The oldest tabla gharana, dating to the early eighteenth century and traditionally founded by Siddhar Khan of Delhi. Its baaj is the definitive bandh style: two-finger kinar and syahi work ("do ungliyon ka baaj"), restrained bayan, and an aesthetic of clarity and balance.
Delhi's repertoire centers on peshkar, kaida, and rela — development forms rather than showpieces — and its kaidas are the common pedagogical inheritance of every school. Most other gharanas descend from Delhi-trained players; studying it is studying the trunk of the tree.