Bahar | SRgmPDnNS | Hindustani Raga Index

S-R-g-m-P-D-nN-S

As per Tanarang, Bahar (‘Spring’) “brings out nature’s beautiful blessings…full of shringar and bhakti ras…khatkas and intricate taans are conducive to its dynamic, fleeting nature”. While rooted in the Kanada raganga, the raga features a Malharic twin-Ni, with the shuddha being more prominent. Bageshri hallmarks are also evident in the weak aroha Re, and the use of shuddha ma as a nyas (e.g. S/m, m/n\P) – although Pa is strong, and the Kanada avroh signature is mostly preferred (e.g. Pgm, gmRS). In recent generations, the raga has proved itself an attractive jod ingredient (Parrikar: “highly promiscuous, and has been found in flagrante delicto with several other ragas”), appearing in such conjunctions as Basant Bahar, Bhairav Bahar, Bageshri Bahar, Rageshri Bahar, and Tilang Bahar.

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Aroha: NSm; PgmnDNS

Avroh: SnP; mPgmRS

Chalan: e.g. SRnSm; mPgmnDNS; RNSnP; mPnm; Pgm(S)RS (Bor/Dasgupta)

—Shashank Maktedar (2020)—

[refrain, e.g. 4:44] (mPDSN)S (N)S, nP (PmP)m P, m\g m, (mP)n, SNS, nP…

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• Recent Raga Index Updates (Nov 2025): Added new ragas: e.g. Asa, Basant Bahar, Badhans Sarang, Bayati, Chandni Todi, Chandraprabha, Deepavali, Firozkhani Todi, Gaud, Japaniya, Kaushiki, Kokilapriya, Latangi, Maru, Palas, Sarangkauns, Shanmukhpriya, Shivanjali, Shrutivardhini • Analysed the overlap of DoGa Kalyan and 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: Miyan ki Malhar, Charju ki Malhar, Barwa, Bageshri Bahar, Sindhura, Sughrai, Hussaini Todi, Lanka Dahan Sarang

–Proximate Forms–

Kafi = ‘Bahar only ni‘

Patdeep = ‘Bahar only Ni‘

Desh = ‘Bahar shuddha Ga‘

Chandrakaushiki = ‘Bahar komal dha‘

Tanseni Madhuvanti = ‘Bahar tivra Ma‘

(n.b. these are just ‘scalar similarities’, with nothing particular implied about phraseological overlap)

–Swara Geometries–

• Core form: S–R–g–m–P–D–nN–S

• Reverse: SrRgmPDnS

• Negative: 5-3-2-2

• Imperfect: 2 (Dha, Ni)

• Detached: 1 (Ni)

• Symmetries: none

• Murchanas: Miyan ki Malhar set

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

–Global Translations–

• Carnatic: (~Kapi/Kannada)

S-R₂-G₂-M₁-P-D₂-N₂-N₃-S

• Jazz: Dorian (dbl. 7th)

1-2-b3-4-5-6-b7-7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-2-3-5-7-9-10-11-0

(2–1–2–2–2–1–1–1)

o • o o • o • o • o o o o

• Tanpura: Sa–Pa

• Names: Bahar, Bahaar, Bahar Kanada, Bahari (not Bihari)

• Transliterations: Hindi (बहार); Bengali (বাহার); Kannada (ಬಹಾರ್)

—Tejendra Majumdar (~2000s)—

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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!