Deshkar | SRGPDS | Hindustani Raga Index

S-R-G-P-D-S

Typically summarised as ‘the other raga with Bhupali’s swaras’, Deshkar shuffles the same five tones to produce a mood suited more to the morning than evening hours – a legacy of the raga’s roots in the Bilawal raganga (whereas Bhupali hails from the Kalyan lineage). Taking a Bilawal-ang vadi-samvadi of Dha–Ga, the raga is uttarang-dominant, with a melodic focus on vakra movements in madhya and taar saptaks. Dha and Pa exerts gravity as nyas, and Re (prominent in Bhupali) is often rendered durbal or skipped in ascent. Parrikar provides definitive tonal sentences of P, PGPD, DP, PDGP and PDGPGRS, RSDS, SGPD, DP. Also see the prakriti Jait Kalyan.

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[refrain, e.g. 1:48] S/SD, D(SDPD) P(PDPD)PP\G, G(PGP)D, P(GPG) G(R)S, S/SD…

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• Recent Raga Index Updates (Jan 2026): Added new ragas: e.g. Asa, Basant Bahar, Badhans Sarang, Bayati, Chandni Todi, Chandraprabha, Deepavali, Firozkhani Todi, Gaud, Japaniya, Kaushiki, Latangi, Maru, Palas, Sarangkauns, Shivanjali, Shrutivardhini • ‘Bifurcations‘: analysis via ‘poorvang + uttarang’ formulas • DoGa Kalyan & the Beatles’ Blue Jay Way • Amir Khan’s ‘168 merukhands’ • Uncovered Prabhateshwari‘s origins • Transcribed Manjiri Asanare-Kelkar’s ‘Amodini‘ lec-dems • Experiments (e.g overtonal Bhairav, jazz Malkauns) • Survey of Sa Tunings • More Masterlist ragas (1000+)

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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

Aroha: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Avroh: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Jati: Equal | Balanced | Av.+1 | Av.+2

Samay: Morning | Aftern. | Eve. | Night

Raganga: Bhairav | Malhar | Kan. | Todi

Construction: Jod | Mishra | Oddball

Origin: Ancient | Carnatic | Modern

Dominance: Poorvang | Uttarang

Prevalence: A-list | Prachalit | Aprach.

• Prakriti: Bhupali, Pahadi, Jait Kalyan

Also see other ragas with the generic swaras ‘Sa-Re-Ga-Pa-Dha‘ – and compare to the rest of the Bilawal raganga

–Proximate Forms–

Shivranjani = ‘Deshkar komal ga‘

Jansammohini = ‘Deshkar add ni‘

Shankara = ‘Deshkar add Ni‘

Bilawal = ‘Deshkar add ma/Ni‘

Khamaj = ‘Deshkar add ma/ni‘

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

–Swara Geometries–

• Core form: S–R–G–P–D–S

• Reverse: SgmdnS (=Malkauns)

• Negative: 2-2-2-1-2-2-1 (e.g. Yaman)

• Imperfect: 1 (Ga)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: mirror (R—d)

• Murchanas: Bhupali set

• Quirks: ‘atritonal‘ (no available tritones) • ‘maximal‘ (swaras are optimally ‘spread out’)

–Global Translations–

• Carnatic: ~Mohanam

S-R₂-G₃-P-D₂-S

• Jazz: Major Pentatonic

1-2-3-5-6-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-2-4-7-9-0

(2–2–3–2–3)

o • o • o • • o • o • • o

• Tanpura: Sa–Pa (+Ga)

• Names: Deshkar, Deskar

• Transliterations: Hindi (देशकार)

—Shahid Parvez (2016)—

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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!