Bhankari | SrGmMPDNS | Hindustani Raga Index

S-r-G-mM-P-D-N-S

A complex blend of several ragas, Bhankari was created by Gwalior guru Ramashreya Jha ‘Ramrang’. His student Rajan Parrikar describes it as a “tantalizing melody blending facets of Bhatiyar, Jait, Bibhas, and Deshkar, while retaining an aesthetic coherence in the end product”. Ramrang’s renditions also overlap significantly with some interpretations of Bhankar – an older raga which also draws heavily from Bhatiyar while also borrowing phrases from Lalit, Bhairav, and Poorvi (indeed, I’m still unsure of exactly how Bhankar and Bhankari relate to each other…further info welcome!). Compare to Ramrang’s other creations including Anjani Kalyan and Kesari Kalyan – and read Parrikar’s brief biographical essay (“His fertile imagination, retentiveness, and quickness of mind are the key strengths attending his creative impulse. He carries all the essential music in his head; always at hand for instant recall. In a typical composition, each word, swara, and matra are tied together in a symbiotic melodic ecosystem…”).

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—Ramashreya Jha ‘Ramrang’ (1990s)—

[refrain, e.g.] PGGP P, P(DNDPMP) GrS, PGGP, P…

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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: Bhatiyar, Shuddha Basant, Lalit Pancham, Pancham, Sohini Pancham, Vihang

–Swara Geometries–

• Core form: S–r–G–mM–P–D–N–S

• Reverse: SrgmMPdNS

• Negative: 4-1-5-2

• Imperfect: 2 (re, Pa)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: none

• Murchanas: none

–Global Translations–

• Carnatic: ~Chayatharangini

S-R₁-G₃-M₁-M₂-P-D₂-N₃-S

• Jazz: Lydian b2 (dbl. 4th)

1-b2-3-4-#4-5-6-7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-1-4-5-6-7-9-11-0

(1–3–1–1–1–2–2–1)

o o • • o o o o • o • o o

• Tanpura: Sa–Pa

• Names: Bhankari, Bhankhari (n.b. despite significant overlap, Bhankar is a distinct raga)

• Transliterations: Hindi (भांकरी)

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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!