Jaisalmer, Rajasthan

"I may forget the Taj Mahal from this trip, but I will never forget the experience of spending the evening with musicians in their village, and listening to their music under the stars, in the glow of candles …and then the food!"

-- This is what one of our guests said of Thar Baithak. There was a power cut in the village that night!

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The baithak, or ‘session’, is the traditional way in which music was listened to for centuries in India. 

In an intimate setting, musicians played for a small, exclusive audience, and patrons interacted with the performers.  

At Amarrass, we have curated the experience of an extended baithak over two days where you will listen to some great musicians, participate in sessions with instrument makers, learn how to play an instrument and maybe even have a meal at a musician’s home in the village.

  

Our tour begins in Jaisalmer, at Gadisar Lake. 

In late afternoon/evening, you will meet Barmer Boys, the Global Ambassadors of Rajasthani music. They will perform for you in a special setting by the lake. Barmer Boys, a band put together by Amarrass, has performed around the world, most recently at Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre.

The next morning you will meet Mohan Lal Lohar by the Gadisar Lake and watch him create the Morchang, Rajasthani version of the Jew’s Harp. 

Mohan ji is the finest craftsmen of this instrument, a fact with which all veteran players of this instrument agree with. All his morchangs are completely hand crafted and this legacy is being passed on by him to his next of kin.

 

Our next and final stop for the evening will be the house of Ustad Ghewar Khan in the village of Hamira, which is a half-hour drive from Jaisalmer.

A great musician from the Manganiyar tradition, Ustad Ghewar Khan is a master of the Kamaicha, a stringed instrument played with a horsehair bow. 

In his house, where he lives and trains children, Ustad Ghewar Khan will play for you and regale you with stories about his music.

 

The Thar Baithak is packed with unique, sensory experiences, but the tour unfolds at a relaxed, unhurried pace so that you can take in the stunning Sonar Kella, Rajasthan's spectacular desert and savour its distinct cuisine.