S-R-g-m-P-D-nN-S A blend of the late-night Bageshri and the springtime Bahar, most prominently recorded by Bhimsen Joshi (below: from his 1997 Rarely-Heard Ragas album, also featuring Hindolita & Jaijaiwanti Nat: although the actual recording session appears to have taken place in 1980). Matches the swara set of ‘Kafi double-Ni’, and is thus prakriti with several […]
• Raag Bageshri Bahar •
• Raag Vardhini •
S-gG-m-P-d-n-S Adapted from Carnatic music’s mela #32 (‘Ragavardhini’: strictly speaking, the Northern form should perhaps be spelled this way too), Vardhini matches the swaras of Nandkauns or ‘Jogkauns komal ni’. Seemingly introduced to the Northern ragascape via the Dagarvani Dhrupad – as per information kindly supplied by Pelva Naik, “Vardhini came into the Dagar gharana, as far […]
• Raag Triveni •
S-r-G-P-d-N-S Taking a hexatonic ‘Shree/Bhairav no ma’ swara set, Triveni’s main incarnation (also known as ‘Tirban/Tirvan’) comprises two congruent swara-clusters – SrG & PdN (both semitonal jumps of ‘1-3’). Melodic motions mostly take after Shree and Bhairav, particularly via a strong re–Pa sangati and G\rS descents – both evident in Shounak Abhisheki’s jhaptal bandish (Kalindi […]
• Raag Tankeshree •
S-r-G-M-P-d-N-S Tankeshree is a seldom-performed Shree–ang raga, which lies closest to the predominant form of Triveni (the same scale minus Ma). Pa is strong and tivra Ma is weak – at least based on the evidence of Omkarnath Thakur’s soaring 1940 rendition (Malan Laaye Chun Chun Kaliyan), which regularly ascends in sparse SGP fashion (also […]
• Raag Suha •
S-R-g-m-P-n-S Suha is an afternoon Kanada raga which draws inspiration from Darbari, Megh, and Sarang, while also sharing significant overlap with the prakriti Nayaki Kanada and Gaudgiri Malhar (also see the overlapping Sughrai, and their hybrid ‘Suha-Sughrai‘). Information regarding the raga’s melodic movements is scant: Ocean of Ragas gives a vadi–samvadi of ma–Sa, noting that […]
• Raag Savani •
S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S An evening raga, which, despite its regular titling of ‘Savani Kalyan’, usually lies closer to Bihag than the Kalyan family – chiefly via avoiding tivra Ma, and giving greater strength to the Sa–Pa sangati. In the raga’s main incarnation, Dha and Ni are often rendered durbal, and may be skipped via PSP turnarounds (although […]
• Raag Raisa Kanada •
S-R-g-m-P-D-n-S Despite regional variances, Raisa Kanada is generally considered to be distinguished by an idiosyncratic sequence involving shuddha Dha – given by Ramrang as nDPDPmP. Most interpretations fall close to Shahana (the two names have similar meaning: shahana: ‘of royal demeanour’, ‘raisa’: ‘rich, noble-born’) – with some also linking the raga to Nayaki Kanada, Kafi, […]
• Raag Rageshri Kanada •
S-R-gG-m-P-D-n-S A seldom-heard Rageshri variant which incorporates Kanada-flavoured poorvang phrases into a broadly Khamaj-ang framework. The only full-length recording I was able to find is a fascinating 1960 album rendition by Dhrupad vocal legend Rahimuddin Khan Dagar (Ganga Jata Shiv: transcribed below), which incorporates shuddha Re and komal ga in curious adjacent movements such as […]
• Raag Patdeepaki •
S-R-gG-m-P-D-nN-S A highly variable form which grafts additional swaras onto a Dhanashree-ang Patdeep foundation – allowing for shades of many proximate ragas, including (but not limited to) Bihag, Khamaj, Jhinjhoti, Bilawal, Barwa, Hameer, Desi, and Maluha. Performed in various guises by vocalists of multiple gharanas, including Bhimsen Joshi (Kirana), Sharafat Hussain Khan (Agra), Aman Ali […]
• Raag Malti Basant •
S-r-G-mM-D-N-S A rare springtime raga, summarised in Narayanrao Patwardhan’s 1964 Raga Vigyan as a fusion of Puriya, Basant, Sohini, & Hindol (see chalan phrases below) – although Deepak Raja recounts a conversation with Ulhas Kashalkar, who states that “there is no Hindol in it…the raga has shades of Puriya and Sohini as well as Basant…Mainly [sung] in […]
• Raag Gaud Sarang •
S-R-G-mM-P-D-N-S Aside from its afternoon designation, Gaud Sarang typically carries few hints of the Sarang family – running more like a vakra Bihag variant seasoned by a GRmGPRS pakad amongst other melodic quirks (some refer to it as ‘Din ki Bihag’: ‘Daytime Bihag’). Shuddha ma is strong, but not used as a nyas, with its enclosing […]
• Raag Durgawati •
S-R-m-P-D-n-S A rare shadav raga, matching the swara set of ‘Durga plus komal ni’ (or ‘Kafi/Khamaj no Ga’). The inclusion of ni in avroh opens up Bageshri-like uttarang motions (SnDm…), with the rest of the raga generally trending towards Durga (e.g. RmPD; PDm; mRDS). Seemingly an invention of Maihar bansuriya Hariprasad Chaurasia, based on the […]
• Raag Sakh •
S-R-G-m-P-D-n-S Despite their historic renown, the Sakh family is seldom-heard in the modern era. While nomenclature varies, the ‘main’ Sakh raga is generally held to be a Khamaj–prakriti form, with mood and movements proximate to Rageshri and Gaoti – evident in Patiala pair Amanat & Fateh Ali Khan’s soothing ma-focused rendition, built around characteristic phrases […]
• Raag Lagan Gandhar •
S-R-gg̃G-P-D-S An oddball product of Kumar Gandharva’s limitless imagination, Lagan Gandhar (‘Full Ga Concentration’) is distinguished by taking a ‘triple-Ga’ – with an additional ‘quarter-tone’ sruti lying roughly halfway between the komal and shuddha shades (‘komalaa gandhar’: notated here as ‘g̃’). This strange tone-trio is often navigated in adjacent manner, with slow glides serving to […]
• Raag Sorath •
S-R-G-m-P-D-nN-S A Khamaj-flavoured night raga which enjoys perennial popularity in Sikh traditions: as per Jawaddi Taksal, Sorath is “a simple and sweet raga: but it will be appealing only when the soul seeks the Lord’s name. By singing glorious praises, lifelessness does not come” – and, in the words of another Sikh writer: “Sorath conveys the […]
• Raag Shukla Bilawal •
S-R-G-m-P-D-nN-S A traditional Bilawal prakar, marked out by phrase patterns such as SGGm, GmPm and a general focus on shuddha ma, also integrating movements from the Malhar, Khamaj, and Kedar families. Jaipur-Atrauli vocalist Manjiri Asanare-Kelkar’s detailed demo breakdown (transcribed in full below) describes it as “a complex raga, with major phrases of Gaud Malhar and Bihagda […]
• Raag Roopkali •
S-rR-G-mM-P-d-N-S A variation of Ramkali, which is distinguished through a general avoidance of komal ni and sporadic inclusion of shuddha Re. Renditions generally focus on the mid-scale region, with all five specific swaras from shuddha Ga to komal dha available for use (GmMPd). Khadim Hussain Khan’s twisting melodies tend to pair tivra Ma with Pa above, […]
• Raag Pat Bihag •
S-R-G-mM-P-D-N-S A chalan bheda of Bihag, which varies according to gharana. Tivra Ma is generally restricted to ornamental use, while Jaipur-Atrauli singers may showcase a range of additional melodic quirks. In Parrikar’s summary, “most of its mannerisms are Bihag-like, the notable departure being its ‘glowing’ shuddha ma: deergha and mukta” – also see his rundown […]
• Raag Pancham se Gara •
S-R-G-mM-P-D-nN-S A rotation of Gara (literally: ‘Gara from Pa’) – i.e. if you treat the raga’s Pa as the ‘new Sa’, Gara’s scale is produced (SRGmMPDNS > SRgGmPDNS: although the raga’s creation in fact came via the reverse translation). Most closely associated with murchana master Ravi Shankar, who reworks Gara’s DnSNS uttarang catchphrase into GmPMP (see […]
• Raag Neelambari •
S-R-gG-m-P-D-n-S A blend of the allied Kafi and Sindhura, brought into being by revered Gwalior vocalist Omkarnath Thakur some time prior to 1936 (n.b. it bears no discernible connections to the Carnatic raga of the same name). Parrikar points to “two special pathos-imbuing prayogas: the melodic molecule DngR, and the chromatic avroh slide from shuddha […]
• Raag Nat Kamod •
S-R-G-m-P-D-nN-S A Jaipur-Atrauli combination of Shuddha Nat and Kamod, which may also touch on the territory of Chayanat. Described by Deepak Raja as being “sustained by a single bandish – Nevar Baajo – [which] has virtually been synonymous with the raga for over half a century, and is perhaps the sole repository of its ‘raga-ness’ […]
• Raag Nat Bihag •
S-R-G-mM-P-D-nN-S A Bihag offshoot developed by the Agra gharana, distinguished by the integration of special phrases such as mnDP; PDNS; PDNDP alongside other flourishes from Shuddha Nat (e.g. SR, RG, Gm, mP). Tivra Ma is either avoided or limited to occasional ornamental status (M/P), with komal ni similarly restricted to use as a madhya-saptak kan in […]
• Raag Manjari Bihag •
S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S Produced via a chalan bheda of Bihag, Manjari Bihag also lies close to Pat Bihag, typically differing from both these forms via the exclusion of tivra Ma (compare to other members of the Bihag raganga). Most prominently recorded by Aslam Khan ‘Khusrang’: his 1989 album rendition (bandish: Sohat Kanha & Sughara Banara More Ghar […]
• Raag Lankeshwari •
S-R-gG-m-P-D-n-S An enchanting blend of three night ragas: Bageshri, Rageshri, and Malgunji. Bageshri, evident via a strong ma–Sa sangati and the skipping of Pa in ascent, combines with Rageshri to present a double-Ga – with more extended melodic developments often following in the manner of Malgunji. Seemingly the exclusive preserve of vocalists, although it remains […]
• Raag Khokar •
S-G-m-P-D-nN-S A captivating raga with disparate modern strands. In its predominant Jaipur-Atrauli incarnation, Khokar is, according to some, essentially identical to Bihagda, itself a fusion of Bihag and Khamaj (Deepak Raja: “A melodic analysis of the so-called Khokar confirms its identity with Bihagda…[any] distinction remains unsupported by either logic or evidence”). On the other hand, […]
• Raag Jaijaiwanti Nat •
S-R-gG-m-P-D-nN-S A barely-explored compound of Jaijaiwanti and Shuddha Nat, which blends the basic structure of the latter raga with flourishes from the former. The only renditions I can trace are those of Bhimsen Joshi, who may be the raga’s inventor (although some sources suggest the great Jaipur-Atrauli guru Azizuddin Khan instead) – beginning in the […]
• Raag Hussaini Todi •
S-R-g-m-P-D-nN-S A rare raga which appears in at least two modern-day variants. The predominant Jaipur-Atrauli interpretation takes the swaras of ‘Kafi double-Ni’, eschewing the Todi-ang altogether: Manjiri Asanare-Kelkar’s ever-excellent melodic breakdown describes it as “Desi with a ‘Hussaini’ phrase” [a sruti-laden mPD, S(nSN)S, m, mPDnS] – adding that this phrase also turns up in the ‘other’ […]
• Raag Hansa Narayani •
S-r-G-M-P-N-S Taking the shape of ‘Puriya Dhanashree minus dha’, Hansa Narayani presents uttarang shades of Hansadhwani (PNS): another swan-related raga with Carnatic roots (‘Hansa’ suggests a swan-riding image of Saraswati, the four-armed Hindu goddess of music and learning, and ‘Narayani’ refers to an incarnation of Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and fortune: collectively covering two-thirds of […]
• Raag Virat Bhairav •
S-r-G-m-P-dD-n-S A ‘double Dha Bhairav’ raga with a unique swara set, associated with Jaipur-Atrauli vocalists including Nivruttibuwa Sarnaik (who, according to gharana stablemate Gandhar Digrajkar, invented it). In addition to Bhairav’s classic G\rS swoop and general poorvang-focus, Parrikar notes “a rather busy uttarang: shuddha Dha is used sparingly, in special sancharis such as GmPDnDn and […]
• Raag Saraswati Sarang •
S-R-mM-P-D-nN-S Despite the prachalit status of both its parents, the Saraswati + Sarang compound remains relatively rare. The best longform performance is that of vichitra veena maestro Gopal Krishnan (which revolves around an ear-catching nD MPDS pakad), who – as per a direct message from his grandson Akshat Sharma – created the raga (along with Tilak […]
• Raag Saraswati Kedar •
S-R-G-mM-P-D-nN-S A double-Ma, double-Ni raga created by Gwalior vocalist and educator Vishwanath Rao Ringe ‘Tanarang’ (also see Hemshri, Sundarkauns, and Jogeshwari Pancham). Characteristic phrases from Saraswati (RRMMP; MPDnDP; nDS) are intermingled with those of Kedar (MPDNS; PDPm; mGP; SRS; mmRS), with shuddha Ga only used in occasional avroh movements. Also see prakriti ragas including Nat […]
• Raag Rageshri Bahar •
S-R-gG-m-P-D-nN-S A double-Ga, double-Ni fusion of Rageshri and Bahar, with the former dominating the aural impression. Abhirang, basing his analysis on a V.R. Athavale bandish, gives characteristic movements of DnSGm; mPgm; nDNS; DnSGmRS; SDnPm – while Subbha Rao’s Raga Nidhi Vol. 4 states that “the vadi is ma, and samvadi is Sa…Re is not used […]
• Raag Lachari Todi •
S-R-gG-m-P-dD-n-S As per Parrikar, “there are 3 varieties of Lachari Todi, all of them having very little to do with Todi proper: and there is major divergence among [them]”. Some renditions limit themselves to the swaras SRGmdnS, although Amjad Ali Khan takes a much more expansive approach, spanning SRgGmPdDnS with complex ornamental combinations that mix […]
• Raag Hindolita •
S-G-mM-P-D-N-S A blend of Hindol and Lalit, seemingly introduced by Kirana master Bhimsen Joshi – who recorded it a handful of times over the years, including at the 1992 Sawai Gandharva Festival with Zakir Hussain, and for his 1997 Rarely-Heard Ragas album (also featuring Jaijaiwanti Nat and Bageshri Bahar). Given the sparsity of its recorded […]
• Raag Vijayanagari •
S-R-g-M-P-D-S A scale of Southern origin, seemingly imported North by Gwalior guru Balabhau Umdekar, which matches the swara set of ‘Madhuvanti minus Ni’ (although the Carnatic original is classed as a ‘janya‘ derivative of Hemavati). While I can’t trace any of Umdekar’s recordings, Malini Rajurkar has performed a pair of his bandish: Sajana Ghara Avo […]
• Raag Tilak Malhar •
S-R-G-m-P-D-nN-S A presumed blend of Miyan ki Malhar and Tilak Kamod, mentioned in Geeta Banerjee’s Malhar Darshan but only recorded by a few artists. After struggling to ascertain the raga’s origins, I was pleased to receive a direct message from guitarist Akshat Sharma in early 2024, informing me that it was devised by his grandfather […]
• Raag Tilak Bhairav •
S-rR-G-m-P-dD-N-S An ultra-rare raga associated with Imdadkhani composer Dhruva Tara Joshi, spanning the full swara sets of Bhairav and Tilak Kamod. Although initially a sitarist, Joshi’s sole traceable take of the raga is a vocal-only rendition from a lecture-demo (seemingly the result of an injury forcing him away from the strings) – which concisely interweaves […]
• Raag Lachari Kanada •
S-R-gG-m-P-nN-S Despite its unique swara set, Lachari Kanada is rare to the point of extinction: the only two recordings I can track down are both brief cuts by Agra stalwart Latafat Kussain Khan (one is said to have been captured at a baithak in Kolkata, the other is of unknown origin). His rendition reveals Kanada turns […]
• Raag Mangal Todi •
S-r-g-mM-P-d-nN-S A variant of Todi, seemingly of ancient origin, involving the addition of shuddha ma via phrases such as Smmd and MdndPmmd. Ram Marathe’s rendition, built around energetic mixing of both Ma and Ni positions, is probably the most prominent interpretation – with Shounak Abhisheki’s 2021 lockdown take building superbly on these ideas, setting bewildering […]
• Raag Jogeshwari Pancham •
S-gG-m-P-D-n-S Created by Gwalior educator and vocalist Vishwanath Rao Ringe ‘Tanarang’ by adding touches of avroh Pa to Ravi Shankar’s Jogeshwari (itself a blend of Jog and Rageshri). Jogeshwari’s basic phraseology is retained, while also allowing elaborate extensions into Jog’s territory (the inclusion of komal ga means that all Jog’s swaras are now present). In […]
• Raag Malayalam •
S-R-G-m-P-d-n-S A barely-documented morning raga created by Ali Akbar Khan sometime around the 1970s – named in honour of his mother (‘Malaya’) and father (‘Alam’: also the name of Khan’s son, born in 1982) [n.b. the Tamil-derived Dravidian language family of the same title is of a separate etymology, derived from ‘mala+alam’: ‘the land near the […]
• Raag Ahiri Todi •
S-R-g-m-P-D-nN-S While the title ‘Ahiri Todi’ is often used interchangeably with Ahiri, the former raga has a more complex historical lineage: comprising both an Ahiri–congruent form which many consider indistinct from the main raga (SrgmPDnS) – and an older, near-extinct version which approximates the shape of Asavari (SRgmPDnNS). Agra vocalist Khadim Hussain Khan’s intriguing recording of […]
• Raag Jungala •
(S-R-g-m-P-d-n-S) The term ‘Jungala’ (or ‘Jangla’) generally indicates a ‘reworked’ variant of a well-known raga rather than a specific set of swaras – for example Yunus Hussain Khan’s ‘Jangla-Gara‘ restricts Gara‘s melodies to shuddha Ga and Ni only, and Jagdish Prasad’s ‘Jangla-Bhairavi‘ adds a prominent double-Ni to Bhairavi‘s basic shape. Usually associated with folk-derived forms, several […]
• Raag Shivangi •
S-G-P-D-S A charming chatuswari, confined to the swaras SGPD throughout. Vocalist Shubhada Moghe, in the accompanying notes to her 2019 rendition, describes Shivangi as “a rare morning raga taught to me by my guru-ji Pt. Manikbua Thakurdas, whose lineage goes back seven generations…it is very close to Deshkar, but omits Re completely. The vadi-samvadi are […]
• Raag Anup •
S-R-gG-m-P-n-S A recent creation of vocalist Sadhana Shiledar which serves to highlight the continuing phenomenon of ragas being inspired by regional folk melodies. As per her accompanying notes to a 2018 performance, “Anup is a dhun-ugam [folk-derived] raga, based on a folk tune from Dewas in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh”. Her full-length 2025 […]
• Raag Gaud •
S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S Now lying dormant, Gaud – assumed to have been named for its origins in the archaic Gaudadesha region – is best-known via its parental role in compounds such as Gaud Malhar, Gaud Sarang, and Gaud Bahar. In spite of its modern scarcity, the raga played a vital role in Hindustani history, turning up in numerous […]
• Raag Audav Meladalan •
S-g-mM-n-S For the 366th page in the project, I offer something a little different. Instead of documenting an already-existing raga, I humbly present a fresh scale form, intended as a challenge for intrepid artists who wish to break new melodic ground. The SgmMnS sequence – as far as I can tell, untouched in Hindustani raga […]
• Raag Namanarayani •
S-r-G-M-P-d-n-S Equivalent to ‘Basant Mukhari tivra Ma’, the SrGMPdnS swara-set – known in Carnatic music as Namanarayani, the 50th mela – has barely been played in the North. I searched hard during my quest to find matching ragas for the 32 ‘sampurna thaat’ scales (=all those with one variant each of ‘Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, […]
