S-rR-gG-m-P-D-nN-S
A ten-toned multi-jod raga, Bhairav Bahar’s descent blends the melodic signatures of several disparate ragas, notably including the springtime Bahar – although, as per Darbhanga Dhrupad vocalist Premkumar Mallick, flavours of Bhairav should dominate the overall impression. Bose gives a vadi–samvadi of ma–Sa, while also mentioning the existence of an alternate ‘double-Dha’ version (thus allowing for the use of every swara position except tivra Ma). Refer to recordings by Bhimsen Joshi, Apoorva Gokhale, and Vilayat Khan (at the 1981 BBC Proms with Zakir Hussain on tabla, also showcasing the Imdadkhani sitarist‘s impressive vocal skills) – as well as Rajan Parrikar’s rundown of further renditions. Compare to other members of the Bhairav raganga.
• Raga Masterlist (1000+) •
राग भैरव बहार
Search | Glossary | Tags
• Hindustani Raga Index •
—Apoorva Gokhale (2018)—
[bandish, e.g. 43:47] mG m/nD, D(nSN)S, nD(n)P, mg(mP)m G\r S, mG m/nD, D(nSN)S…
Support open-access, AI-free raga musicology by joining my PATREON. And to learn raga & global music on guitar, try some online lessons: get in touch to book a free taster session!
• Recent Raga Index Updates (May 2026): Up to 365 Megalist pages! Recent adds include Asa, Bayati, Deepavali, Chanchalas Malhar, DoGa Kalyan, Gaud, Japaniya, Kaushiki, Latangi, Loom, Maru, Meerabai Malhar, Palas, Sarangkauns, Shankh Dhwani, Shivanjali, Sohini Bahar (+ try out ‘Audav Meladalan‘) • What does ‘Kauns’ mean? Analysing 60+ Kauns ragas • ‘Bifurcations‘: ‘poorvang vs. uttarang’ splits • Amir Khan’s ‘168 merukhands’ • Introduced the ‘complements‘ concept • Experiments (e.g. overtonal Bhairav, jazz Malkauns) • Survey of Sa Tunings • More Masterlist ragas (1000+)
Raag Kafi: Electric guitar improv around the adha bandish ‘Aaj Khel Shaam Sang Hori’
(From ‘Around the World in Eight Ragas’: my show with Ashwin Baliga & Marc Clayton at Mehfil Space on 11 Jun 2026) @ashwinbaligaofficial @marc_plays_tabla @mehfilspace
#raga #indianmusic #icm #worldmusic #ragaguitar
Jun 22
Raag Jog: some sawal-jawab (‘question-answer’) fun with Marc Clayton on tabla
(From ‘Around the World in Eight Ragas’: my show with Ashwin Baliga & Marc Clayton at Mehfil Space on 11 Jun 2026) @ashwinbaligaofficial @marc_plays_tabla @mehfilspace
#raga #indianmusic #icm #worldmusic #ragaguitar
Jun 15
Some tintal improv around a wonderful Durga bandish I’ll be playing at @mehfilspace @the_rose_hill in Brighton on Thu 11th June! with vocalist @ashwinbaligaofficial and @marc_plays_tabla
https://therosehill.co.uk/event/the-mehfil-space-presents-around-the-world-in-8-ragas/
‘Around the World in 8 Ragas’: exploring cross-cultural melodic forms (e.g. scales that turn up independently in Japan, India, Mali, etc)
#indianmusic #raga #icm #brightonmusic #ragaguitar
Jun 10
Come see me play some bendy raga-guitar at @mehfilspace @the_rose_hill in Brighton on Thu 11th June! with vocalist @ashwinbaligaofficial and @marc_plays_tabla
https://therosehill.co.uk/event/the-mehfil-space-presents-around-the-world-in-8-ragas/
‘Around the World in 8 Ragas’: exploring cross-cultural melodic forms (e.g. scales that turn up independently in Japan, India, Mali, etc) – including this piece, a famous Bhairavi bhajan by Pt. Bhimsen Joshi (Jo Bhaje Hari Ko Sada)
#bhajan #raga #indianmusic #brightonmusic #ragaguitar
Jun 5
tomato can jungle/DnB (distracted while cooking)
#drumming #percussion #dnb #jungle
May 23
A great Jaunpuri gat from Senia-Shahjahanpur sarod legend Pt Buddhadev DasGupta, full of fast bends and slides (originally released for Joep Bor’s 1997 Raga Guide, in many ways a precursor to my own raga index)
Raag Jaunpuri: a late morning raga, likely originating in the Sultanate-era music of Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh (as per Subodh Agrawal: “The rulers of Jaunpur were keen patrons of the arts, and the last one – Sultan Hussain Sharqi – was himself a distinguished musician; it is probable that the Jaunpuri flavor of Asavari was developed by him, or under his patronage“). Rajan Parrikar elaborates on its “Asavariant” status, noting that some (including Omkarnath Thakur) see it as essentially indistinguishable from Shuddha Re Asavari, while others consider Jaunpuri to follow more ‘rounded’ melodic motions…
#sarod #ragaguitar #stratocaster #worldmusic #jaunpur
May 6
just for fun…I had to defend the honour of my main instrument against my second instrument (many thanks to @mountainhead for the original video, as well as some tasty bends) – still no match for the surbahar’s meend range though!
#sitar #guitar #raga #bends #ragaguitar
May 4
Raag Malkauns (SgmdnS): Among the most revered of ragas, Malkauns (‘He who wears serpents as garlands’) combines structural simplicity with a nuanced mythological ethos. Said to have been composed by the goddess Parvati to soothe Lord Shiva’s fearsome rage, in turn inspired by his wife Sati’s self-immolation, its ‘all-komal‘ swara set is associated with states of ‘severe tranquility’, calling on artists to approach with solemnity and trepidation…
“If you’re not in a serious mood, then don’t play or sing Malkauns. You must take extra care with this raga. It is a favourite raag of the djinns [spirits], you see. If you can charm them – if they like the way you are playing it – they will do anything for you. If they don’t, they will kill you…” (Ali Akbar Khan)
Tuning: Eb Standard, but with 6str tuned right down to Bb
#malkauns #hindustani #shiva #indianmusic #raga
May 2
![Raag Malkauns (SgmdnS): Among the most revered of ragas, Malkauns (‘He who wears serpents as garlands’) combines structural simplicity with a nuanced mythological ethos. Said to have been composed by the goddess Parvati to soothe Lord Shiva’s fearsome rage, in turn inspired by his wife Sati’s self-immolation, its ‘all-komal‘ swara set is associated with states of ‘severe tranquility’, calling on artists to approach with solemnity and trepidation...
“If you’re not in a serious mood, then don’t play or sing Malkauns. You must take extra care with this raga. It is a favourite raag of the djinns [spirits], you see. If you can charm them – if they like the way you are playing it – they will do anything for you. If they don’t, they will kill you...” (Ali Akbar Khan)
Tuning: Eb Standard, but with 6str tuned right down to Bb
#malkauns #hindustani #shiva #indianmusic #raga](https://i0.wp.com/ragajunglism.org/wp-content/uploads/sb-instagram-feed-images/682002565_1357335266205887_6202851628221635178_nfull.jpg?w=620&ssl=1)
• 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: (none found)
Also compare to other members of the Bhairav raganga
–Swara Geometries–
• Core form: S–rR–gG–m–P–D–nN–S
• Reverse: SrRgmPdDnNS
• Complement: SMdS
• Imperfect: 2 (re, Ni)
• Detached: 1 (re)
• Symmetries: mirror (r—P)
• Murchanas: none
• Quirks: ‘maximal‘ (swaras are optimally ‘spread out’)
–Global Translations–
• Carnatic: ~Basant Bahaar
S-R1-R2-G2-G3-M1-P-D2-N2-N3-S
• Jazz: Ionian (dbl. 2nd/3rd/7th)
1-b2-2-b3-3-4-5-6-b7-7-8
• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):
0-1-2-3-4-5-7-9-10-11-0
(1–1–1–1–1–2–2–1–1–1)
o o o o o o • o • o o o o
• Tanpura: Sa–Pa
• Names: Bhairav Bahar, Bahar Bhairava
• Transliterations: Hindi (भैरव बहार); Bengali (ভৈরব বাহার)
—Vilayat Khan (1981)—
• ‘Guitaragas’ | My Music •
See more raga-guitar on my Instagram
• Learn ragas & filmi on guitar! •
Share these ragas! My site is 100% reliant on organic visitors – send this page to fellow sonic searchers!
—Join my PATREON!—
The Raga Index will always remain open-access & ad-free: however, this approach doesn’t pay the bills! I put as much into these resources as time and finances allow – so, to hasten the project’s expansion, you can:
• Support the Raga Index! •
—Riyaz-focused notations & bandish—
—Resurrecting rare and ancient ragas—
—Further melodic & geometric analysis—
—Ensuring that high-quality raga knowledge will remain open to all, at no cost: free from commercial motive!—
—Hindustani Raga Index—
An open-ended project seeking to bring North Indian raga closer to all who approach with open ears. Combines direct input from dozens of leading Hindustani artists with in-depth insights from music history, global theory, performance practice, cognitive science, and much more besides!
–Masterlist (1000+ ragas)–
• Search: Find your new favourite •
• Tags: Classifying the ragascape •
• Glossary: Raga jargon demystified •
• Murchanas: Swara-set rotations •
• Thaat: Bhatkhande’s base scales •
• Bifurcations: Poorvangs/uttarangs •
• Ragatable: Analytical connections •
• Kaunsis: Listing 60+ Kauns ragas •
• Tanpuras: Divine overtonal drones •
• Quotes: Musings from raga artists •
• Talas: Hindustani rhythm cycles •
• Instruments: Singing sculptures •
¡Random Raga!
—Search the Raga Index—
(NEW: search by swaras/varjits)
• Feedback / Contact •
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!
• Projects & articles: full list •
(Get in touch for Zoom lessons!)
my site is ad-free, AI-free, & open-access