S-r-g-M-P-d-N-S Pivotal to Hindustani history, Todi overflows with musical ideas found nowhere else on the planet. Some link its ambiguous geometries with ‘existential anguish and unsettlement’, while others hear ‘the playfulness of a newborn, content and smiling’. Rajan Parrikar hails it as “the most profound, finespun idea in melodic music…from ecstasy, to frolic, to pathos, […]
• Raag Todi •
• Raag Bhairavi •
S-r-g-m-P-d-n-S Probably the most prominent raga in the entire Hindustani canon, the dawn Bhairavi (‘awe, terror’: named after the Fifth Avatar of Mahadevi, the Mother Goddess) is a concert-closing staple. Unique in its chromatic flexibilities, the raga’s ‘Mishra Bhairavi’ form can span the full swara spectrum, allowing for a multitude of moods in the hands […]
• Raag Yaman •
S-R-G-M-P-D-N-S Among the first-learned and most-performed ragas, Yaman’s influence on modern Hindustani music is impossible to overstate. Linked to the early night hours (‘when lanterns are lit’), the disbalancing effects of tivra Ma – the only non-shuddha swara on offer – allow for a kaleidoscopic emotional range, with Sa and Pa often being skipped in […]
• Raag Bhairav •
S-r-G-m-P-d-N-S Revered as the foremost raga of Lord Shiva, the morning Bhairav takes its name from Kala Bhairava (‘Bhaya-Rava’: ‘the one who roars fear’) – an apocalyptic manifestation of the deity fabled to have cut off one of Brahma’s five heads to silence his arrogance. Renditions reflect the gravity of these ancient tales, depicting Shiva’s […]
• Raag Darbari •
S-R-g-m-P-d-n-S Darbari has been described as “the Emperor of Ragas, and the Raga of Emperors”. Its majestic tones famously echoed across the marble floors of Mughal palaces in centuries past, bringing solemn relief to kings, warlords, and diplomats alike. Consequently, modern renditions tend to retain a grave, reverential patience, pairing pakad of dnP & gmR amidst […]
• Raag Miyan ki Malhar •
S-R-g-m-P-D-nN-S Derived from the Sanskrit for ‘banishing uncleanliness’, the Malhar family is inextricably linked to the rejuvenating effects of rain. The main raga of this lineage is named ‘Miyan ki Malhar’ for its fabled connections to Miyan Tansen, the great composer of Emperor Akbar’s 16th-century royal court, who is said to have sung it to […]
• Raag Shree •
S-r-G-M-P-d-N-S According to Gwalior vocalist Omkarnath Thakur, Shree’s seven swaras are associated with those sunset hours when “disembodied spirits…become active, and aid in the black magic of Tantriks”. Tied to mythologies of Lord Shiva, the raga takes its name from ‘sri’, a sacred Sanskrit syllable which, in Vedic tradition, represents the material nature of humanity’s place […]
• Raag Puriya Dhanashree •
S-r-G-M-P-d-N-S Like the scale-congruent Shree, Puriya Dhanashree’s versatile hemitonic clusters outline a major triad (SGP) with the first and last steps ‘enclosed’ by their neighbours to present two sets of three adjacent swaras (NSr, MPd). Pa, while often omitted in aroha, exerts its gravity on descending melodies, easing the tension of the tivra Ma by […]
• Raag Bageshri •
S-R-g-m-P-D-n-S An ancient raga of the late night, Bageshri is associated with ‘vipralambha’ – the profound shades of longing felt by a separated lover. These sentiments are reflected in its multipolar phraseology: artists may resolve towards Sa for a clustered, inward-turning feel (mgRS), or towards shuddha ma for a more open, expansive sound (DnSgm) – […]
• Raag Ahir Bhairav •
S-r-G-m-P-D-n-S Ahir Bhairav’s unique swara set is inextricably linked to visions of the Indian sunrise. While the raga’s poorvang matches that of the ‘main’ Bhairav (SrGm) its uttarang presents its own geometries, taking a shuddha Dha and komal ni (PDnS) in a manner closer to the Kafi–ang (although many artists tune their Dha sruti closer to that […]
• Raag Chandranandan •
S-R-gG-m-P-d-nN-S Chandranandan (‘Moonstruck’) is a modern classic, created by Ali Akbar Khan in a spare studio moment via spontaneously blending concepts from the Kaunsi family (“Three minutes and it was finished…They asked me for the name, but I never thought of the name, I never thought about the notes. I just thought of my father and […]
• Raag Bihag •
S-R-G-mM-P-D-N-S Created via the artful grafting of tivra Ma onto a Bilawal-oriented base, Bihag contains a wealth of melodic possibilities. Long linked to late evening festivities, its meend-laden tendencies are explored with symmetrical articulations and fluid resolution phrases, guided by nuanced swara hierarchies which may display significant gharana-to-gharana variance. The tivra Ma, while tending to […]
• Raag Bhimpalasi •
S-R-g-m-P-D-n-S Associated with the invigorating warmth of the late afternoon sun, Bhimpalasi evokes multiple shades of shringara (‘romantic love, erotic desire’). Thought to have arisen from an archaic union between Bheem and the near-extinct Palas, the raga calls for direct, passionate melodic outpourings, balancing a deft pentatonic ascent (nSgmPnS: prakriti with Dhani) against the symmetry-inducing […]
• Raag Bilaskhani Todi •
S-r-g-m-P-d-n-S A hallowed form, Bilaskhani Todi is fabled to have been created by Bilas Khan: son of Tansen, the legendary composer of Emperor Akbar’s 16th-century durbar. On trying to sing Todi at his father’s funeral wake, Bilas found himself so grief-stricken that he mixed up the swaras – however, his panic was allayed on witnessing […]
• Raag Bilawal •
S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S Approximates the Western Major Scale, thus taking an ‘all-shuddha’ sampurna swara set – and selected by the great V.N. Bhatkhande as the titular raga of Bilawal thaat – although its popularity has declined in the century since (partly in favour of prakritis such as Tilak Kamod and Bihari). Dha and Ga assume vital roles […]
• Raag Pilu •
S-R-gG-m-P-dD-nN-S Perhaps the most emblematic thumri raga, Pilu’s highly permissive melodic framework functions more like an alliance of amorous folk tunes than a ‘rigorously codified’ form (Bhatkhande recounts that some artists of his early 20th-century era resisted Pilu’s classification as a raga altogether). While relatively rare as a ‘main’ khayal feature, it enjoys wild popularity […]
• Raag Basant Mukhari •
S-r-G-m-P-d-n-S Effectively blending the poorvang of Bhairav with the uttarang of Bhairavi (SrGm; PdnS), Basant Mukhari’s complex history bears the imprints of multiple musical cultures. While its modern inception is traceable to S.N. Ratanjankar’s eclectic Carnatic borrowings of the 1950s (also see Charukeshi: the same scale with shuddha re instead), many also explicitly link it to […]
• Raag Desh •
S-R-G-m-P-D-nN-S Intimately connected to Indian national identity, Desh gives melodic direction to the famous patriotic anthem Vande Mataram, as well as soundtracking dozens of Rabindrasangeet. Associated with the second quarter of night, renditions tend towards the sweet and amorous, with Deepak Raja noting clear divergence between ‘classicist’ and ‘romanticist’ treatments (the former is confined to […]
• Raag Charukeshi •
S-R-G-m-P-d-n-S Adopted from the Carnatic mela #26, Charukeshi (‘One with Beautiful Hair’) calls for wide-open melodic exploration, favouring long lines which wind around themselves while visiting the furthest reaches of all three octaves. Like many Southern scales, it may be used as a canvas for recolouring multiple ideas from adjacent ragas (see avirbhav–tirobhav), while itself […]
• Raag Jaijaiwanti •
S-R-gG-m-P-D-nN-S A much-beloved but highly intricate raga, featuring both variants of Ga and Ni. Dhrupadyas hold NSDNR as the essential pakad (with some bemoaning the loss of the “slow glide from Ga to Re…as Jaijaiwanti’s distinguishing feature”) – while modern performers tend to ‘enclose’ the komal ga in the avroh phrase RgR, preferring the shuddha […]
• Raag Basant •
S-r-G-M-P-d-N-S Basant (meaning ‘Springtime’) is a historic and highly influential form, with a lineage stretching back to at least the 8th century. The raga’s modern incarnation matches the swaras of Poorvi thaat, with shades of shuddha ma also permitted in some interpretations (e.g. SmmG; mdrS). Phraseological allies include Puriya (GMdNM; mdGmG) and Shree (e.g. NrS; […]
• Raag Asavari •
S-rR-g-m-P-d-n-S An antique late morning raga, listed in lakshanagranthas as a ragini of Malkauns, Asavari’s modern incarnation comprises two variants: an older, Dhrupad-rooted ‘komal re’ form, and a more recent set of ‘shuddha Re’ interpretations. Both forms of the raga call for complex connective motions and expressive alankar around dha, which some artists tune to […]
• Raag Madhuvanti •
S-R-g-M-P-D-N-S A shringara raga of recent origin, Madhuvanti is geared towards evoking a ‘sweet’ flavour (‘Madhu’ means ‘Honey’). Rajan Parrikar cites “shared credits for its development…Vilayat Khan is said to have conceived it [in the] 1940s…and around the same time, Vamanrao Padhye of Kolhapur composed a similar raga and called it ‘Ambika’, after the Goddess […]
• Raag Khamaj •
S-R-G-m-P-D-n-S Among the most popular light-classical ragas, Khamaj’s core form matches the ultra-versatile Mixolydian Mode of Western music. Despite being chosen by Bhatkhande as the titular raga of Khamaj thaat, renditions will usually draw on melodic combinations from outside these main seven swaras. Jairazbhoy discusses the evolution of these ‘mishra‘ features as a natural outgrowth […]
• Raag Maru Bihag •
S-R-G-mM-P-D-N-S Despite its A-list status (Deepak Raja’s Ragascape research estimates it as the 13th most-performed raga of the modern era), Maru Bihag is a relatively recent invention, at least in its own right – Parrikar notes that “Manikbua Thakurdas speaks of an older Raag Maru [SRGMDNS] as its progenitor…but the Maru Bihag in currency [today] […]
• Raag Vachaspati •
S-R-G-M-P-D-n-S Vachaspati (‘Lord of Speech’) is a recent import from the South, adapted from Carnatic music’s 64th mela scale around the mid-20th century by artists including Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan. Consequently, its Northern form is still in a state of flux, with few firm melodic conventions aside from staying within the scale’s bounds – […]
• Raag Patdeep •
S-R-g-m-P-D-N-S Derived from the Dhanashree family, Patdeep somewhat resembles a ‘shuddha Ni Bhimpalasi’ (akin to the Western Melodic Minor), with both ragas ascending pentatonically before revealing Re and Dha in descent. Its unique scale structure, which features a distinctive run of four adjacent whole-tone jumps (g>m>P>D>N), brings natural prominence to komal ga and shuddha Ni as […]
• Raag Multani •
S-r-g-M-P-d-N-S Multani is an afternoon raga of angular shape and ancient heritage, which, while matching the seven swaras of Todi thaat, takes unique phrase patterns – with re and dha omitted in ascent and generally rendered durbal throughout. Bhatkhande is said to have considered it the ‘daytime’ counterpart of Basant – while, in Deepak Raja’s […]
• Raag Kaunsi Kanada •
S-R-g-m-P-d-n-S Kaunsi Kanada is often oversimplified as a blend of two ragas: ‘Malkauns (or Pancham Malkauns) on the way up, and Darbari on the way down’. But, as ever, the whole is far more than the sum of these parts, with multiple facets of both these ragas interacting with melodic ideas from the seldom-heard Kaushiki […]
• Raag Kafi •
S-R-g-m-P-D-n-S Perhaps more like a compendium of interlinked folk tunes than a ‘formally codified’ raga framework, Kafi offers expansive freedoms. Typically appearing in mishra (‘mixed’) form, its free-roaming melodies may borrow from affiliated ragas as well as drawing on a wide range of light-classical styles such as thumri, bhajan, dadra, and ghazal. Lyrical material has […]
• Raag Jhinjhoti •
S-R-G-m-P-D-n-S A staple of thumri, tappa, and other light-classical styles, Jhinjhoti is a hearty raga of the late evening and early night hours. Particularly beloved by instrumentalists, its Khamaj-congruent swaras are a firm favourite at Indian weddings and other celebratory gatherings, offering a reassuring familiarity via balancing Durga-like ascending phrases with a special treatment of […]
• Raag Nat (Shuddha) •
S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S Described by Parrikar as “singular for its unabashed promiscuity”, Nat is perennially popular as a jod ingredient (see Nat Bihag, Nat Bhairav, Nat Kamod, Chayanat, and Jaijaiwanti Nat). The raga has likely origins in the age before Hindustani and Carnatic music’s bifurcation (while seemingly being unrelated to the Southern ‘Nata’), although renditions of its […]
• Raag Sindhura •
S-R-g-m-P-D-nN-S A Kafi ally with corresponding light-classical popularity, marked out by the explicit use of double-Ni and the frequent omission of ga in aroha. Described by Tanarang as “a light flittering melody…best suited for thumri, tappa, and hori” – while Parrikar notes that “the approach to Sa takes two pathways: one drops Ni as in […]
• Raag Shuddha Kalyan •
S-R-G-M-P-D-N-S A popular early night raga, Shuddha Kalyan ascends with the same 5 swaras as Bhupali (SRGPDS), and descends with the full 7 of Yaman (SNDPMGRS), leading some to title it ‘Bhoop-Kalyan’. Phrases tend to end on the poorvang-slanted Sa, Re, Ga, or Pa – and both the ‘avroh-only’ swaras (Ni & Ma) must be treated subtly […]
• Raag Gara •
S-R-gG-m-P-D-nN-S Gara is a disparate melodic lineage, derived from thumri compositions of centuries past: Manuel’s research describes it as “a loose, informal melodic entity until the 18th century, after which [its] grammar was organised by classically trained musicians…like Kafi, Pilu, Jungala, Barwa, and Zila”. Often close to Jaijaiwanti, the modern Gara may also draw from […]
• Raag Tilak Kamod •
S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S Mirroring the tones of the Western Major Scale, Tilak Kamod’s seven swaras offer robust melodic flexibility across a range of sentiments (“heroic courage, philosophic poise, devotional contentment, suggestive eroticism…”). Some trace the raga’s origin to Pyar Khan, a rabab-playing descendent of Tansen via his son Bilas Khan, who is said to have picked it […]
• Raag Puriya Kalyan •
S-r-G-M-P-D-N-S Effectively combining the poorvang of Puriya Dhanashree with the uttarang of Yaman (SrGM+PDNS), Puriya Kalyan covers the seven swaras of Marwa thaat. Pa is prominent in descent, but may be skipped in Kalyanic ascending passages such as MDNS – and Sa is often omitted in both upward and downward motions, with mandra saptak Ni […]
• Raag Kirwani •
S-R-g-m-P-d-N-S Despite its congruence with the Western Harmonic Minor, Kirwani has origins in the Carnatic Keeravani (likely via Ravi Shankar‘s extensive Southern borrowings): thus lending it a natural popularity for North-South jugalbandi duets, offering artists from both cultures a rich expanse of shared melodic territory. Like many Southern imports, Kirwani is comparatively ‘open’, allowing for near-free […]
• Raag Ahiri •
S-r-g-m-P-D-n-S Traditionally held to cure stomach ailments, Ahiri allows for long, kaleidoscopic melodies – with a scale form resembling ‘Bageshri komal re’, ‘Ahir Bhairav komal ga’, or even ‘Bhairavi shuddha Dha’. Artists are relatively free to roam throughout the scale – often accentuating the ‘equilateral triangle’ of nyas (r-m-D: an augmented triad) while also drawing on motions […]
• Raag Patmanjari •
(S-rR-gG-mM-P-dD-nN-S) Said by some to be more of a ‘performance concept’ than a single raga, ‘Patmanjari’ translates as ‘Bouquet of Five Ragas’. Debate persists over whether the form should be interpreted as an open challenge to blend five ragas of an artist’s own choosing, or whether it entails five specific ragas – and, if so, […]
• Raag Jaiwanti Todi •
S-r-g-m-P-D-n-S An Ahiri–prakriti raga introduced by Maharaja Jaiwant Singh Waghela (1904-1980): a hereditary King of Sanand who also gained wide renown as a spiritual teacher, vocal educator, and generous patron of the nascent Mewati gharana (also hear his famous Mata Kalika composition). Its twists and turns are linked to the lineages of Todi, Ahir Bhairav, […]
• Raag Bahar •
S-R-g-m-P-D-nN-S As per Tanarang, Bahar (‘Spring’) “brings out nature’s beautiful blessings…full of shringar and bhakti ras…khatkas and intricate taans are conducive to its dynamic, fleeting nature”. While rooted in the Kanada raganga, the raga features a Malharic twin-Ni, with the shuddha being more prominent. Bageshri hallmarks are also evident in the weak aroha Re, and the […]
• Raag Shyam Kalyan •
S-R-G-mM-P-D-N-S Shyam Kalyan (‘Evening Kalyan‘) is a prachalit Kalyan variant. Ga is used sparingly in ascent, and typically skipped in phrases which run through the scale sequentially, and shuddha ma is taken in descent only – while Re is emphasised throughout, and Pa is available as a resting note. As per Tanarang‘s summary, the raga is “a very […]
• Raag Ramdasi Malhar •
S-R-gG-m-P-D-nN-S A diverse sankirna raga, fabled as a creation of Guru Ram Das – a 16th-century Sikh saint 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, […]
• Raag Deepak •
(S-R-G-m-P-D-nN-S) Strictly speaking, Deepak is a ‘lost raga’, chiefly known to us through its status as Tansen’s fabled fire-bringing melody – said to have sparked uncontrollable blazes when he sung it at Emperor Akbar’s 16th-century durbar (…and requiring a special rendition of Megh to extinguish it). The raga appears in numerous ragmala paintings, and has […]
• Raag Shuddha Basant •
S-r-G-mM-P-D-N-S Typically considered the modern successor to the ‘original’ form of Basant – with Maihar musicians such as Nikhil Banerjee and Nityanand Haldipur considering it inseparable from Adi Basant (‘shuddha’, as well as referring to ‘pure’ or ‘unaltered’ swaras, may also indicate ‘primary’ or ‘original’: similar to the meaning of ‘adi’). Generally, it differs from […]
• Raag Khat •
S-rR-gG-m-P-dD-n-S Often described as one of the most complex Hindustani forms, Khat (Sanskrit: ‘six’) is based on the idea of combining six different ragas – although the precise six chosen may vary between performers. Subbha Rao’s Raga Nidhi volumes cites two main forms (“Suha, Kanada, Sarang, Desi, Gandhari, & Sughrai” and “Ramkali, Asavari, Todi, Gujiri, […]
• Raag Alhaiya Bilawal •
S-R-G-m-P-D-nN-S While essentially summarisable as ‘Bilawal plus komal ni’, Alhaiya also presents other quirks. Most distinctively, Dha is treated as the vadi, but not as a nyas (Pa and Ga are used as stopping tones instead, often being reached via meend). Dha is also used to support komal ni via ‘up-and-down’ phrases such as SNDP, […]
• Raag Gauri •
S-r-G-m-P-d-N-S Described by Deepak Raja as “difficult to render in its purity”, Gauri is associated with viraha shringara (‘the piety arising from the separation of lovers’). The raga had at least two distinct forms as far back as the 16th century, and continues to manifest in several variations – principally a main Bhairav-ang ‘shuddha ma‘ […]
• Raag Gaud Malhar •
S-R-G-m-P-D-nN-S An ancient blend of Shuddha Malhar and the now-dormant Gaud, also seasoned with shades of Alhaiya Bilawal, which finds mention in medieval works such as Shrikantha’s Rasakaumudi treatise (published circa 1575). Parrikar highlights the “strong, glowing ma”, which serves to join a Gaud-like poorvang (SRGm, mGmPm) to uttarang phrases from Shuddha Malhar (mP(S)DS) and […]
