Maluha (Kalyan) | SRGmPDNS | Hindustani Raga Index

S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S

Maluha (‘Tearful’) is compound raga which draws on forms including Kamod and Shyam Kalyan. Tivra Ma and komal ni are mostly restricted to ornamental use (e.g. GP(MDPM)P), and the avroh may feature touches of Khem Kalyan and other proximate forms. The liner notes to a 1966 Nikhil Banerjee album describe Maluha Kalyan as “an evening raga composed by [Banerjee’s guru] Ustad Alluaddin Khan…a mixture of Maluha Kedar and Yaman, symbolising the mood of devotion”. Most prominently performed by Banerjee: e.g. a 1975 NCPA concert and a filmed take from the early 1980s, both featuring Anindo Chatterjee on tabla (“one of the rarest ragas performed by the sitar maestro..like a sandstone castle building up tier upon tier, Banerjee builds the edifice of the raga through the jor and jhalla…”). Also interpreted by sarodiya Buddhadev Dasgupta, as well as vocalists Sharafat Hussain Khan and Acharya Jayanta Bose. Not to be confused with the overlapping Maluha Kedar (n.b. Ali Akbar Khan’s supposed rendition is in fact a deviant form of Medhavi, and Amir Khan’s appears to be Hem Kalyan). Compare to other members of the Kalyan raganga.

—Nikhil Banerjee (~1980s)—

[gat, e.g. 18:54] S(NSN) R S(NSD), (n)D, mPD (N)S; S(NSN) RG(RGm) G R(GRS), N(RSNS), n(DnDnD), D mPD, S…

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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: Bilawal thaat, Bilawal, Bihari, Tilak Kamod, Nat, Hem Bihag, Savani, Swanandi, Gagan Vihang, Mand, Chaya Malhar, Hemant, Loom, Manjari Bihag

Also compare to other members of the Kalyan raganga

–Proximate Forms–

Khamaj = ‘Maluha komal ni‘

Patdeep = ‘Maluha komal ga‘

Yaman = ‘Maluha tivra Ma‘

Bihag = ‘Maluha double Ma‘

Nat Bhairav = ‘Maluha komal dha‘

Bhatiyari Bhairav = ‘Maluha komal re‘

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

–Swara Geometries–

• Core form: S–R–G–m–P–D–N–S

• Reverse: SrgmPdnS (=Bhairavi)

• Negative: 3-2-3-2-2 (e.g. Malkauns)

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

–Global Translations–

• Carnatic: ~Sankarabharanam (mela #29)

S-R₂-G₃-M₁-P-D₂-N₃-S

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

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

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

(2–2–1–2–2–2–1)

o • o • o o • o • o • o o

• Names: Maluha, Maluka Kalyan, Malava Kalyan

• Transliterations: Hindi (मलुहा कल्याण)

—Acharya Jayanta Bose (2019)—

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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!