S-R-gG-m-P-D-nN-S

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A much-beloved and highly intricate raga featuring both variants of Ga and Ni – which shares significant overlap with Gara. Dhrupadyas hold NSDnR as the essential pakad, with some bemoaning the loss of the “slow glide from Ga to Re as Jaijaiwanti’s distinguishing feature” – while most performers tend to ‘enclose’ komal ga in the avroh phrase RgR, preferring the shuddha Ga in other scenarios. The stable Pa–Re axis is highlighted via long slides (P/G\R), and uttarang approaches usually take after Desh (mPNS), but some performers prefer a Bageshri-ang treatment (mDnS) – see melodic summary below. Described by sarodiya Debasmita Bhattacharya as a raga of “strongly ambiguous elements” (she told me that she chose it for a Darbar concert in London, “to see how complex ragas would communicate to a complex audience…I’m happy it was raining, as Jaijaiwanti has some feelings of water in it…”). Popular in filmi, gurbani, and beyond, and also played in Carnatic music under the title ‘Dwijavanthi’.

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• Raga Masterlist (1000+) •

राग जयजयवन्ती

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• Hindustani Raga Index •

Aroha: NSGmGR, mPNS

Avroh: SnDP, mGR, gRS

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Pakad: e.g. SDnR; GmG\R; RgRS

Chalan: e.g. NS(N)DnR; RG(R)GmPmGR; RgRSRNS; Dn(G)RGmP; DmPNS; (N)R(S)nDP; (P)DmGR; gRNS; RnDPR (Bor/Dasgupta)

• Complex in character, involving specific uses of the double Ga and Ni positions – with komal ga restricted to the distinctive RgR motion, komal ni paired with shuddha Dha (e.g. DnRS; SnDP), and shuddha Ni typically reserved for the approach to Sa (e.g. mPNS; NSDnR)

• Ga and Dha are usually weak or omitted in aroha, offering chayas of Sarang and Desh (RmPNS; mPNS; nDP), although some artists prefer a Bageshri-ang treatment (GmDnS) – mixed with special phrases such as NSDnR; NSNDnR; DnGRGmP; DmPNS

• The Re-Pa axis is vital, highlighted through long glides such as P/G\R – and concluding phrases connect both Ga swaras to shuddha Re with movements around mG\R; RgRS, featuring a slow meend between shuddha Ga and Re

• Overlaps significantly with Gara (which lies closer to Pilu and Jhinjhoti, and focuses more on the lower register) – as well as allowing for elements from Bilawal (PDG; PmG) and beyond

• Best suited to the evening or early night hours – and usually favours romantic treatments, although many emotional shades are available from the playful to the profound

• Compositions •

—Buddhadev DasGupta (Senia-Shahjahanpur sarod):

• [tintal] gRgR SN SS RGm(D)P G(mG), G\R

—Bismillah Khan (Dumaron shehnai):

• [tintal] RgRSNS, (S)Dn G\R, RGmG, Pm G(mG)R

—Bismillah Khan (1968)—

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[theme, e.g. 25:02] G\R, RG(R)mG, Pm G(mG)R, S(R) Rg R\S, S N S, SD/n, S, G\R, RG(R)mG…

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• Experiments •

Novel interpretations of the raga’s essence…

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—Raga Jazz Style (Shankar-Jaikishan)—

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Captivating melodies from filmi composition duo Shankar-Jaikishan, released in 1968. Read more in my review of the album’s reissue: “Raga Jazz Style is a rare recording from the rich Bombay jazz scene. While its 1968 release date might suggest a pioneering work of Indo-jazz fusion, part of the recording’s intrigue is that it is not. Rather, it is one of the few surviving documents from a fusion scene that dates back to the 1920s – few realise that jazz was thriving in India before Coltrane was even born…” 

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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

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: Jaijaiwanti Nat, Gara, Zila Kafi, Hanskinkini, Jayant Malhar, Ramdasi Malhar, Rageshri Bahar, Tilang Bahar, Nagadhwani Kanada, Patdeepaki

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–R–gG–m–P–D–nN–S

• Reverse: SrRgmPdDnS (=Amiri Todi)

• Complement: SrMdS

• Imperfect: 1 (Ni)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: mirror (r—P)

• Murchanas: Jaijaiwanti set

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• Quirks: ‘maximal‘ (swaras are optimally ‘spread out’) • ‘Pa-repeating‘ (poorvang and uttarang take the same ‘semitone shape’)

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–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: Dwijavanthi

S-R₂-G₂-G₃-M₁-P-D₂-N₂-N₃-S

• Jazz: Dorian-Ionian

1-2-b3-3-4-5-6-b7-7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-2-3-4-5-7-9-10-11-0

(2–1–1–1–2–2–1–1–1)

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o • o o o o • o • o o o o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa (+Re)

• Names: Jaijaiwanti, Jaijaiawanti, Jaijaiavanti, Jaijavani (historic)

• Transliterations: Hindi (जयजयवन्ती); Bengali (জয়জয়ন্তী); Urdu (جے جے ونتی); Punjabi (ਜੈਜਾਵੰਤੀ); Kannada (ಜೈಜೈವಂತಿ)

—Kishori Amonkar (~1980s)—