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

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Chanchalas Malhar (canchalas: ‘restless’, ‘flirting’, ‘fickle’) is an aprachalit stream of the monsoon family, seldom heard in the modern era. As per SIMA, the basic framework is derived from Megh, with other movements borrowed from Nayaki Kanada (e.g. mPnnP) – along with distinct srutis of komal ga and ni, both of which are raised much higher than usual. According to Moumita Mitra’s 2023 analysis, two distinct versions are in modern circulation: the first (SRgmPnNS) incorporates phrases from Sarang and Kanada, and the second (SRmPDnS) draws instead on Desh and Shahana. Read Mitra’s full breakdown below, and listen to her own amalgamation of both forms – and browse other vocal renditions from Ganesh Prasad Mishra, Abdul Rashid Khan (sthayi: nnPP, PmPmg), and Arijit Mahalanabis (“The Malhar family has three branches: Megh, Miyan ki Malhar, and Gaud Malhar. Chanchalas Malhar falls under the Megh branch…there is a very high shruti of komal ga, which also changes the sruti of the komal ni…I like to think of this raga as a vague combination of Megh and Nayaki Kanada, although the srutis are very different”). Seemingly untouched by instrumentalists.

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राग चंचला मल्हार

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• Hindustani Raga Index •

Aroha: SmRP, RPmPnDP, nPmPS

Avroh: SNSDnP, SnDnPDm, RggmRS, mPmRNS

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Chalan: e.g. SmRRP; RmRSNS; SRggmRS; RPmPnDnP; nPmPS; nDnPDmPS; PnSRNS; SNSDnP; mPmRNS; RggmRS; NnRS (Mitra amalgamation)

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—Abdul Rashid Khan (2013)—

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[refrains, e.g. 0:52] P mPm(gm) nn PP, P mPm(gm), nn PP; gm(g), g(m)m, R R(gR) SS, gm(g), g(m)m, R R(gR) S; mR(mR) P m n(Dn)nP, mP, (S)n (S)nSR n(Sn)S n(m)P; nn PP, P mPm(gm), nn PP…

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• More •

Histories, melodies, mythologies, etc…

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—Moumita Mitra’s analysis—

Rare raga specialist Moumita Mitra released a video analysis of the raga in 2023. Here are her accompanying notes, lightly edited for clarity: “Chanchalas Malhar is mentioned in Bhatkhande‘s Kramik Pustak Malika (spelt ‘Chanchalsas Malhar’, but musicologists think this could be a printing error). There are two forms of the raga:

 

[Version 1: S-R-g-m-P-nN-S] This version, found in Bhatkhande’s writings, has komal ga and double-ni. It includes movements from Megh (mRP), Sarang (nP), and Kanada (gmRS). In aroha, both ni are allowed, and, in traditional composition notations, the komal ga is usually used in aroha – however it would not be wrong to use ga in avroh as well, as in the Miyan ki Malhar-ang RPg gmRS. Sample chalan: SRPmRS; RS; SNRS; nPmPS; nSRggmRS; mPS; SnmPSnS; mPnSRnS; PnmP; Rm; SRS.

 

[Version 2: S-R-m-P-D-n-S] Not found in books, only known through oral traditons. Shuddha Dha is used, but there is no ga or shuddha Ni. It includes movements from Megh (mRP), Shahana (nDnPDmPS), and Desh (SnDP). Sample chalan: SRm; mRRP; nDnPDmPS; nDPmRm; RRnS; RmRPR; mRPmnDnPDmPS; SnDPmRRm; RRPm; mRnS.

 

If we blend these forms together, we can have the follow chalan (‘Megh + Malhar + Kanada + Desh + Shahana’): SmRRP; RmRSNS; SRggmRS; RPmPnDnP; nPmPS; nDnPDmPS; PnSRNS; SNSDnP; mPmRNS; RggmRS; NnRS. From studying these two versions of Chanchalas Malhar, I have amalgamated them into one…”.

 

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—Chanchalas Malhar demo—

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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

Thaat: 10 | 32 | Enclosed | Inexact

Chal: All-shuddha | All-komal | Ma-tivra

Gaps: Anh. | Hemi. | 3-row | 4-row | 5-row

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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)

See all shadav ragas which omit Dha – and compare to other members of the Malhar raganga

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–R–g–m–P–nN–S

• Reverse: SrRmPDnS

• Complement: SrGMdDS

• Imperfect: 2 (Re, Ni)

• Detached: 1 (Ni)

• Symmetries: none

• Murchanas: Nandkauns (on Pa)

–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: ~Varunapriya (mela #24)

S-R₂-G₂-M₁-P-N₂-N₃-S

• Jazz: Melodic Minor #6

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

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

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

(2–1–2–2–3–1–1)

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o • o o • o • o • • o o o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa

• Names: Chanchalas Malhar, Chanchaldas Malhar, Canchalas Malhara, Cancalas (n.b. listed as ‘Chanchalsas’ in Bhatkhande’s Kramik Pustak Malika, but this is generally believed to be a misprint)

• Transliterations: Hindi (चंचला मल्हार)

—Arijit Mahalanabis (2020)—