S-gG-m-P-d-nN-S
Despite captivating millions of listeners, Shivanjali is only known to the world through a single performance. Conceived by bansuri master Hariprasad Chaurasia as a tribute to his close friend and collaborator Shivkumar Sharma, its lone unveiling came at a whole-night Stuttgart concert in 1995, with Shiv-ji present in the audience (‘Shiv-anjali’: ‘Reverences to Shivkumar’). Comments left by the upload’s 2.7m viewers demonstrate the raga’s emotional power: “Heavenly, incomparable, eternal, bringing you closer to God”; “Mesmerizing, serene, carrying us to the abode of Lord Shiva”; “Like flying without boundaries on unknown paths, embracing the force of powerful winds”; “The touch of coolness on a moonlit night…the silver shine of the full moon on a lake”; “If I could keep only my sight or my hearing then [I would usually choose] sight…Then I listen to this soul-touching music and I have conflicted views”; “I named my daughter Shivanjali after this track”. Hinting at various ragas including Malkauns (SndnS), Jogkauns (GmgS), Nandkauns (SGmdPmg), and Chandrakauns (gmdNS), Shivanjali also features unusual chromatic movements between adjacent swaras (SNn, mGg), with the komal shades sometimes being rendered much more softly than their preceding shuddha positions (…the word ‘komal’ derives from a Sanskrit term meaning ‘soft’). Shuddha Ga is often used as a melodic launchpoint, and the high shuddha Ni is used sparingly (not appearing for over 14 mins) – alongside other subtle features including a slight kan of shuddha Re when moving to komal ga (also mirrored higher in the scale as (g)G and (P)d). Shivanjali’s future is uncertain, with no indication that Hariprasad will ever perform or record it again – it may remain ‘frozen in time’, forever fixed in form to its single showcase almost 30 years ago. Also see other Hariprasad Chaurasia ragas including Prabhateshwari, Durgawati, Hemangi, Haripriya, and Kalaranjani – and to learn more about Shivkumar Sharma’s life and santoor innovations, see Antardhwani, Rasikpriya, & Raga Quotes & Tales.
• Raga Masterlist (1000+) •
राग शिवांजलि
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• Hindustani Raga Index •
—Hariprasad Chaurasia (1995)—
[alap, e.g. 20:58] S Gm Gm(P) P(dP) P(mGm) m, P(dP) g(mg) g, d(nSnSgSnd)m (Pm)G G, mdn n(SngSndmG)m m(gm)g g md S Gmd P(mG)m m, SGmP GPmG Pmgm SgnS (g)S n\d n(Snmgm) (gm)g (R)g, (g)m g(mgS) S(gSgSn), n(Sd) n(d) (P)d, dnS, dn(g)S S(mGm) SGm Gm(gS), Sg(mgSn) n(Snd), d(SnSnd) S(nSnd)n S…
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• Recent Raga Index Updates (May 2026): Up to 365 Megalist pages! Recent adds include Asa, Bayati, Deepavali, Chanchalas Malhar, DoGa Kalyan, Gaud, Japaniya, Kaushiki, Latangi, Loom, Maru, Meerabai Malhar, Palas, Sarangkauns, Shankh Dhwani, Shivanjali, Sohini Bahar (+ try out ‘Audav Meladalan‘) • What does ‘Kauns’ mean? Analysing 60+ Kauns ragas • ‘Bifurcations‘: ‘poorvang vs. uttarang’ splits • Amir Khan’s ‘168 merukhands’ • Introduced the ‘complements‘ concept • 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)
See all shadav ragas which omit Re
–Swara Geometries–
• Core form: S–gG–m–P–d–nN–S
• Reverse: SrRGmPdDS
• Complement: SrRMDS
• Imperfect: 2 (Pa, Ni)
• Detached: 0
• Symmetries: mirror (rR—Pd)
• Murchanas: (none found)
–Global Translations–
• Carnatic: (~Ragavardhini)
S-G2-G3-M1-P-D1-N2-N3-S
• Jazz: Aeolian dbl.3rd/7th (no 2nd)
1-b3-3-4-5-b6-b7-7-8
• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):
0-3-4-5-7-8-10-11-0
(3–1–1–2–1–2–1–1)
o • • o o o • o o • o o o
• Tanpura: Sa–ma
• Names: Shivanjali, Shiv-Anjali
• Transliterations: Hindi (शिवांजलि)
—Suhatra Chaudhury (2025)—
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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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