S-rR-gG-mM-P-dD-nN-S

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A complex jod raga which, due to its parentage, has the rare distinction of using all 12 swara positions in its core form (Basant: SrGMPdNS + Bahar: SRgmPDnNS). While there are other ragas which do allow the use of all swaras, they tend to be either combinational experiments (e.g. Patmanjari, a blend of five chosen ragas) or mishra forms (e.g. Pahadi, which permits outside tones but does not require them) – as far as I can tell, Basant Bahar is the only raga to actually demand all 12 swaras (see my 2025 Reddit thread for more discussion). Kishori Amonkar – the raga’s foremost explorer – visits all 12 swaras within the first 45 seconds of her most famous recording, also building the full set into a bandish composed by her mother Mogubai Kurdikar (transcribed below). Basant’s angular movements tend to dominate the raga image (sthayi: dP PMG GM), with flashes of Bahar offering sporadic relief (e.g. mPm mnD) – although Kishori’s taans sometimes blend both ragas into long, unified melodies. Also recorded by vocalists including Akbar Ali, Amir Khan, Fareed Hassan, Ajoy Chakraborty, & Ranjani Ramachandran – while Bhimsen Joshi’s youthful renditions are said to have inspired the title of the famous 1956 film scored by Shankar-Jaikishan, in which an astrologer’s son disobeys his father’s wishes and becomes a raga singer instead, displaying great talent before being poisoned by a rival and healed by a dancing girl.

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• Raga Megalist (365+) •

राग बसंत बहार

Search | Glossary | Tags

• Hindustani Raga Index •

—Kishori Amonkar (1991)—

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[bandish, e.g. 0:18] GMd(N) Md(SN)S, N(d) d(P)P, (PM)P MG G/M(G); GMd(N) Md(NS)R, N(d) d(P)P, (PM)P MG G/M(G); MPNSRgRS; n(S)D (N)S; S N(d) d(P)P, (PM)P MG G/M(G), MGrS; SS mm m(Pm) (n)P (mgm)g m, mnD DNS, NS(RgSNS) S(nS)D; (N)S, N(d) d(P)P, (PM)P MG G/M(G); MGrS…

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• Experiments •

Novel interpretations of the raga’s essence…

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—Anuradha Pal’s Stree Shakti—

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“Catalysed by her own challenges and experiences, Anuradha formed Stree Shakti – India’s first all-girls classical band – in 1996, to provide a platform to and inspire other talented girls and women who were similarly discriminated against…Uniting gifted female vocalists, instrumentalists, and percussionists across Hindustani, Carnatic, and folk music…” (Anuradha Pal’s Stree Shakti)

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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

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.

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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: (Patmanjari)

–Swara Geometries–

(…somewhat moot given the raga’s use of all 12 swara positions…)

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• Core form: S–rR–gG–mM–P–dD–nN–S

• Reverse: (=itself)

• Negative: n/a

• Imperfect: none

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: n/a

• Murchanas: n/a

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• Quirks: all 12 swaras used in core form

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–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: (~Ragamalika)

(S-R₁-R₂-G₂-G₃-M₁-M₂-P-D₁-D₂-N₂-N₃-S)

• Jazz: (Chromatic)

(1-b2-2-b3-3-4-#4-5-b6-6-b7-7-8)

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

(0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-0)

(1–1–1–1–1–1–1–1–1–1–1–1)

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(o o o o o o o o o o o o o)

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa

• Names: Basant Bahar, Basant Baahar

• Transliterations: Hindi (बसंत बहार)

—Ajoy Chakraborty (2000)—