• Raag Rajeshwari •

S-g-m-D-N-S


Taking the swaras of ‘Kaushik Dhwani komal ga’ (or ‘Chandrakauns shuddha Dha’), Rajeshwari’s five tones bring an idiosyncratic flavour, tied with diffuse tensions. All poorvang swaras are set to their lowest specific position (Sgm), and all uttarang swaras are set to their highest (DNS), with the relief-bringing RePa axis banished throughout. The resulting scale presents significant challenges when it comes to stable melodic resolution: possessing the rare property of ‘fragmentation’ (i.e. at least half its swaras are ‘detached’, with no swara 7 semitones above or below them: in this case gaDhaNi) – as well as a curious maNi tritone, prominent in the droning harmonium tones of Salamat Ali Khan’s rendition (live from an Amritsar Gurdwara, and prefaced by a speech by the Ustad on multi-faith tolerance). Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan, progenitor of the underappreciated ‘Jafferkhani’ sitar baaj, has also recorded it – as has Adnan Khan, who sings the bandish as well as playing it (at times tempting the ear towards a mamurchana, bringing chayas of Vachaspati and Amirkhani Kauns). Some sources connect Rajeshwari to Malkauns and Chandrakauns (other audav night ragas comprising the generic swaras SaGaMaDhaNi, with a strong ma-Sa axis) – and it is prakriti with the seldom-heard and similarly-constructed Bhinna Kauns (n.b. some make no distinction between them).


Raga Megalist (365+) •
राग राजेश्वरी
Search | Glossary | Tags
Hindustani Raga Index •

BlackLineNARROWER

Aroha: SgmDNS
Avroh: SNDmgS

Chalan: (uncodified)

BlackLineNARROWER

—Adnan Khan (2022)—


[gat, e.g. 1:31] D(ND) mDNS, N(D), m(g)g (SN)S; (SN)S/g gm, (mgm)Sgm g\S…

Support open-access, ad-free raga musicology by joining my new PATREON. And if you’re seeking to learn raga, get started with some online lessons! Currently accepting Zoom students
• Recent Raga Index Updates (Jan 2026): Added new ragas: e.g. Asa, Basant Bahar, Badhans SarangBayati, Chandni Todi, Chandraprabha, Deepavali, Firozkhani Todi, Gaud, Japaniya, KaushikiLatangi, 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+)

BlackLineNARROWER

• 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

Double: rR | gG | mM | dD | nN

Thaat: 10 | 32Enclosed | Inexact

Chal: All-shuddha | All-komal | Ma-tivra

Gaps: Anh. | Hemi. | 3-row | 4-row | 5-row

Symmetries: Mirror | Rotation | Palindr.


Aroha: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Avroh: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Jati: Equal | Balanced | Av.+1 | Av.+2

Samay: Morning | Aftern. | Eve. | Night

Murchana: Bhup. | Bihag | Bilaw. | Charu.

Raganga: Bhairav | Malhar | Kan. | Todi

Construction: Jod | Mishra | Oddball

Origin: Ancient | Carnatic | Modern

Dominance: Poorvang | Uttarang

Prevalence: A-list | Prachalit | Aprach.

BlackLineNARROWER

• Prakriti: (none found)
Also see other ragas matching the generic swarasSa-Ga-Ma-Dha-Ni

BlackLineNARROWER

–Swara Geometries–

Core form: SgmDNS
Reverse: SrgPDS
Negative: 3-1-2-2-1-1-2
Imperfect: 4 (Sa, ga, Dha, Ni)
Detached: 3 (ga, Dha, Ni)
Symmetries: none
Murchanas: Amirkhani Kauns (on ma)

Quirks: fragmented‘ (at least half the swaras are detached)

BlackLineNARROWER

–Global Translations–

Carnatic: ~Marga Hindolam
S-G2-M1-D2-N3-S
Jazz: Melodic Minor (no 2nd/5th)
1-b3-4-6-7-8
Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):
0-3-5-9-11-0
(3–2–4–2–1)

o • • o • o • • • o • o o


BlackLineNARROWER

• Tanpura: Sa–ma
• Names: Rajeshwari, Rajeshwaree, Rajeshvari, ~Bhinna Kauns (not Rageshwari)
• Transliterations: Hindi (राजेश्वरी)

BlackLineNARROWER

—Salamat Ali Khan (1970)—

BlackLineNARROWER

 

Get started with learning raga! •

Share these ragas! My site is 100% reliant on organic visitors (and none of your donations go to ad agencies…) – share this with fellow sonic searchers!

Join my PATREON!

Like everything on my site, the Raga Index will always remain open-access & ad-free: however, anti-corporate musicology doesn’t pay the bills! I put as much into these resources as time and finances allow – so, to hasten the project’s expansion, you can:

Support the Raga Index! •

—Riyaz-focused notations & bandish—
—Resurrecting rare and ancient ragas—
—Further melodic & geometric analysis—
—Engaging with Hindustani performers—
—Ensuring that high-quality raga knowledge will remain open to all, at no cost: free from commercial motive!—

 

Hindustani Raga Index

An open-ended project seeking to bring North Indian raga closer to all who approach with open ears. Combines direct input from dozens of leading Hindustani artists with in-depth insights from music history, global theory, performance practice, cognitive science, and much more besides!

Megalist (365+ ragas)
Search: Find your new favourite •
Tags: Classifying the ragascape •
Glossary: Raga jargon demystified
Murchanas: Swara-set rotations •
Thaat: Bhatkhande’s base scales •
Bifurcations: Poorvangs/uttarangs •
Ragatable: Analytical connections
Tanpuras: Divine overtonal drones •
Quotes: Musings from raga artists •
Talas: Hindustani rhythm cycles •
Instruments: Singing sculptures
Masterlist: 1000+ ragas profiled •
Sa | Re | Ga | Ma | Pa | Dha | Ni
¡Random Raga!

—Search the Raga Index—

(NEW: search by swaras/varjits)

Feedback / Contact •

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!

Projects & articles: full list •

Join the Patreon!

• My Music | ‘Guitaragas’ (2025) •

(Get in touch for Zoom lessons!)

my site is ad-free, AI-free, & open-access