"In the hands of Madhuvanti Pal, the rudra veena sings, hums, cries, and purrs, creating complex layers of sound.""Madhuvanti Pal wanted to bridge the gap in women playing the rudra veena, so she built her own instrument and recorded 'The Holy Mother' at her home."

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"Pal sustains interest for the entire length of these ragas, an orchestra unto herself, building to a feverish tempo by the end of 'Todi (Part 2)'.""Despite its strong feminine elements and historical evidence of women playing, there has been an enormous stigma against women playing the rudra veena in modern times, rooted in patriarchal and misogynistic attitudes... Lovers of Indian classical music are lucky that Madhuvanti Pal ignored such ridiculous stigmas."

"The Holy Mother: Madhuvanti Pal Plays the Rudra Veena is 90 minutes of pure, deep trance-inducing bliss that shows off the deep, beautiful resonance of the rudra veena and Pal’s deft, fluid playing."

"With extensive, detailed liner notes from Sublime Frequencies, 'The Holy Mother' is one of the loveliest and most essential documents of Indian classical music in recent memory."

"The Holy Mother is the crown jewel of a busy year for Pal, releasing three albums of rudra veena recordings and an original single."

"She is doing an excellent service, bringing the rudra veena and North Indian classical music to a wider audience and restoring women to their rightful place as queens of the king of instruments.""The instrument's portrayal in portraits and on temple walls dates back centuries, showcasing its connection to the female form. However, societal changes in India led to discouragement of women playing it."

"Born in 1992, Pal faced obstacles when she pursued the rudra veena. Despite discouragement and inadequate instruments, she defied advice, learned to build her own, and recorded the two ragas by herself in her apartment."

"Pal showcases her musical skill and improvisational ability within a raga’s structure to build and sustain an arc that coheres over the long haul."

"If you’ve ever been moved by a swooping blues lick or some ascending feedback, you’ve got sufficient background to luxuriate in her patient explorations.""Within this exceptional album, Madhuvanti Pal’s artistry as an instrumentalist takes center stage. With grace and finesse, she breathes life into two transcendent ragas, Todi and Bhairavi, enveloping the listener into their profound beauty.""Madhuvanti’s music is bold. She unfolds ragas easily and—for dhrupad standards—quite fast.""Madhuvanti Pal is a master of the rudra veena... Pal is the first female practitioner to release an LP. One of the new generation of Rudra Veena artists, Madhuvanti plays a modified Dagar-style instrument. The music unfolds in a reverie of undulating melodies and phased drones.""To say that The Holy Mother: Madhuvanti Pal Plays the Rudra Veena is a revelatory release feels pretty accurate. No doubt there exists a pocket of Indian music fans who were pining away for a contemporary recording featuring the rudra veena, but for most everybody else, even those with a predilection for global sounds, this set, which is bluntly yet another gem for Sublime Frequencies, basically came out of nowhere."

"Lovers of the drone, prepare to be blown away by Madhuvanti Pal’s ability to exquisitely extend."

"The music is meditative by design but also denser and frankly more intense (and mysterious) than much of the music categorized as suitable for meditation."

"Madhuvanti Pal is staking out territory of her own."