---
title: "Dhrupad: Oldest Hindustani Vocal Genre | Model Diplomat"
description: "Dhrupad, the oldest Hindustani classical vocal genre, features slow melodic elaboration and is essential for UPSC GS1 art and culture studies."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/dhrupad"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Dhrupad is the oldest surviving genre of Hindustani classical vocal music, characterised by austere, syllabic text-setting, slow melodic elaboration, and devotional or heroic themes.
- How does dhrupad differ from khayal?
- What are the four banis of dhrupad?
- Which instruments accompany a dhrupad performance?
- Why is dhrupad important for UPSC GS1 art and culture?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

Dhrupad is the oldest surviving genre of Hindustani classical vocal music, characterised by austere, syllabic text-setting, slow melodic elaboration, and devotional or heroic themes.

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In 2017 the Gundecha Brothers' Dhrupad Sansthan in Bhopal trained students from India and abroad in the Dāgar bānī, sustaining a lineage tracing back to Tānsen at Akbar's court.

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