Tansen, one of the Navaratnas or Nine Jewels of
Akbar's court, was a legendary 16th century musician. Swami Haridas, a revered musician-saint from
Vrindavan, was his teacher and Ghous Muhammed, a well known Sufi saint, was his spiritual master. A pioneer in the field of
Hindustani classical music, Tansen is believed to have created a number of popular
ragas such as Darbari Kanada, Darbari Todi, Miya ki Malhar and Miya ki Sarang, besides more than 300
Dhrupad compositions. It is believed that he could light lamps and bring in rains through his music. Born in
Gwalior, he was laid to rest in his native city after his death. Tansen's tomb lies next to that of Ghous Muhammed and is the venue of the annual Tansen Music Festival.
