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 Pancham se Gara •
• Raag Niranjani Todi •
S-r-g-mM-P-D-nN-S A seldom-heard invention of Kishori Amonkar, combining elements from Bairagi, Ahir Bhairav, and Bhinna Shadja. Despite these lofty origins, I can’t track down a single rendition by its creator – although her disciple Raghunandan Panshikar has recorded it several times, focusing his interpretation on a Jaiwanti Todi-like uttarang, and limiting shuddha Ni to specific […]
• 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 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 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 Samant Sarang •
S-R-m-P-D-nN-S A Sarang raga which, while infrequently performed, has found stable root in several vocal and instrumental gharanas. As per Parrikar, “shuddha Dha taken in vakra prayogas is the definitive theme, including tonal sentences of the type RmP; RmPDnDPmR; RmR; mDP. Some employ both Ni, others have use for only the komal…There is an occasional […]
• 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 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 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 Sohini Bahar •
S-rR-gG-mM-P-D-nN-S A complex, challenging compound of two starkly contrasting forms – Sohini and Bahar – collectively spanning all swara positions save for komal dha (SrGMDNS + SRgmPDnNS). While ‘Sohini+Bahar’ experiments have existed since at least the 1960s (e.g. Rao’s 1966 Raga Nidhi Vol.4 lists a bandish entitled Saba Bana Phoolari, describing the raga as “a […]
