This music evokes the "Shanta Rasa" an aura of peace and tranquility, a state of being essential to meditation. Dilruba, the instrument being played by Panditji, has 30 sympathetic strings. Each string is especially tuned to the proper shruti and is in perfect harmony. As the lead string is bowed to the notes of the raga, these sympathetic strings reverberate automatically producing a deep, lush, and dreamy sound . This instrument is one of the most popular stringed instruments of the bowed variety in Northern India. Its fretted finger board resembles that of a Sitar and its belly, upon which the main bridge rests, is covered with goat skin like on a Sarangi. The Om Shanti Series was initiated by Ashwin Batish and his father Pandit Shiv Dayal Batish when approached by many people looking for pure tonal music to meditate, relax, or to do daily yoga practice to. The music is un-metered, very slow, fluid, and extremely relaxing. Each note of the raga (modal scale) is fine tuned to enhance its natural soothing qualities. Two Tanpuras add soothing drone in the background. Performers Pandit Shiv Dayal Batish - Dilruba Ashwin Batish - Tanpura About the Artists: ------------------- Pandit Shiv Dayal Batish was born in a Brahman family and received classical music training from his guru Shri Chandan Ram Charan of Patiala, Punjab. In 1936, he rose to stardom with his hit song "Khamosh Nigahen" from the film Dassi, he has recorded virtually thousands of songs with His Master's Voice of India. Panditji has composed music for over 45 films in India and directed music & sung and worked with leading music directors such as S. D. Burman and O. P. Nayyar. He is recognized as an outstanding A grade artist of All India radio and TV. His Compositions have been rendered by top singers like Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey, Asha Bhonsle, Mohamad Rafi, Talat Mahmood. Some of his hit songs are, Ishk Ishk Qawali, Manmohan Man Me, Poocho Na Kaise Maine Rain Bitaee. In England, Panditji worked with the BBC and was one of the founders of the TV program "Apna Hi Ghar Samajhiye" created for the resident immigrants of India. He also composed and directed music for over 20 documentary movies. His most popular venture was when he helped the Beatles record the sound track for their film "Help". He also taught George Harrison and his wife Patti the Dilruba. In 1970 , Panditji moved to California to teach Indian music at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Here, along with his son Shri Ashwin Batish, he formed the Batish Institute of Indian Music and Fine Arts dedicated to teaching and furthering the culture and arts of India. Ashwin Batish is an extraordinary sitarist and tabla player. He received training in the North Indian classical tradition from his father S.D. Batish and later created his own unique fusion of Indian classical sitar with pop, rock, jazz, calypso, funk... an example of a few hybrids he excells at. He is famous for such songs as the Bombay Boogie, Raga Rock, Raga Jazz, Casbah Shuffle and Sitar Mania. Ashwin and his father are also very well know for being great educators. Their series of instructional videos (http://www.batish.com/catalog/vidttr.html) for the sitar, tabla, dilruba, dholak, vichitra veena, harmonium have become a very sought after commodity by the Indian music student. They give private and group Indian music lessons at their Santa Cruz, California USA facility and are often called upon by various music festivals and universities to perform and be guest lecturers for weekend workshops and seminars on Indian music and ethnopop, raga rock and raga jazz fusion.