Ambika Sarang | SRmMPDnNS | Hindustani Raga Index

S-R-mM-P-D-nN-S

According to Rajan Parrikar, Ambika Sarang is associated with Agra vocalist Chidanand Nagarkar, with “elements of Shuddha Sarang and Kafi blended together in a delicious cocktail” (as per his great-nephew Prasad Upasani, “The story goes that while teaching Shuddha Sarang, one student kept singing komal ni by mistake. This phrase stuck in his head, and resulted in him creating this raga, [which] he called ‘Ambika’ Sarang after the student who inspired it…”). Ga is banished, allowing for Saraswati-tinged movements: in fact, some incarnations of the raga are considered indistinguishable from vichitra veena maestro Gopal Krishnan’s Saraswati Sarang (echoed in a direct message I received from Krishnan’s grandson Akshat Sharma in early 2024). Apart from being prakriti, the term ‘Ambika’ (meaning ‘Mother’ in Sanskrit) is closely tied to the goddess Saraswati – in particular, her Adi Parashakti manifestation: a weapon-wielding, demon-slaying deity held as the ultimate matriarch of the universe, as well as the one who bestowed the other gods with their names (she also appears in the Malkauns myth). Also see the prakriti Rang Malhar, recently created by Rupak Kulkarni.

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राग अंबिका सारंग

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—Parveen Sultana (2007)—

[refrain, e.g. 3:53] DDPM, S\n(Sn) DDP(M)P, (P)M\R, P(M)P, DDPM, S\n…

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• Guitaragas •

My attempts to capture the raga on electric guitar (see more of these clips)

—Raag Ambika Sarang (electric guitar)—

My brief electric guitar cover of the Parveen Sultana bandish above…

• Recent Raga Index Updates (Jan 2026): Added new ragas: e.g. Asa, Basant Bahar, Badhans Sarang, Bayati, Chandni Todi, Chandraprabha, Deepavali, Firozkhani Todi, Gaud, Japaniya, Kaushiki, Latangi, Maru, Palas, Sarangkauns, Shivanjali, Shrutivardhini • ‘Bifurcations‘: analysis via ‘poorvang + uttarang’ formulas • DoGa Kalyan & the Beatles’ Blue Jay Way • Amir Khan’s ‘168 merukhands’ • Uncovered Prabhateshwari‘s origins • Transcribed Manjiri Asanare-Kelkar’s ‘Amodini‘ lec-dems • Experiments (e.g overtonal Bhairav, jazz Malkauns) • Survey of Sa Tunings • More Masterlist ragas (1000+)

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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

Double: rR | gG | mM | dD | nN

Thaat: 10 | 32 | Enclosed | Inexact

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

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

Symmetries: Mirror | Rotation | Palindr.

Aroha: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Avroh: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

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

Samay: Morning | Aftern. | Eve. | Night

Murchana: Bhup. | Bihag | Bilaw. | Charu.

Raganga: Bhairav | Malhar | Kan. | Todi

Construction: Jod | Mishra | Oddball

Origin: Ancient | Carnatic | Modern

Dominance: Poorvang | Uttarang

Prevalence: A-list | Prachalit | Aprach.

• Prakriti: Saraswati Sarang, Rang Malhar

Also see other shadav ragas which omit Ga

–Swara Geometries–

• Core form: S–R–mM–P–D–nN–S

• Reverse: SrRgmMPnS

• Negative: 5-2-1-4

• Imperfect: 2 (Ma, Dha)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: none

• Murchanas: Lachari Kanada set

–Global Translations–

• Carnatic: ~Saranga Malhar

S-R₂-M₁-M₂-P-D₂-N₂-N₃-S

• Jazz: Aeoliogyllic

1-2-4-#4-5-6-b7-7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-2-5-6-7-9-10-11-0

(2–3–1–1–2–1–1–1)

o • o • • o o o • o o o o

• Tanpura: Sa–Pa

• Names: Ambika Sarang

• Transliterations: Hindi (अंबिका सारंग)

—Tushar Dutta (2019)—

(also see the inseparable Saraswati Sarang)

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Sa | Re | Ga | Ma | Pa | Dha | Ni

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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!