road, siblings Dwarika and Anshu Mishra hone their vocal skills in a dimly-lit room. As you walk further, Kaushal Mishra, all of eight, will have you in a trance with his bhajan, Latao Phool Barsao Mere Sri Ram Aaye Hain. Then comes the jugalbandi as 65-year-old Panna Lal Mishra on the sarangi takes on his two grandsons Rajan and Sajan Mishra on the harmonium and tabla. Rajan and Sajan have been named after the renowned musical siblings from neighbouring Varanasi, Pandit Rajan and Pandit Sajan Mishra.

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