S-R-g-m-P-D-nN-S

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Derived from the Sanskrit for ‘banishing uncleanliness’, the Malhar family is inextricably linked to the rejuvenating effects of rain. The main raga of this lineage is named ‘Miyan ki Malhar’ for its connections to Miyan Tansen, the great composer of Emperor Akbar’s 16th-century royal court, who is said to have sung it to summon the monsoon to their drought-stricken kingdom (also see Megh). A special vakra treatment of the twin ni swaras is considered essential to generating the charged energies of bursting clouds, focused on a signature uttarang movement of nDNS – supported by classic mid-scale Malhar motions such as m(m)R; m(R)P, and the Kanada-ang (m)gmRS in conclusion (see melodic summary). Lyrical compositions, dominated by imagery of clouds, thunder, lightning, and the unrelenting rain, can blend invocation and trepidation in equal measure (Bhat: “while some Malhars are a call from humanity to the air, some [ask] that the world protect the human from the rage of the skies…”). Shares its swaras with Barwa, Bahar, Sindhura, Sughrai, and several other ragas – also compare to more Malhar raganga compounds such as Jayant Malhar, Miyan ki Sarang, and Tanseni Madhuvanti.

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Aroha: SmR, mRP, mPnDNS

Avroh: SDnPmP, mgmRS

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Pakad: nDNS (‘Miyan ki’ element); m(m)R; m(R)P (Malhar element); (m)gmRS (Kanada element)

Chalan: e.g. SN; nDN; NS; m(m)R; (m)RP; m(P); (m)g; (m)gmRS; mPnDnDN; NS; SDnmP; mPDNS; SRS; DnmP; nnPmP(m)g; (P)mg; (m)gmR; RS (Parrikar)

• Fundamendally a ‘zonal’ rather than ‘scalar’ raga, with each phrase zone differing in character (‘Malharic’ mmR mRP vs. ‘Kanada’ mPnP mgmRS vs. ‘Miyan ki’ nDNS)

• The ‘ancestral Malhar’ phrases should be rendered with dynamic sliding motions as mm\R; m\R/P – and the ascending nDNS pakad can be explored effectively at various speeds (e.g. rendered quickly vs. drawn out over a whole jhalla passage)

• The use of shuddha Ni is highly distinctive, offering the most tension when sustained – usually restricted to vakra motions around mPnDNS, but used more freely in some renditions (e.g. SNn; PnDnNNS; RSNSDnP)

• The mgmRS conclusion phrase must be rendered in the manner of Darbari (e.g. m(g) (m)gm (S)R S) – with other Kanada-ang motions including mPnP; mPnnPmP; nPmPmg)

• Ornaments should evoke the powers of the monsoon, with fluid gamakas and bold, repeated meend – with some holding the raga to embody the breaking rains rather than the gathering clouds

• Compositions •

—Bhimsen Joshi (Kirana khayal):

• [ektal] m(P)PP (P)S\mP (PSN)S (N)S, Pm\R m(Rmg)m, RR S RRm (R)S R, S, mR (R)S, mP(n)D N(SN)S

—Shivkumar Sharma (santoor):

• [tintal] NSS RRS, n(P)P nDNNS | mRP, mPnDNS, nPmP gmRS

—Rajan & Sajan Mishra (Benares khayal):

• [ektal] (R)mR S(NS), (D)n\mP (PnD)n, N, S

–Budhaditya Mukherjee (2017)–

(hear me play Malhar on electric guitar!)

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“Water in any form made [Bade Ghulam Ali Khan] happy…Khan-saheb asked the cabbie to stop at a cement-concrete projection, where the waves [were] 30 to 40 feet high…He began to sing…his melodies rose in synchronisation, descending when water cascaded down. Water rose in a single massive column, but split at the top and fell in broken slivers; so did Khansaheb’s taans in Miyan ki Malhar. Sometimes, if his ascending notes failed to keep pace, he was angry with himself – but tried again till it synchronised perfectly with the surging water. This went on for 45 minutes…” (B.R. Deodhar)

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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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—Sanskriti demo (2017)—

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“The ragangas of Malhar and Kanada support its build: Malhar supplies its signature phrase m(m)R; (m)RP, and the Kanada component is expressed through nPmP(m)g; (m)gmRS. Then there’s the sui generis prayoga with two nishads, a signpost of Miyan ki Malhar [e.g. mP; nDNS]…The uttarang trek assumes familiar trails via mPnDNS or a direct mPDNS…” (Rajan Parrikar)

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—Listen—

A brief selection of superb renditions

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–Rajan & Sajan Mishra (2016)–

• Benares khayal (13m): a vilambit performance by the Benares duo, blending strong Kanada elements and an ultra-concise nmPn(N) refrain via patient ornaments and restrained sruti control – live from Darbar 2016, accompanied by Kumar Bose on tabla and Dharamnath Mishra on harmonium (watch the full raga on the Darbar Player: and also see their rendition of Megh, as well as an interview on their social and musical roots):

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[refrain, e.g. 8:17] (R)mR S(NS), (D)n\mP (PnD)n, N, S…

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–Bhimsen Joshi (1971)–

• Kirana khayal (7m): a rare film of a prime Joshi in full flight (Ata Dhuma Re), captured in fine-lens detail for a Canadian documetary aged 49 – with rushing taans supported by the drut ektal of Chandrakant Kamat and his wife Vatsala on tanpura (as per Sumati Mehrishi: “Joshi is to Malhars what a cloud is to the monsoon. He remains at the heights, roaring, pouring, musing over the rain-drenched celebrations…a collision of genius, technique, and voice leaves the listener spiralling…His approach is that of a rain-laden cloud to the earth and sky. Somewhere between two worlds…and reluctant to merge with either…”):

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[refrain, e.g. 1:19] m(P)PP (P)S\mP (PSN)S (N)S, Pm\R m(Rmg)m, RR S RRm (R)S R, S, mR (R)S, mP(n)D N(SN)S…

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• Guitaragas •

My attempts to capture the raga on electric guitar (see more on my Insta)

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—Malhar on electric guitar—

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Some improvisations around a Miyan ki Malhar theme (also see my cover of an Amjad Ali Khan gat, in honour of meeting the Ustad and & his family in London in 2024 – a piece I originally saw him play at Darbar 2016)

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–Further Recordings–

• Mita Nag (5m): the Bishnupur sitar torchbearer plays a closing jhalla at Darbar 2015 (5:06: as clouds break, so do strings…)
• Roopa Panesar (7m): another Darbar sitar rendition, this time in the Imdadkhani style, with Shahbaz Hussain on tabla
• Aarshin Karande (7m): Tanras Khan’s famous Ata Dhuma Re bandish, made famous by Karande’s grand-guru Bhimsen Joshi
• Veena Sahasrabuddhe (9m): an AUTRIM pitch-graph (“Black clouds pour down with intensity, and lightning strikes…”)
• Vinayak Torvi (9m): filmed by Darbar in Bangalore, with Vishwanath Nakod on tabla and Shruti Bhat on harmonium
• Rashid Khan (11m): a pristine video session with Yogesh Samsi, recorded for Hariprasad Chaurasia’s Vrindaban Gurukul project
• Amjad Ali Khan (11m): “The lockdown has allowed me a deeper connection with music…I see so many fresh avenues opening…”
• Vilayat & Imrat Khan (22m): a 1962 sitar–surbahar jugalbandi (“The joy that pervades everything with the advent of the rain…”)
• Hariprasad Chaurasia (24m): captivating an appreciative audience of rasikas, with Anindo Chatterjee’s cascading tabla
• Ravi Shankar (29m): a bright, sparkling rendition, dominated by a long alap–jor–jhalla before exploring a brief tintal gat
• Rais Khan (30m): an invaluable 1975 video, showcasing the Mewati-infused master’s distinctive sitar style in close-up detail
• Gangubai Hangal (43m): a famous Kirana interpretation, with Hangal’s daughter Krishna providing vocal support
• Ulhas Kashalkar (45m): extraordinary dynamic control, with Suresh Talwalkar’s tabla and Shriram Hasnabis’ harmonium

 

• 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: Charju ki Malhar, Barwa, Bahar, Bageshri Bahar, Sindhura, Sughrai, Hussaini Todi, Lanka Dahan Sarang

Also compare to other members of the Malhar and Kanada ragangas

–Proximate Forms–

Kafi = ‘Miyan ki Malhar only ni‘

Patdeep = ‘Miyan ki Malhar only Ni‘

Desh = ‘Miyan ki Malhar shuddha Ga‘

Chandrakaushiki = ‘Miyan ki. komal dha‘

Tanseni Madhuvanti = ‘Miyan ki. tivra Ma‘

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

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–R–g–m–P–D–nN–S

• Reverse: SrRgmPDnS

• Complement: SrGMdS

• Imperfect: 2 (Dha, Ni)

• Detached: 1 (Ni)

• Symmetries: none

• Murchanas: Miyan ki Malhar set

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

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–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: (~Kapi/Kannada)

S-R₂-G₂-M₁-P-D₂-N₂-N₃-S

• Jazz: Dorian double 7th

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

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

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

(2–1–2–2–2–1–1–1)

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o • o o • o • o • o o o o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa (+Sa)

• Names: Miyan ki Malhar, Mian ki Malhar, Miya Malhar, Miyan Mallara, Tanseni Malhar

• Transliterations: Hindi (मियाँ मल्हार); Bengali (মিয়া মল্লার)

—More—

Further info: links, listenings, learnings, etc

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• Raag Miyan ki Malhar: [coming soon]

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• Header audio: Drut tintal elaboration by Senia-Bangash sarodiya Amjad Ali Khan (2016)
• Header image: ‘Advancing monsoon clouds and showers in Aralvaimozhy’, near Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu (Commons)

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