The Patiala gharana is one of the most prominent gharanas of vocal Hindustani classical music. It was initially sponsored by the Maharaja of Patiala, Punjab, which was famous for ghazal, thumri, and khyal.
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The Patiala Gharana was founded by Ustad Fateh Ali Khan and Ustad Ali Baksh Khan.
This school of music has had a number of famous musicians, many of whom came to be patronised by the royal family of Patiala after the disintegration of the Mughal Empire at Delhi in the 18th century.
The Patiala gharana tends to favor pentatonic ragas for their ornamentation and execution of intricate taans. Ektaal and Teentaal are the most common taals chosen by members of this gharana. Besides khyal, thumri singing is emphasized.
This gharana has been criticized by purists, who say it overuses ornaments and graces without considering the basic nature and mood of the raga and neglects principles of khyal architecture, as exemplified by Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's quick ascent through the octave in his rendering of Darbari.[1]