• Raag Ahir Lalit •

S-r-G-mM-D-n-S


Introduced by Ravi Shankar, drawing from the swara material of three morning ragas: Ahiri, Ahir Bhairav, and Lalit. As per Deepak Raja, “for most listeners, Ahir Lalit will be unable to escape the shadow of Ahir Bhairav over the Lalit facet of the raga…since Ahiri is heard mainly as a Bhairav variant”. Nevertheless, the raga’s distinctive ‘double-Ma, no Pa’ structure (matching the shape of ‘Ahir Bhairav komal Pa‘) allows for unmistakeable flavours of Lalit – and, being a rare and recently-created raga, its phraseologies remain largely uncodified, with fresh melodic expanses open to the interpretation of performers. Refer to prominent renditions by Shankar and Hariprasad Chaurasia. Also see other members of the Lalit raganga, plus more Ravi-related forms such as Parameshwari, Gangeshwari, Kameshwari, Rangeshwari, Jogeshwari, MohankaunsBairagi, Bairagi Todi, & Pancham se Gara.


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राग अहीर ललित
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Aroha: SrGmM, DnS
Avroh: SrnSnD, GmMm, rGmG, GrS

Chalan: e.g. SDnD; DnSr; nrS; rGmMm; MD; MDn; DnrS; rnSnD; MDGmMm; rGmG; GrSnD; DnrS (Shankar/Raja)

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—Ravi Shankar (1971)—


[refrain, e.g. 10:33] D D D, MMD, nnS(rS), r, r(/GMG), G\r, S, rGm/M M\G, rS, n SS, Dn(Dn), D D D…

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• Classifiers •

Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag List):


Swaras: -4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10+

Sapta: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Poorvang: SRGM | SRG | SRM | SGM

Uttarang: PDNS | PDS | PNS | DNS

Varjit: Re | Ga | Ma | Pa | Dha | Ni

Thaat: 10 | 32Enclosed | Inexact

Chal: All-shuddha | All-komal | Ma-tivra

Gaps: Anh. | Hemi. | 3-row | 4-row | 5-row


Aroha: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Avroh: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Jati: Equal | Balanced | Av.+1 | Av.+2

Samay: Morning | Aftern. | Eve. | Night

Construction: Jod | Mishra | Oddball

Origin: Ancient | Carnatic | Modern

Dominance: Poorvang | Uttarang

Prevalence: A-list | Prachalit | Aprach.

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• Prakriti: (none found)
See all shadav ragas which omit Pa – and also compare to other members of the Lalit and Bhairav ragangas (as well as to other ragas which fuse elements of both)

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–Swara Geometries–

Core form: SrGmMDnS
Reverse: SRgMPdNS (=Simhendra Mad.)
Complement: SRgPdNS
Imperfect: 3 (Sa, re, Ga)
Detached: none
Symmetries: mirror (m—N)
Murchanas: Bhairav set

Quirks: ‘komal Pa‘ (=mMP) • centred‘ (constellation balances at the wheel’s centrepoint)

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–Global Translations–

Carnatic: ~Bhujangini
S-R1-G3-M1-M2-D2-N2-S
Jazz: Phrygian Dominant (b5)
1-b2-3-4-#4-6-b7-8
Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):
0-1-4-5-6-9-10-0
(1–3–1–1–3–1–2)

o o • • o o o • • o o • o


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• Tanpura: Sa–ma
• Names: Ahir Lalit, Aheer Lalat
• Transliterations: Hindi (अहीर ललित)

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—Hariprasad Chaurasia (2000)—

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George Howlett is a London-based musician, writer, and teacher (guitars, sitar, tabla, & santoor). Above all I seek to enthuse fellow sonic searchers, interconnecting fresh vibrations with the voices, cultures, and passions behind them. See Homepage for more, and hit me up for Lessons!

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