S-r-g-M-d-N-S

---

A popular Todi variant named for its historic associations with Gujarat, India’s Westernmost state. Linked to the morning hours, it distinguishes itself from the main Todi by omitting Pa throughout. Tanarang cites a mood of “sweetness and karuna“, revolving around a deergha komal re – with komal dha also playing a prominent role, separated from its usual resolution to Pa. Intriguingly, artists such as Dagarvani beenkar Bahauddin Dagar choose to intone Gujiri Todi’s Sa with a slightly higher sruti than that of the tanpura – the absence of Pa in effect ‘frees the Sa‘, allowing its pitch to vary without being locked to the consonance of the Pa-Sa samvad (n.b. the Dagarvani sruti system is also related to the sun’s daily arc: see ‘non-zero Sa‘). Refer to outstanding renditions by Shivkumar Sharma, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Uday Bhawalkar, Bhimsen Joshi, and Parveen Sultana (sthayi transcribed below), as well as a sublime sitar–shehnai jugalbandi from Vilayat Khan & Bismillah Khan. Gujiri Todi’s SrgMdNS swara set is a murchana of both Jog and Brindabani Sarang – also lying close to Mangal Gujari (komal ni instead), Din ki Puriya (shuddha Ga instead), Antardhwani (shuddha ma instead), and Firozkhani Todi (no Ni). See melodic summary below, as well as the raga’s unique setting in the 1982 Pokkuveyil film – and compare to other members of the Todi raganga.

---

• Raga Masterlist (1000+) •

राग गुर्जरी तोडी

Search | Glossary | Tags

• Hindustani Raga Index •

Aroha: dSrg; MdNd; dNS

Avroh: SNd; MgMd; rgrS

---

Pakad: variable, e.g. MdNd; Mgr, rgrS

Chalan: e.g. SrdS; rgrS; rgrg; Mgrg; MdMgMd; MdNd; dNS; dNSrgrS; SNdMgMd; Mgr; rgrS (Bor/Sadolikar)

• Though essentially summarisable as ‘Todi without Pa’, this removal rebalances the scale – bringing a stronger and more independent role for komal re, and adding tension to komal dha by removing its dP resolution

• Outside of the recurring Todi-ang rgrS conclusion, the three komal swaras (re, ga, and dha) are the main stopping tones – while the extent of pause on tivra Ma and shuddha Ni can vary

• Traditionally, re-ga-dha are tuned to distinctive ‘ati-komal’ sruti – while Dagarvani performers may intone Sa slightly higher than that of the tanpura, related to the sun’s morning arc (see ‘non-zero Sa‘)

• Beyond these tendencies, individual interpretations display significant melodic and emotional diversity – given the lack of prakritis, there is limited risk of ambiguity with other ragas

• Compositions •

—Shivkumar Sharma (santoor):

• [tintal] gM M(dN)S, Nd, Mg, MMd, Mgrg | grSdS, N S r g

—Parveen Sultana (Patiala khayal):

• [tintal] S rg g/d, Mg(Mg), g r S(NS)

—Mehboob Nadeem (Imdadkhani sitar):

• [tintal] g(r) g(rg)r, NS, dN(dN), SNS, S, S, S, S, NS N(d), NNS, g(r) g(r)g, g(r), g(r)S

—Parveen Sultana (2007)—

---

[refrain, e.g. 2:54] (d)Srg/d Mg(rg)r, g r S(NS), (d)Srg/d…

---

• More •

Histories, melodies, mythologies, etc…

---

—Pokkuveyil (1982)—

Thanks to a message sent to me by Anaya Koirala in mid-2026, I can recommend a uniquely captivating setting of Gujiri Todi – from Pokkuveyil, a 1982 Malayalam film by G. Aravindan built around a special bansuri–sarod jugalbandi by Hariprasad Chaurasia and Rajeev Taranath (watch below). Recorded before the film was visually scripted, their 40-min performance forms the uninterrupted, wordless soundtrack for most of the film’s opening hour – as per a review from Ind.Igenous, “When the music first begins to play, we almost fail to grasp its significance, imagining it to be the usual, brief accompaniment to a few emotive scenes – but it continues…”

 

---

“Perhaps the most important aspect of the film is its music…It follows the format of an Indian classical performance: beginning with the slow-paced alap while we are introduced to Balu’s world and the people who inhabit it – before moving on to a brief jod – and later, heightening its pace to drut only after everyone has left. Music plays the primary role, while the story wraps itself around its notes…it is sometimes the film that accompanies its haunting soundtrack. Balu rarely speaks. Even when he’s with friends, he’s the listener – perhaps why the intensity of his feelings remains incomprehensible to his associates…” (In the Twilight of the Mind: Revisiting G. Aravindan’s Pokkuveyil)

---

• Ragmalas •

Historic miniature paintings (learn more)

---

“A young woman desperately misses her lover; her sorrow and longing is demonstrated by the gesture of her arms circled around her head. Her eyes are wide and downcast, and her passion’s heat is so high that she is fanned by a confidante for relief…” (Malwa, c.1600) / “The handsome, sprightly Gujari: a confidante recites verses while playing a veena; her song induces drizzling rain, and her sight delights the heart of her lover. A peacock shines in its nimble movements, its sweet voice captivating the heart. Covering her body with a yellow robe, the damsel of bright complexion sits, stealing one’s heart and making Megha Mallar happy…” (Jaipur, c.1750)

---

• 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)

See all shadav ragas which omit Pa – and also compare to other members of the Todi raganga

–Swara Geometries–

---

• Core form: S–r–g–M–d–N–S

• Reverse: SrGMDNS (=Marwa)

• Complement: SRGmPDnS (=Khamaj)

• Imperfect: 2 (Sa, ga)

• Detached: 1 (Sa)

• Symmetries: none

• Murchanas: Jog set

---

• Quirks: ‘detached Sa‘

---

–Global Translations–

---

• Carnatic: ~Shekharachandrika

S-R₁-G₂-M₂-D₁-N₃-S

• Jazz: Lydian b2 b3 b6 (no 5th)

1-b2-b3-#4-b6-7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-1-3-6-8-11-0

(1–2–3–2–3–1)

---

o o • o • • o • o • • o o

---

• Tanpura: Sa–dha (+Ni)

• Names: Gujiri Todi, Gujari Todi, Gurjari Todi

• Transliterations: Hindi (गुर्जरी तोडी); Bengali (গুর্জরী টোড়ি)

—Shivkumar Sharma (2010)—