S-G-M-D-N-S

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A captivating, challenging audav raga with all swaras appearing in their highest specific positions (i.e. no komals, and Ma, if present, is tivra: also see Bhupali, Hansadhwani, & Adbhut Kalyan). The name translates as ‘swinging’: indicative of the raga’s melodic character, which is built around ‘swaying’ motions between a trio of nyas (Sa, Ga, Dha) – with Ni played weakly and often omitted in ascent (rendering it ‘surtar’). Portrayed in classical ragmala paintings with imagery of Krishna sitting on a swing in seductive pose, Hindol also has mythic links to Kamadeva, Hindu deity of erotic love and romantic desire (“a handsome young man decked with ornaments, armed with a sugarcane bow and shooting arrows of flowers”). Intriguingly, the similarly-named Carnatic ‘Hindolam’ matches the swaras of the Hindustani Malkauns: leading Jairazbhoy to speculate that Hindol’s swara set may have arisen via a “semitonal shift of the ground note” (i.e. SGMDNS = ‘SgmdnS with Sa raised a semitone’ – loosely akin to the idea of ‘altered chords’ in jazz).

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• Raga Megalist (365+) •

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• Hindustani Raga Index •

Aroha: DSGMDS

Avroh: SNDMGS

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Chalan: e.g. SD; MDS; SDSGMG; SGMD; D(N)MDS; DSGS; SDMG; MGSDS (Bor/Vyas)

—Pandit Jasraj (2002)—

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[refrain, e.g. 0:48] SM G, MGS, S(NS)D (N)SS; S(D) S(D)S (N)S, (S)G (G)SS; (S)MGGMD (M)SDDMG, MGS; SM(GM) G, MGS…

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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: (none found)

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–G–M–D–N–S

• Reverse: SrgMdS

• Negative: 3-1-1-2-2-1-2 (e.g. Jogeshwari Pancham)

• Imperfect: 2 (Sa, Ma)

• Detached: 1 (Sa)

• Symmetries: none

• Murchanas: Shivranjani set

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• Quirks: ‘detached Sa‘

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–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: ~Sunadavinodini

S-G₃-M₂-D₂-N₃-S

• Jazz: Lydian (no 2nd/5th)

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

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-4-6-9-11-0

(4–2–3–2–1)

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o • • • o • o • • o • o o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Ni (+Dha)

• Names: Hindol, Hindoli (not the Carnatic ‘Hindolam‘ – although the ragas likely share historic overlap: see above)

—Pournima Dhumale (2020)—