S-r-G-mM-N-S
A truly odd scale form, Meghranjani can be interpreted as either ‘Bhairav minus Pa & dha‘ (SrGmNS) or ‘Lalit minus dha‘ (SrGmMNS) – producing a strange shape which omits two consecutive generic swaras (see other such ragas in my ‘consecutive varjits‘ category, including Adbhut Kalyan, Devranjani, & Malashree). Originally borrowed from the Carnatic Megharanjani, the raga’s Hindustani incarnation is said to date back to Bhatkhande’s era, although the earliest mention I can find comes from a 1939 edition of The Indian Listener. Abhirang, who cites its Southern roots in the Mayamalavagowla parent scale, utilises both Ma in Lalit-tinged passages (NrGmMm) – while shehnai wizard Bismillah Khan confines himself to the shuddha ma in Bhairav-tilted motions (GmrS NS), also being unafraid to showcase the massive ma-Ni jump via motifs such as rGmN. Bismillah entitled his interpretation ‘Ashok‘, derived from a Sanskrit term meaning ‘freedom from grief’: to me, there is definitely something ‘absent’ in the scale, with its hollowed-out space between ma and Ni (spanning a full tritone, or half the octave). For more depth, refer to Moumita Mitra’s excellent 2024 demo lesson – and compare to other ‘komal Pa’ scales (i.e. those with ‘double Ma, no Pa’).
• Raga Masterlist (1000+) •
राग मेघरंजनी
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• Hindustani Raga Index •
Aroha: NrGmMm, NS
Avroh: SNMm, mGrS
Chalan: e.g. NrGm; Sm mGrGrS; Sm NSrrS; NmG; mrGrS (OOR)
—Abhirang (2021)—
[bandish, e.g. 0:49] (S)GrGm, GrS, (NS)N r G m; GmmN, m, (G)m, Gm, G(m)rG, rGG, G(mGm) S(NS)m, (G)m, Gm G(m)rG, (S)GrGM(GM), (M)G rS…
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• Carnatic Origins •
—Ragam Megharanjani—
(R.K. Srikantan)
–All ragas of Carnatic origin–
• Recent Raga Index Updates (Jul 2026): Melodic ‘snapshots’ of prachalit ragas • Up to 365 raga pages! Some highlights: Bayati, Basant Mukhari, Bilaskhani Todi, Chandranandan, DoGa Kalyan, Jog, Kalavati, Kaushiki, Malkauns, Maru, Meladalan, Parameshwari, Sarangkauns, Vachaspati (+ try out ‘Audav Meladalan‘) • What does ‘Kauns’ mean? Analysing 60+ Kauns ragas • ‘Bifurcations‘: ‘poorvang vs. uttarang’ splits • Amir Khan’s ‘168 merukhands’ • Experiments (e.g. overtonal Bhairav, jazz Malkauns) • Survey of Sa Tunings • More Masterlist ragas (1000+)
Raag Jog: exploring different ways the electric guitar can support a Dhrupad-ang nomtom (syllabic improvisation)…
(From ‘Around the World in Eight Ragas’: my show with Ashwin Baliga & Marc Clayton at Mehfil Space on 11 Jun 2026) @ashwinbaligaofficial @marc_plays_tabla @mehfilspace
#dhrupad #raga #indianmusic #icm #worldmusic
Jun 28
Raag Kafi: Electric guitar improv around the adha bandish ‘Aaj Khel Shaam Sang Hori’
(From ‘Around the World in Eight Ragas’: my show with Ashwin Baliga & Marc Clayton at Mehfil Space on 11 Jun 2026) @ashwinbaligaofficial @marc_plays_tabla @mehfilspace
#raga #indianmusic #icm #worldmusic #ragaguitar
Jun 22
Raag Jog: some sawal-jawab (‘question-answer’) fun with Marc Clayton on tabla
(From ‘Around the World in Eight Ragas’: my show with Ashwin Baliga & Marc Clayton at Mehfil Space on 11 Jun 2026) @ashwinbaligaofficial @marc_plays_tabla @mehfilspace
#raga #indianmusic #icm #worldmusic #ragaguitar
Jun 15
Some tintal improv around a wonderful Durga bandish I’ll be playing at @mehfilspace @the_rose_hill in Brighton on Thu 11th June! with vocalist @ashwinbaligaofficial and @marc_plays_tabla
https://therosehill.co.uk/event/the-mehfil-space-presents-around-the-world-in-8-ragas/
‘Around the World in 8 Ragas’: exploring cross-cultural melodic forms (e.g. scales that turn up independently in Japan, India, Mali, etc)
#indianmusic #raga #icm #brightonmusic #ragaguitar
Jun 10
Come see me play some bendy raga-guitar at @mehfilspace @the_rose_hill in Brighton on Thu 11th June! with vocalist @ashwinbaligaofficial and @marc_plays_tabla
https://therosehill.co.uk/event/the-mehfil-space-presents-around-the-world-in-8-ragas/
‘Around the World in 8 Ragas’: exploring cross-cultural melodic forms (e.g. scales that turn up independently in Japan, India, Mali, etc) – including this piece, a famous Bhairavi bhajan by Pt. Bhimsen Joshi (Jo Bhaje Hari Ko Sada)
#bhajan #raga #indianmusic #brightonmusic #ragaguitar
Jun 5
tomato can jungle/DnB (distracted while cooking)
#drumming #percussion #dnb #jungle
May 23
A great Jaunpuri gat from Senia-Shahjahanpur sarod legend Pt Buddhadev DasGupta, full of fast bends and slides (originally released for Joep Bor’s 1997 Raga Guide, in many ways a precursor to my own raga index)
Raag Jaunpuri: a late morning raga, likely originating in the Sultanate-era music of Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh (as per Subodh Agrawal: “The rulers of Jaunpur were keen patrons of the arts, and the last one – Sultan Hussain Sharqi – was himself a distinguished musician; it is probable that the Jaunpuri flavor of Asavari was developed by him, or under his patronage“). Rajan Parrikar elaborates on its “Asavariant” status, noting that some (including Omkarnath Thakur) see it as essentially indistinguishable from Shuddha Re Asavari, while others consider Jaunpuri to follow more ‘rounded’ melodic motions…
#sarod #ragaguitar #stratocaster #worldmusic #jaunpur
May 6
just for fun…I had to defend the honour of my main instrument against my second instrument (many thanks to @mountainhead for the original video, as well as some tasty bends) – still no match for the surbahar’s meend range though!
#sitar #guitar #raga #bends #ragaguitar
May 4
• 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)
Compare to other ragas from the Bhairav and Lalit ragangas (as well as to other forms which fuse elements of both)
–Swara Geometries–
• Core form: S–r–G–mM–N–S
• Reverse: SrMPdNS
• Complement: SRgPdDnS
• Imperfect: 2 (Sa, re)
• Detached: none
• Symmetries: mirror (Rg—dD)
• Murchanas: none
• Quirks: ‘consecutive varjits‘ (all forms of Pa & Dha are omitted) • ‘komal Pa‘ (=mMP)
–Global Translations–
• Carnatic: Megharanjani
S-R1-G3-M1-M2-N3-S
• Jazz: Double Harmonic b5 (no 6th)
1-b2-3-4-#4-7-8
• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):
0-1-4-5-6-11-0
(1–3–1–1–5–1)
o o • • o o o • • • • o o
• Tanpura: Sa–ma
• Names: Meghranjani, Megharanji, Megh Ranjani (n.b. Bismillah Khan titled his own import of the scale ‘Ashok’)
• Transliterations: Hindi (मेघरंजनी)
—Bismillah Khan (as ‘Ashok’)—
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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!
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