BHMCT 108 Question Paper December 2025 is the sharpest practice set for this Indian classical music paper. It bridges two worlds, the Karnataka system of Tyagaraja and the Swaramelakalanidhi treatise on one side, and Hindustani ragas, talas and the Bhindi Bazar Gharana on the other. If your exam falls in 2026, this is the paper to rehearse on, so let's break it down.
What is the BHMCT-108 December 2025 Question Paper?
The BHMCT 108 December 2025 question paper is the official IGNOU Term-End Examination for the Study of Treatises, Gharanas and Elementary Karnataka Music, set in English and Hindi, worth 100 marks over 3 hours, where you answer any ten of twelve questions in the BAPFHMH programme.
In practice it is a single list of twelve questions with no sections, each carrying ten marks and asking for about 500 words. The paper warns you to keep to the word limit strictly. The questions move between the Carnatic forms like Kriti and Thillana and Hindustani topics like the books of Pt. Bhatkhande.
About IGNOU BHMCT-108 Treatises Gharanas and Karnataka Music
BHMCT-108 is the paper where the two great streams of Indian classical music meet. On the Karnataka side, it studies how the system took shape after the fourteenth century, the contributions of the trinity Muthuswami Dixitar, Shyama Shastri and Tyagaraja, the Carnatic tala system, and the medieval treatise Swaramelakalanidhi.
It also covers the Carnatic vocal forms: Kriti, Keertanam, Jawali and Thillana, each with its own character and place in a concert.
The Hindustani half is just as rich. You study ragas such as Jaunpari and Bihag, the talas Jhaptal and Chautal with their thekas, the Bhindi Bazar Gharana, the books written by Pt. Bhatkhande, and the lives of musicians like Pt. Ravi Shankar, Surashri Kesarbai Kerkar, Kumar Gandharva and Siddeshwari Devi.
This page is written by Prateek Talwar and reviewed by the Unnati Educations academic team, including our Indian classical music content reviewers. It sits within the BHMCT-108 course of the IGNOU B.A. (Hons.) Performing Arts Hindustani Music (BAPFHMH) programme and reflects the official IGNOU Term-End Examination of December 2025. Last updated: June 2026.
BHMCT-108 Question Paper December 2025 Exam Pattern and Marks
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Medium | Bilingual, English and Hindi, both accepted |
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Total marks | 100 |
| Total questions | 12 |
| Questions to attempt | Any 10 |
| Sections | None, single list of questions |
| Marks per question | 10 marks each, all equal |
| Word limit per answer | About 500 words, strictly observed |
| Type of questions | Descriptive long answers and short notes |
All Questions in the BHMCT-108 December 2025 Paper
Note : Please adhere to the word limit strictly.
Note : Answer any ten questions in about 500 words each. All questions carry equal marks.
- Discuss about the changes in Indian Music after the 14th century which gradually took shape as Karnataka music system.
- Discuss elaborately on the contribution of Muthuswami Dixitar, Shyama Shastri and Tyagaraja in enriching the repertoire of Karnataka Music.
- Describe in detail about the Tala System in Karnataka Music.
- Describe in detail about the role of Pt. Ravi Shankar as an ambassador of Indian Classical Music.
- Discuss in detail about the context of medieval treatise 'Swaramelakalanidhi'.
- Write short notes on any two of the following personalities :
- Kumar Gandharva
- Siddeshwari Devi
- Pt. Lalmani Mishra
- Sumati Matatkar
- Write short notes on the following forms :
- Kriti
- Keertanam
- Jawali
- Thillana
- Write in detail on the life and musical journey of Surashri Kesarbai Kerkar.
- Give a brief description of the books written by Pt. V. B. Bhatkhande.
- Write down the description of the Ragas Jaunpari and Bihag.
- Write down the details and Thekas of Jhaptal and Chautal.
- Write an elaborated note on the Bhindi Bazar Gharana.
बी.एच.एम.सी.टी.–108 : ग्रन्थों, घरानों और प्राथमिक कर्नाटक संगीत का अध्ययन
नोट : कृपया अपना उत्तर शब्द-सीमा के अन्दर लिखें।
नोट : किन्हीं दस प्रश्नों के उत्तर लगभग 500 शब्दों (प्रत्येक) में दीजिए। सभी प्रश्नों के अंक समान हैं।
- चौदहवीं शताब्दी के बाद भारतीय संगीत में आये उन बदलावों के बारे में चर्चा कीजिए, जिस वजह कर्नाटक संगीत का विकास हुआ।
- कर्नाटक संगीत की गेय सामग्री को समृद्ध बनाने में मुथुस्वामी दीक्षितर, श्यामा शास्त्री और त्यागराज के योगदानों के सम्बन्ध में विस्तृत चर्चा कीजिए।
- कर्नाटक संगीत में ताल पद्धति का विस्तारपूर्वक वर्णन कीजिए।
- भारतीय संगीत के दूत के रूप में पं. रवि शंकर की भूमिका का विवरण दीजिए।
- मध्यकालीन ग्रंथ 'स्वरमेलकलानिधि' पर विस्तृत चर्चा कीजिए।
- निम्नलिखित में से किन्हीं दो व्यक्तित्वों पर टिप्पणी लिखिए :
- (क) कुमार गांधर्व
- (ख) सिद्धेश्वरी देवी
- (ग) लालमणि मिश्र
- (घ) सुमति मुटाटकर
- निम्नलिखित गेय विधाओं पर संक्षिप्त टिप्पणियाँ लिखिए :
- (क) कृति
- (ख) कीर्तनम
- (ग) जावली
- (घ) तिल्लाना
- सुरश्री केसरबाई केरकर के जीवन और सांगीतिक यात्रा का विशद विवरण दीजिए।
- पं. वी. एन. भातखण्डे द्वारा लिखित पुस्तकों पर संक्षिप्त टिप्पणी लिखिए।
- राग जौनपुरी और राग बिहाग के बारे में विस्तृत जानकारी दीजिए।
- झपताल और चौताल का विवरण ठेका सहित लिखिए।
- भिंडी बाजार घराने का विस्तृत विवरण दीजिए।
Topics Covered in the BHMCT-108 Paper
- The changes in Indian music after the fourteenth century that shaped the Karnataka music system
- The contributions of Muthuswami Dixitar, Shyama Shastri and Tyagaraja to the Karnataka repertoire
- The tala system in Karnataka music
- The role of Pt. Ravi Shankar as an ambassador of Indian classical music
- The medieval treatise Swaramelakalanidhi
- The personalities Kumar Gandharva, Siddeshwari Devi, Pt. Lalmani Mishra and Sumati Matatkar
- The vocal forms Kriti, Keertanam, Jawali and Thillana
- The life and musical journey of Surashri Kesarbai Kerkar
- The books written by Pt. Bhatkhande
- The ragas Jaunpari and Bihag
- The details and thekas of Jhaptal and Chautal
- The Bhindi Bazar Gharana
Topic Map of the BHMCT-108 Paper
| Theme | Questions | What it tests |
|---|---|---|
| Karnataka (Carnatic) music | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 | The evolution of the system after the fourteenth century, the contributions of the composer trinity, the Carnatic tala system, the Swaramelakalanidhi treatise, and the forms Kriti, Keertanam, Jawali and Thillana |
| Hindustani treatises, gharanas, ragas, talas and personalities | 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 | Pt. Ravi Shankar, the four personalities in question 6, Kesarbai Kerkar, Bhatkhande's books, the ragas Jaunpari and Bihag, the talas Jhaptal and Chautal, and the Bhindi Bazar Gharana |
How to Use BHMCT-108 December 2025 Question Paper to Score in the 2026 Exam
Rehearse this December 2025 IGNOU paper against a real 3-hour clock and pick your strongest ten of the twelve first. Since the paper insists on the word limit, a disciplined 500-word answer scores better than one that sprawls.
For a ten-mark answer, open with a clear context line, set out the key features or contributions in order, name real examples, and close briefly. A question on Tyagaraja and the trinity needs actual kritis and their contribution, not vague praise, and a Bhindi Bazar Gharana answer should name its founders and stylistic traits.
Handle the technical questions with care. Jhaptal and Chautal must carry their correct thekas written out, and the raga question on Jaunpari and Bihag rewards accurate scale and chalan detail. For the short-note questions on forms like Kriti and Thillana, split your time evenly so both chosen options get full attention.
Sample Answer Approach (not a full answer)
Take question 2, the contribution of Muthuswami Dixitar, Shyama Shastri and Tyagaraja. Here is the shape of a full-marks answer, not the answer itself.
Opening: introduce the three as the Trinity of Carnatic music and their period in eighteenth-century Thanjavur.
Points to cover: Tyagaraja's prolific kritis and devotion to Rama, Muthuswami Dixitar's weighty compositions in Sanskrit and his vilamba kala style, and Shyama Shastri's swarajatis and Devi compositions.
Named examples: cite a representative kriti or group for each composer to show specific knowledge.
Conclusion: a two-line note on how together they fixed the kriti as the central Carnatic form.
Frequently Asked Questions about the BHMCT-108 Question Paper December 2025
Is this the authentic BHMCT-108 IGNOU Question Paper December 2025?
Yes. This is the genuine IGNOU Term-End Examination paper for BHMCT-108 held in December 2025, reproduced word for word in both languages. The real questions on the Karnataka tala system, the Swaramelakalanidhi and the Bhindi Bazar Gharana appear here unchanged, with both Note lines and the same twelve-question structure the university printed.
Is the BHMCT-108 Question Paper December 2025 available in both English and Hindi?
Absolutely. The paper is fully bilingual, so both the English questions and the Hindi versions are printed here in full. Whether you write on त्यागराज or the ragas Jaunpari and Bihag in Hindi or English, you can revise from the exact wording IGNOU used, since both mediums are accepted in BHMCT-108.
How many questions must I attempt in BHMCT-108 IGNOU Question Paper and out of how many marks?
You attempt any ten of the twelve questions, and the paper is out of 100 marks, ten for each, in three hours. Each answer should run to about 500 words, and the paper asks you to keep to that limit. So a Kriti short note or a Chautal theka answer should be complete yet tight, not padded.
Is BHMCT-108 Question Paper December 2025 useful for the 2026 exam?
Very useful. The December 2025 paper is the most recent official BHMCT-108 set, so it closely guides your 2026 attempt. Core areas like the contributions of the Carnatic trinity, Pt. Ravi Shankar's global role and the thekas of Jhaptal and Chautal carry steady weight, which makes timed practice on this exact paper worthwhile.
Is a BHMCT 108 solved question paper available?
Yes, a BHMCT 108 solved question paper can be shared on request. The questions here are the real ones, and the solved set adds model answers built the way examiners reward, with named Carnatic kritis and a correctly written theka for Jhaptal and Chautal. Message us and we will send what suits your prep.
Can the BHMCT-108 Question Paper help with the BHMCT-108 assignment too?
It helps considerably. The BHMCT-108 assignment and this exam draw on one syllabus, so revising the Swaramelakalanidhi, the forms Kriti and Thillana, or the Bhindi Bazar Gharana for the paper strengthens your tutor-marked work as well. Practising these December 2025 questions builds the same grasp of Indian classical music the assignment expects.
Unnati Educations is an independent IGNOU study-resource platform that prepares practice papers and solved material for learners.
Disclaimer: Unnati Educations is an independent academic support service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). The original question paper is the property of IGNOU and is provided here only as a reference for student practice.