S-r-g-m-P-D-n-S

---

Traditionally held to cure stomach ailments, Ahiri allows for long, kaleidoscopic melodies – with a scale form resembling ‘Bageshri komal re’, ‘Ahir Bhairav komal ga’, or even ‘Bhairavi shuddha Dha’. Artists are relatively free to roam throughout the scale – often accentuating the ‘equilateral triangle’ of nyas (r-m-D: an augmented triad) while also drawing on motions from Bageshri (gmDnS), Ahir Bhairav (PDnrS), and beyond. Matches the shape of the Carnatic Natakapriya (n.b. the Carnatic Ahiri is congruent with Basant Mukhari, with connections to the Northern form unclear). Also see the related Ahiri Todi, Jaiwanti Todi, and Deen Todi – as well as Ahiri’s murchana partners Patdeep, Charukeshi, and Vachaspati.

---

• Raga Masterlist (1000+) •

राग आहीरी

Search | Glossary | Tags

• Hindustani Raga Index •

Aroha: SrgmPDnS

Avroh: SnDPmgrS

---

Chalan: e.g. nDr; DnS; Dngr; rgmgr; Srgm; rgPm; grgP; rgmD; DPDnD; mPDnS; DnrS; nDPDnD; nDmgr; Pmgr; rnDS (Raja)

—Harmeet Virdee (2009)—

(hear me play Ahiri on guitar!)

---

[motifs, e.g. 1:34] (g)mPDnD mP, g\r gmg; m, g, r, (Sn)DnSr…

---

• Guitaragas •

My attempts to capture the raga on electric guitar (see more on my Insta)

---

—Ahiri on electric guitar (alap)—

---

A quick sketch of some sitar-style compound meend on my Stratocaster, partly inspired by Raj Virdee’s rendition of the raga above (I’ve also recorded Ahiri with sitarist Jon Mayer in London: watch an excerpt here) 

---

• 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 | 32 | Enclosed | 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.

• Prakriti: Thaat #30, Jaiwanti Todi, Prabhateshwari, Ganeshkauns

• Ragmalas •

Historic miniature paintings (learn more)

---

“Ahiri Ragini: opaque pigments on paper, heightened with gold” (Bilaspur, c.1740) / “Ahiri Ragini, from a folio” (unknown, c.1750)

---

–Swara Geometries–

---

• Core form: S–r–g–m–P–D–n–S

• Reverse: SRgmPDNS (=Patdeep)

• Complement: SRGMdNS

• Imperfect: 3 (re, Pa, Dha)

• Detached: 2 (re, Dha)

• Symmetries: mirror (m—N)

• Murchanas: Charukeshi set

---

• Quirks: ‘maximal‘ (swaras are optimally ‘spread out’)

---

–Global Translations–

---

• Carnatic: ~Natakapriya (mela #10)

S-R₁-G₂-M₁-P-D₂-N₂-S

• Jazz: Dorian b2

1-b2-b3-4-5-6-b7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-1-3-5-7-9-10-12

(1–2–2–2–2–1–2)

---

o o • o • o • o • o o • o

---

• Tanpura: Sa–ma (+Dha)

• Names: Ahiri, Aheer, Aheeri, Aahiri

• Transliterations: Hindi (आहीरी)

—Krishna Bhatt (2010)—