S-R-G-m-P-D-n-S

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A staple of thumri, tappa, and other light-classical styles, Jhinjhoti is a hearty raga of the late evening and early night hours. Particularly beloved by instrumentalists, its Khamaj-congruent swaras are a firm favourite at Indian weddings and other celebratory gatherings, offering a reassuring familiarity via balancing Durga-like ascending phrases with a special treatment of komal ni and shuddha Ga in descent (e.g. PmGRS; nDP). Sitarist Shujaat Khan describes Jhinjhoti as “incredibly sweet and versatile…different combinations result in myriad moods, from shringar to bhakti“, and the raga is said to have changed the life of an 11-year-old Bhimsen Joshi, who, after overhearing Abdul Karim Khan’s 1926 recording by chance, decided to run away from home and seek out a guru who could teach him khayal singing (eventually entering the tutelage of Sawai Gandharva, Khan’s foremost disciple). Its sampurna swara set – akin to the Western Mixolydian Mode – is prakriti with many Khamaj-ang ragas, including Khamaj, Khambavati, Gaoti, and Kambhoji (which some describe as a ‘Dhrupad Jhinjhoti’). While most consider the name ‘Jhinjhoti’ as a reference to a fabled lock of the Goddess Devi’s hair, others link it to the Jhunjhunu desert region of Rajasthan.

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Aroha: DSRmPDS

Avroh: SnDPmGR, GS

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Pakad: e.g. DSRmG; SRnD; PDS

Chalan: variable – illustrative sequences e.g. DSRmG; DmPG; GmGRS; nDP; RnDP

• Ascents often begin on low Pa or Dha (e.g. PDS; DSRmP), amidst a general preference for vakra motions in mandra and madhya saptak (e.g. mGRGS; SRnDS; RnDPDS; GmGRS)

• Shuddha Ga is weak in ascent, offering hints of Durga (e.g. DSRm; DmPDS), but is more prominent in descent as a nyas (e.g. DSRmG; PDmG; RPmG) – with komal ni also stronger in avroh (e.g. SRnDPDS)

• Overlaps with many other Khamaj-ang ragas (e.g. nDP; DPmG; mGRGS) – lying particularly close to Khambavati (which can be distinguished by a concluding Gm\S meend)

• Associated with traditional Hindu wedding festivities (‘mangalashtak’), and generally interpreted as a ‘lighter’, more playful raga – although many flavours are available

–Shiv-Hari (1999)–

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“[Shiv-Hari’s] instrumental reading is based on a text on separation from a woman’s perspective, in the thumri style. The choice of pakhawaj as rhythmic accompaniment is inspired: for it conjures a bygone age of royal courts, and the courtesans who would sing such thumri lyrics…” (Rasdhara liner notes)

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—Context—

Origins, myths, quirks, & more

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[COMING SOON: click here to hasten the project’s expansion, so all 365+ raga pages can eventually look more like these]

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—Phraseologies—

Melodies, movements, characteristics…

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[coming soon]

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—Parichay demo (2020)—

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“Jhinjhoti is best expressed in mandra and madhya saptak. Forays are initiated from mandra Pa or Dha…The aroha movement PDSRGmG, mGRGS, RnD is typical, with Ga assuming a nyas role but only in the the avroh direction. The sentence SRmPDnD, PDmG, RGSRnDS is pregnant with the Khamaj raganga, although its intonation differs just a shade…The raga’s distillate is represented in the tonal sentence DSRmG, RGSRnDPDS…” (Parrikar)

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—Listen—

A brief selection of superb renditions

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–Debasmita Bhattacharya (2018)–

• Shahjahanpur sarod (13m): a gentle rendering of the raga’s melodic twists and turns, drawing on the famous recordings of her guru Buddhadev Dasgupta – filmed in the geometric lightscape of Sadler’s Wells for Darbar 2017, with future husband Gurdain Rayatt on tabla:

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[gat, e.g. 0:27] G(R) R(G), R (P)m G, G, G, RG(mPDP) (mG)m, G G(R) R(G), S(NS) R(GR) R(mGRSn), D(n) n D, (G)m, D(nDS), SS; G(R) R(G), R (P)m G…

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–Budhaditya Mukherjee (2018)–

• Imdadkhani surbahar (50m): a full-length surbahar solo, showcasing a lighter side of the instrument’s low, heavy timbres – as well as a more relaxed dimension of his gharana‘s overall approach (“Every microsecond of this rendition is musically justified with utmost care and judiciousness…”):

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[alap, e.g. 9:04] n(SnSnR), R, R, R(SnD), n(Sn), S(nDnD), n(SnSn), R(SnDSR), R, R(SnD), S(nDPnSR), R(Sn), P(SnDSDRSn), R, G(RG), n(S), S, S R(SnSn), D(S)S, S(nSn) R/G(RS), SR(mR) R(S) n(Sn), n nD, D/S, S/R…

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–Further Recordings–

• Abdul Karim Khan (4m): the famous composition Piya Bin Nahi Aawat Chain (also sung by K.L. Saigal in the 1935 Devdas film)
• Anupama Bhagwat (7m): Imdadkhani sitar, live at Darbar 2013 with Gurdain Rayatt on tabla (compare to Budhaditya’s above)
• Manjiri Asanare-Kelkar (8m): an AUTRIM pitch-graph (“Oh Mahadeva, with blue throat, and a third eye on your forehead”)
• Shujaat Khan (11m): among the sitarist‘s most prized ragas, also featuring a brief preface discussion on its many moods
• Hariprasad Chaurasia (14m): supported by an unspecified disciple, over the mellow matta taal of Anindo Chatterjee
• Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande (16m): a pair of bandish from a 1996 album (Pati Devan Mahadev & Akhiya Unaso Laagi)
• Vilayat Khan (18m): energetic gats and strokework, from a 1966 session with Delhi tabla exponent Nizamuddin Khan
• Tanmay Deochake (24m): a Diwali-themed harmonium solo, exploring the best of the instrument’s sustained resonances
• Rajan & Sajan Mishra (53m): a restrained rendition from the Benares duo, filmed for Komal Nishad (Mohan Mohe Jane De)
• Rais Khan (59m): filmed at a 1989 baithak in California with Zakir Hussain on tabla, showcasing his unique gayaki
• Buddhadev Dasgupta (73m): from 1989 with Samar Saha’s tabla (compare to his student Debasmita Bhattacharya above)

• 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: Khamaj thaat, Khamaj, Kambhoji, Khambavati, Sameshwari, Sakh, Gaoti

Also compare to other members of the Khamaj raganga

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–R–G–m–P–D–n–S

• Reverse: SRgmPdnS (=Darbari)

• Complement: SrgMdNS (=Gujiri Todi)

• Imperfect: 1 (Ga)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: mirror (r—P)

• Murchanas: Bilawal set

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• Quirks: ‘maximal‘ (swaras are optimally ‘spread out’)

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–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: ~Harikambhoji (mela #28)

S-R₂-G₃-M₁-P-D₂-N₂-S

• Jazz: Mixolydian

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

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

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

(2–2–1–2–2–1–2)

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o • o • o o • o • o o • o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa (+Sa)

• Names: Jhinjhoti, Jhinjoti, Jinjoti, Jhinjyoti

• Transliterations: Hindi (झिंझोटी); Bengali (ঝিঝোটী); Urdu (جھنجھوٹی)

—More—

Further info: links, listenings, learnings, etc

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• Raag Jhinjhoti: [coming soon]

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• Header audio: Santoor–bansuri jugalbandi in jhaptal by Shivkumar Sharma & Hariprasad Chaurasia (1997)
• Header image: ‘King Dasaratha and His Retinue Proceed to Rama’s Wedding’, Shangri Ramayana folio (c.1690-1710)

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