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

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Devised by Maihar fountainhead Allauuddin Khan, and expanded upon by Ravi Shankar and Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ahir Lalit draws from 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. As per the liner notes to Hariprasad Chaurasia’s 1980 Breaking New Ground album, “The credit for popularising this beautiful morning melody goes to the great Ustad Allauddin Khan. The raga depicts a subtle mood of pathos, languor, and separation”. Also see other members of the Lalit raganga, plus more Ravi-related forms such as Parameshwari, Gangeshwari, Kameshwari, Rangeshwari, Jogeshwari, Mohankauns, Bairagi, Bairagi Todi, & Pancham se Gara.

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• Raga Masterlist (1000+) •

राग अहीर ललित

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• Hindustani Raga Index •

Aroha: SrGmM, DnS

Avroh: SrnSnD, GmMm, rGmG, GrS

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

—Ravi Shankar (1971)—

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[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):

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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 | 32 | Enclosed | Inexact

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

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

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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.

• 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)

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–r–G–mM–D–n–S

• Reverse: SRgMPdNS (=Simhendra Mad.)

• Complement: SRgPdNS

• Imperfect: 3 (Sa, re, Ga)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: mirror (m—N)

• Murchanas: Bhairav set

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

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–Global Translations–

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• 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)

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o o • • o o o • • o o • o

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• Tanpura: Sa–ma

• Names: Ahir Lalit, Aheer Lalat

• Transliterations: Hindi (अहीर ललित)

—Hariprasad Chaurasia (2000)—