S-R-G-m-P-D-nN-S

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A variant of Bihag popular in Kirtan and other Sikh devotional styles, used as the basis for compositions by great Gurus including Ram Das and Tegh Bahadur (some refer to the raga as ‘Punjabi Bihag’). As per Jawaddi Taksal, “Bihagara is very melodious, and brings out pangs of separation which can be removed by…becoming imbued with the shabad [holy verses]” – and. The basic Bihag framework is modified through the injection of Bilawal motions, with an Alhaiya-style double-Ni favoured over the usual double-Ma, amidst characteristic phrases such as GmP; NDP; DGmG. Also performed by Jaipur-Atrauli vocalists including Mallikarjun Mansur and Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande – and usually classed as a night raga. Also see the similarly Sikh-infused Bihagda, which adds Khamaj rather than Bilawal.

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राग बिहगरा

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• Hindustani Raga Index •

Aroha: NSG, mPNS

Avroh: SNDP, NDP, DGmGRS

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Chalan: signatures e.g. GmP; NDP; DGmG; RS ()

—Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande (2016)—

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[refrain, e.g. 2:17] SGm P/N N(RSNS) N DP, P(mP)G; SGm P/N N(RSNS) N DP, P(mP) G(mP)G; SGm P/N N(RSNS) N DP…

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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: Desh, Des Malhar, Champak, Alhaiya Bilawal, Devgiri Bilawal, Kukubh Bilawal, Bihagda, Nat Kamod, Gaud Malhar, Sorath, Arun Malhar, Tilak Malhar

–Proximate Forms–

Khamaj = ‘Bihagara only ni‘

Bilawal = ‘Bihagara only Ni‘

Miyan ki Malhar = ‘Bihagara komal ga‘

Shankara Karan = ‘Bihagara tivra Ma‘

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

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–R–G–m–P–D–nN–S

• Reverse: SrRgmPdnS (=Gandhari)

• Negative: 5-2-3-2

• Imperfect: 1 (Ni)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: mirror (Gm—nN)

• Murchanas: Bihag set

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

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–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: ~Kedaragaula

S-R₂-G₃-M₁-P-D₂-N₂-N₃-S

• Jazz: Bebop Dominant

1-2-3-4-5-6-b7-7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-2-4-5-7-9-10-11-0

(2–2–1–2–2–1–1–1)

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o • o • o o • o • o o o o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa (+Ni)

• Names: Bihagara, Bihagra, ‘Punjabi Bihag’

• Transliterations: Hindi (बिहगरा); Bengali (বিহঙ্গরা); Punjabi (ਬਿਹਾਗੜਾ)

—Mallikarjun Mansur (~1980s)—