S-g-m-D-N-S

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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 Re–Pa 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 ga–Dha–Ni) – as well as a curious ma–Ni 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 ma–murchana, bringing chayas of Vachaspati and Amirkhani Kauns). Some sources connect Rajeshwari to Malkauns and Chandrakauns (other audav night ragas comprising the generic swaras Sa–Ga–Ma–Dha–Ni, with a strong ma-Sa axis) – and it is prakriti with the seldom-heard and similarly-constructed Bhinna Kauns (n.b. some make no practical distinction between the pair).

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• Hindustani Raga Index •

Aroha: SgmDNS

Avroh: SNDmgS

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Chalan: (uncodified)

—Adnan Khan (2022)—

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

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• 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

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

Symmetries: Mirror | Rotation | Palindr.

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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.

• Prakriti: (none found)

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–g–m–D–N–S

• 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)

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

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–Global Translations–

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• 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)

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o • • o • o • • • o • o o

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• Tanpura: Sa–ma

• Names: Rajeshwari, Rajeshwaree, Rajeshvari, ~Bhinna Kauns (not Rageshwari)

—Salamat Ali Khan (1970)—