S-R-gG-m-P-D-nN-S

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A diverse sankirna raga, fabled as a creation of Baba Ram Das – a 16th-century saint who is said to have opened Emperor Akbar’s eyes to the unity of the divine (“these jagirs [feudal land grants] are sources of evil passions, pride, and ego…it is by the name of God that all creatures, continents, worlds, and spheres are sustained…”). Today’s Ramdasi Malhar exists in several guises, roughly summarisable as ‘Nayaki Kanada double-Ga’ – with the komal confined to the avroh (Abhirang: “shuddha swaras in aroha, and Malhar in avroh…[Ramdasi Malhar also carries] shades of Gaud and Shahana“). Tanarang, who calls the raga “soothing and heavy”, highlights the Malharic ma–Re, Re–Pa, & ni–Pa sangatis, and suggests PgmRS to end taans – and Parrikar notes ‘special pragoyas’ of SRGGm, mGm; mPDN DPmGm; SDnP, mPDnP, while cautioning that “no general [chalan] can be written down, given the disparate strategies adopted”. For more depth, refer to Manjiri Asanare-Kelkar’s stellar demo lesson (transcribed below).

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राग रामदासी मल्हार

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Aroha: SRGm, PDNS

Avroh: SnDnP, mP, gmRS

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Chalan: variable – illustrative phrases e.g. SRGm, mGm; mPDN DPmGm; SDnP, mPDnP (Parrikar)

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—Venkatesh Kumar (2016)—

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[themes, e.g. 0:04] g(m)RSR, NSRPm P; (S)gmP (g)mgm RS, Rg(m)R, PP(m)nP; mPDNS(R)NS, g(mPNSPmgR), gm R(gRS), g(m)RSR, NSRPm P…

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—Imagery: Guru Ram Das (1534-1581)—

“Guru Ram Das and the old Dukh Bhanjani tree: considered to be sacred, and to contain miraculous power, standing in the Golden Temple complex on the eastern side of the Amrit Sarovar. According to the legend, the leper husband of Bibi Rajani was cured by taking a dip in the pond near the tree. Guru Ram Das Ji decided to develop the reservoir into a proper bathing pool. He named the tree ‘Dukh Bhanjani’ [‘Eradicator of Suffering’]…” (Gian Singh Naqqash)

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• More •

Histories, melodies, mythologies, etc…

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—Manjiri Asanare-Kelkar: Amodini—

Here’s a transcription of Jaipur-Atrauli vocalist Manjiri Asanare-Kelkar’s demo lesson, covering her tradition’s incarnation of the raga (from her superb Amodini: The Joy of Rare Ragas series):

 

“Namaskar, today I have come with a complex, compound raga, Ramdasi Malhar. I will sing a short alap: S(Rn)S, nPnP S, m(g)mR, mRP, Pm(GR)Gm, mP(mP)mgm RSR S; PmP, mPnP, mPS(nS), n(Rn)S nPnP, nmP m(GR)G Gm, mPnnPmP m(g)mR, mRP m(g)m, RSR S.

 

This is a complex or ‘compound’ raga, because there are more than two ragas combined in it. Nayaki Kanada is the most prominent raga in this combination – and under the shadow of Nayaki Kanada, we find phrases from Miyan ki Malhar and Gaud Malhar. Before going ahead, I need to explain that when we think about these ‘complex’ ragas, we must keep in mind that there can be different versions of these ragas – and there can even be different versions of a particular bandish. Today, my Ramdasi Malhar has two Gandhars, and, since Nayaki Kanada is the most prominent element, some scholars call it ‘Do-Gandhar ki Nayaki’.

 

Now we will see how the raga progresses. I will raise my thumb for Miyan ki Malhar and my index finger for Gaud Malhar – since Nayaki Kanada is so prominent, I will not mark it: S(Rn)S, nPnP, mPnPS, nSR S, m(g)m, RSR S, (mRm)RP, P(m)gm RP, Pm mGGm, nnPmP(m)gm, RSR S; (m)gm RRP, mPnP, mPnP S(nS), RSRnnS (n)PnP, nnPmP GGm, nP nmP(m)gm, (mRm)RP P(mg)m, RSR S.

 

Now, the whole picture of Ramdasi Malhar becomes clear: RRSnS, nPnP, PS, nSRS, (m)R(m)RP, P(m)gm RP, PnnPmPm GGm, P(m)gm RSR S; mPnP S, SRnnS (n)PnP, mPS nPnP, nnPmPm GGm, RPmmGGm, nmP(m)gm, RSR S. I will conclude with a composition in jhaptal…”

 

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—Ramdasi Malhar (Amodini demo)—

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Also see Manjiri’s other Amodini demos: Abhogi Kanada, Bahaduri Todi, Baradi, Dagori, Dev Gandhar, Gauri, Hussaini Todi, Jait Kalyan, Jaitashree, Kabiri Bhairav, Kaunsi Kanada (Nayaki-ang), Khat (Asavari-ang), Khokar, Lalita Gauri, Lanka Dahan Sarang, Malavi, Maligoura, Mudriki Kanada, Ramdasi Malhar, Raisa Kanada, Shukla Bilawal, Sughrai, Suha, Vihang

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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

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: Jaijaiwanti, Jaijaiwanti Nat, Gara, Zila Kafi, Hanskinkini, Jayant Malhar, Rageshri Bahar, Tilang Bahar, Nagadhwani Kanada, Patdeepaki

Also compare to other members of the Malhar raganga

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–R–gG–m–P–D–nN–S

• Reverse: SrRgmPdDnS (=Amiri Todi)

• Complement: SrMdS

• Imperfect: 1 (Ni)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: mirror (r—P)

• Murchanas: Jaijaiwanti set

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

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–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: ~Kapi

S-R₂-G₂-G₃-M₁-P-D₂-N₂-N₃-S

• Jazz: ‘Dorian + Ionian’

1-2-b3-3-4-5-6-b7-7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-2-3-4-5-7-9-10-11-0

(2–1–1–1–2–2–1–1–1)

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o • o o o o • o • o o o o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa

• Names: Ramdasi Malhar, Ram Dasi Malhar

• Transliterations: Hindi (रामदासी मल्हार)

—Shahid Parvez (2023)—