S-R-m-P-D-S

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Perhaps the oldest surviving Malhar raga (‘shuddha’, as well as referring to ‘pure’ or ‘unaltered’ specific swaras, may also indicate a ‘primary’ or ‘original’ quality: as with the similarly-ancient Shuddha Basant), marked by “a ponderous gait and a meend-rich contour”. As per the accompanying notes to a K.G. Ginde lecture, Shuddha Malhar is distinguished from its prakritis Durga and Jaldhar Kedar through the ucharana of its m(m)R; (m)RP kernel, as well as uttarang motions of mP(S)DS, SDPm (although Ginde considers all three to share a ma–Sa vadi–samvadi, plus Pa as a further nyas). Also refer to Lalith J. Rao’s energetic demo, and a summary of insights gleaned from lakshanagranthas – and compare to other ancient Malhars including Gaud Malhar, Arun Malhar, & Ramdasi Malhar.

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• Raga Megalist (365+) •

राग शुद्ध मल्हार

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• Hindustani Raga Index •

Aroha: SRm, PDS

Avroh: SDP, mRS

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Chalan: signatures e.g. SRm; mR; (m)RP; mPDS; (DP)m; mR; (m)RPRm; RS (Ginde)

—Lalith J. Rao (1994)—

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[refrain, e.g. 0:36] m\RR PP S\DD (D)SRS, SDP, m\RR PP S\DD (D)SRS…

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• More •

Histories, melodies, mythologies, etc…

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—Raga Malhar Darshan—

Dr. Geeta Banerjee’s 1999 book Raga Malhar Darshan gives further context on the long history of the Malhar lineage. As per a summary from Rajan Parrikar (like Banerjee, a disciple of legendary Malhar vocalist Ramrang): “Three major time periods are identified in the development of the Malhars: prachina [pre-15th century], madhyakalina [15th-18th centuries], and arvachina [19th century onwards]. Shuddha Malhar, Megh Malhar and Gaud Malhar belong to the first period; and many of the Malhars we relish today fall to the second lot”.

 

Indeed, the opening chapter of Dr. Banerjee’s book is dedicated to Shuddha Malhar itself, noting that the raga is mentioned in “ancient texts such as the Sangita Ratnakara [C13th], Sangit Parijat [1650], Raga Manjari [C16th], Sangita Darpana [c.1625], Raga Tarangini [c.1700], and a host of other treatises…”. Get Dr. Banerjee’s Malhar book here (Hindi language: anyone want to help me translate it?) – and also refer to her superb summary of how to handle Megh Malhar’s vital shuddha Re.

 

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—Priya Purushothaman demo (2024)—

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“Many legendary maestros – like Tansen, Baiju Bawra, Baba Ramdas, Nayak Charju, Miyan Bakhshu, Tantarang, Tanras Khan, Bilas Khan, Hameer Sen, Surat Sen, and Krishna devotee Meera Bai – are said to have been capable of starting rains using various kinds of Malhar; according to Dr. Geeta Banerjee, author of ‘Raga Malhar Darshan’…” (Kul Bhushan)

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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: Durga, Jaldhar Kedar

Also compare to other ragas matching the generic swaras ‘Sa-Re-Ma-Pa-Dha‘: e.g. Gunakri, Gunkali (S-r-m-P-d-S) & Shobhawari (S-R-m-P-d-S).

–Proximate Forms–

Bhupali = ‘Shud. Malhar Ga-for-ma‘

Bhavani = ‘Shuddha Malhar no Pa‘

Gorakh Kalyan = ‘Shud. Malhar add ni‘

Shobhawari = ‘Shud. Malhar komal dha‘

Shivranjani = ‘Shud. Malhar ga-for-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–m–P–D–S

• Reverse: SgmPnS (=Dhani)

• Negative: 2-2-1-2-2-2-1 (e.g. Bilawal)

• Imperfect: 1 (Dha)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: mirror (r—P)

• Murchanas: Bhupali set

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• Quirks: ‘atritonal‘ (no available tritones) • ‘maximal‘ (swaras are optimally ‘spread out’)

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–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: ~Suddha Saveri

S-R₂-M₁-P-D₂-S

• Jazz: Ritusen Pentatonic

1-2-4-5-6-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-2-5-7-9-0

(2–3–2–2–3)

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o • o • • o • o • o • • o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa

• Names: Shuddha Malhar, Suddha Malhara

• Transliterations: Hindi (शुद्ध मल्हार); Bengali (শুদ্ধ মল্লার)

—Bismillah Khan (~1990s)—