Founder of Chhattisgarh’s First Music College Appeals for Posthumous Recognition of the Legendary King’s Contribution to Dance, Music, and Literature
Published on: August 28, 2025
By: BTNI
Location: Rajnandgaon, India
Ninety years ago, a visionary tribal ruler from Raigarh transformed the cultural landscape of central India. Maharaja Chakradhar Singh, fondly remembered as the “Emperor of Music,” ruled Raigarh from 1924 to 1947 and in just 23 years of his reign, left behind an unparalleled legacy in the fields of literature, music, and dance. Despite his untimely demise at the age of 46, his contributions continue to resonate across India’s artistic traditions.
Receiving a rich inheritance of art and culture from his father, Maharaja Bhupdev Singh, Chakradhar Singh elevated Raigarh Darbar into a sacred hub of music and dance, often referring to it as the temple of Goddess Saraswati. A secular king who respected all religions, he mastered diverse languages including Sanskrit, Hindi, Braj, Urdu, and English, writing under the pen names Chakrapiya in Hindi and Farhat in Urdu. His works included thumris, devotional songs, and classical compositions that enriched India’s musical treasure.
Beyond music, the Maharaja was a connoisseur of dance, especially Tandava. While royal decorum prevented him from performing publicly, he composed numerous dance bandishes that laid the foundation of the renowned Raigarh Kathak tradition. He authored two seminal works, Nartan Sarvasvam and Muraj Parn Pushpakar, strengthening the theoretical and practical aspects of Kathak on the world stage.
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Equally skilled in vocal music, tabla, and pakhawaj, Chakradhar Singh created thousands of ragas and composed monumental texts like Raga Ratna Manjusha and Tal Toye Nidhi—the latter a massive 32-kilogram manuscript dedicated to rhythm, tabla, and pakhawaj. His scholarship ensured that dance and music were institutionalized in a systematic way, giving Raigarh recognition alongside cultural centers like Lucknow and Rajasthan.
Highlighting this extraordinary legacy, Dr. Krishna Kumar Sinha, founder of Chhattisgarh’s first graduate-level music institution, Chakradhar Kathak Kalyan Kendra (established 43 years ago in Rajnandgaon), has appealed to the Government of India to honour Maharaja Chakradhar Singh posthumously with the nation’s highest civilian award.
“This is a humble appeal on behalf of all music lovers and cultural enthusiasts that the unmatched contributions of Maharaja Chakradhar Singh ji to Indian music, dance, and literature be recognised with India’s top civilian honour,” said Dr. Sinha in a press statement shared by Tushar Sinha.
