Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur (31 December 1910 - 12 September 1992) hailed from Dharwad, Karnataka, and was an exponent of khayal gayaki, having been trained in the Gwalior and Atrauli gharana traditions. He learnt from Pandit Nilakanthbua Alurmath of Miraj, who had, in turn, received ta’lim from Pandit Balakrishnabua Ichalkaranjikar. Subsequently, Mansur ji became the gandabandh shagird of Ustad Badruddin ‘Manjhi’ Khan sahib, the son of Ustad Ghulam Ahmed 'Allahdiya' Khan sahib, one of the progenitors of the Atrauli gharana tradition. Following the untimely demise of Ustad Manjhi Khan sahib, Mansur ji subsequently learnt from Ustad Shamsuddin ‘Bhurji’ Khan sahib, the younger son of Ustad Allahdiya Khan sahib. Through his eclectic ta’lim and meticulous riyaz, Mansur ji was able to craft a gayaki which was instrumental in popularising the Atrauli gharana repertoire, along with several other representatives of the gharana tradition.

If I were to imagine that I was shipwrecked on a desert island, apart from the essentials, the following are the first cut of recordings of Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur that I would like to carry with me:

1. Raga Miyan ki Malhar, recorded on 30 June 1992 at All India Radio, Dharwad. For this recording, vocal support was provided by Pandit Rajshekhar Mansur, Tabla accompaniment was given by Pandit Raghunath Nakod, and Pandit Vasant Kankapur accompanied on the Harmonium.
2. Raga Shivmat Bhairav, recorded in 1982 at the Cricket Club of India, Mumbai. For this concert, vocal support was provided by Pandit Rajshekhar Mansur, Tabla accompaniment was given by Ustad Nizamuddin Khan, and Pandit Baban Manjrekar accompanied on the Harmonium.
3. Raga Bibhas, recorded on 18 July 1982 at the Bal Gandharva Sangeet Sabha in Mumbai. For this concert, vocal support was provided by Pandit Rajshekhar Mansur and Tabla accompaniment was given by Pandit Balkrishna Iyer.
4. Raga Miyan ki Todi, recorded on 17 June 1978 at a mehfil held in Dharwad. For this concert, vocal support was provided by Pandit Rajshekhar Mansur, Tabla accompaniment was given by Ustad Nizamuddin Khan, and Ustad Abdul Qadir accompanied on the Sarangi.
5. Raga Bahaduri Todi, recorded on 1 May 1992 at IMG, St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. For this concert, vocal support was provided by Vidushi Shaila Datar, Tabla accompaniment was given by Pandit Balkrishna Iyer, and Pandit Tulsidas Borkar accompanied on the Harmonium.
6. Raga Khat, recorded on 1 October 1986 at a mehfil held at the Naralkar Residence in Pune. For this concert, vocal support was provided by Vidushi Veena Sahasrabuddhe & Pandit Suhas Datar, Tabla accompaniment was given by Pandit Balkrishna Iyer, and Dr. Arawind Thatte accompanied on the Harmonium.
7. Raga Bhoop, recorded in July 1970 at the Bal Gandharva Sangeet Sabha in Mumbai. For this concert, vocal support was provided by Pandit Panchakshariswami Mattigatti and Tabla accompaniment was given by Ustad Ghulam Qadir.
8. Raga Sawani, recorded on 7 July 1980 at a mehfil held at the Bengeri Residence in Mumbai. For this concert, vocal support was provided by Pandit Rajshekhar Mansur and Tabla accompaniment was given by Ustad Nizamuddin Khan.
9. Raga Ramdasi Malhar, recorded on 12 August 1988 in Mumbai. For this concert, vocal support was provided by Pandit Rajshekhar Mansur, Tabla accompaniment was given by Pandit Balkrishna Iyer, and Pandit Baban Manjrekar accompanied on the Harmonium.
10. Raga Sampoorna Malkauns, recorded in 1978 at the Gunidas Sangeet Sammelan in Mumbai. For this concert, vocal support was provided by Pandit Rajshekhar Mansur and Tabla accompaniment was given by Pandit D. R. Nerurkar.
11. Raga Kafi Kanhra, recorded on 25 April 1984 at the residence of the Ambassador of Qatar to India in Delhi. For this concert, Tabla accompaniment was given by Ustad Faiyaz Khan and Ustad Sabri Khan accompanied on the Sarangi.

These recordings have been culled out from several private and personal collections of connoisseurs and friends to whom I am grateful. I hope that the rasikas enjoy this as much as I have enjoyed selecting them from a large pool of archival recordings.

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