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 Basant Mukhari •
• 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 Poorvi •
S-r-G-mM-P-d-N-S Poorvi is a long-lived sunset raga from East India, which some describe as evoking a ‘serious mood of mystical contemplation’. Mixing narrow and wide intervals (all swaras have at least one immediate neighbour), its complex twists and turns belie the base scale’s neat, palindromic nature – with Sa and Pa sometimes being omitted or rendered […]
• Raag Lalit •
S-r-G-mM-d-N-S Lalit (meaning ‘Lyrical’) is an oddly-shaped sunrise raga, resembling ‘Bhairav with Pa lowered a semitone’. Among the most influential forms in Hindustani history, its distinctive ‘double Ma, no Pa’ structure has a malleable ambiguity, capable of conjuring flavours ranging from ‘sadness and anguish’ to ‘the serene and devotional‘ (as per santooriya Tarun Bhattacharya in […]
• 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 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 Latangi •
S-R-G-M-P-d-N-S A unique sampurna scale borrowed from the 63rd Carnatic mela, which takes the form of ‘Kalyan komal dha’ (or ‘Yaman’s poorvang + Bhairav’s uttarang’: SRGM+PdNS). Subbha Rao’s Raga Nidhi Vol.3, written in the early 1960s, mentions that “Latangi is not found in Hindustani music” (p.90) – and it remains unclear who first imported the […]
• 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 Imratkauns •
S-R-G-m-d-n-S Devised by Imdadkhani sitar and surbahar virtuoso Imrat Khan via blending the scales of Rageshri and Malkauns – producing a swara set matching ‘Charukeshi no Pa’. This mid-scale space presents a strong poorvang–uttarang separation, amidst the strange geometric regularity of the consecutive ‘2-2-2-2’ run (dnSRG: just a ma-to-Ma nudge from matching the whole-tone scale, […]
• Raag Gunkali •
S-r-m-P-d-S An enchanting morning raga, matching the swara set of ‘Bhupali komal re/dha’ (or ‘Shobhawari komal re’), described by Tanarang as “an epitome of bhakti and karuna…straightforward, and expandable in all three octaves”. While audav at its core, multivariate forms of the raga are in existence: some include shades of shuddha Ga in avroh (bringing hints […]
• Raag Bibhas •
S-r-G-P-d-S The pentatonic Bibhas (or Vibhas) appears in at least three present-day forms: typically tilted towards either the Marwa, Bhairav, or Poorvi frameworks. The former takes a shuddha Dha, while the latter pair render it komal (thus drawing focus to Pa, which is often treated as a nyas). Prakriti with Reva in its komal dha […]
• 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 Ramkali •
S-r-G-mM-P-d-nN-S Resembling ‘Bhairav with touches of tivra Ma and komal ni in avroh’, Ramkali is an early morning raga, often associated with Sikh saintly traditions – with one author recounting that “the emotions in Ramkali are like those of a wise teacher disciplining their student, who is aware of the pain of learning” (although classical ragmala paintings commonly […]
• Raag Gangeshwari •
S-G-m-P-d-n-S Like Parameshwari and Rangeshwari, Gangeshwari (‘Lordess of the Ganges River’) was created by Ravi Shankar in 1968, via murchana rotation of his newly-invented Kameshwari (itself dreamed up during a car ride through Bengal). Its unevenly-spaced shadav scale (prakriti with some forms of Sundarkauns) most closely resembles a ‘no Re’ version of either Charukeshi or Basant […]
• Raag Kabiri Bhairav •
S-r-G-m-P-dD-nN-S Anuraag Dhoundeyal, writing in Swarajya magazine, considers Kabiri Bhairav to express “the angst of mystic experiences” (the ‘Kabir’ of the title refers to the famous 14th-century poet-mystic, highly influential on Sikh scriptures as well as the Hindu Bhakti movement through his radical critiques of organised religion). The raga’s poorvang matches with Bhairav (SrGm), however […]
• Raag Gaurimanjari •
S-rR-G-mM-P-d-nN-S An intricate ten-toned raga created by Ali Akbar Khan via blending ideas from across the Lalit–Gauri spectrum (Gaurimanjari: ‘Bouquet of Gauris’) – notable for its winding melodic motions and dense, crowded swara-space (some renditions employ all swaras except komal ga). Its core form also possesses the ultra-rare property of rotational symmetry (i.e. the interval […]
• Raag Sehera •
S-R-G-M-d-n-S Among the strangest of raga scales, Sehera’s six swaras are all spaced out in two-semitone jumps (akin to the Western Whole-Tone scale and the Carnatic Gopriya). The resulting symmetries summon a curious, centreless mood (also famous as the ‘dream sequence‘ of countless soundtracks) – best explored by sarangiya Sultan Khan, who described Sehera as “the […]
• Raag Purba •
S-r-G-mM-P-dD-N-S A rare raga of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, described by Rajan Parrikar as “essentially Raag Poorvi adorned with bells and whistles” – in particular, the Ma-mixing catchphrases Sm, mGP and MMPPd, dNdP. Refer to the Rajshekhar Mansur bandish transcribed below, which showcases uttarang forays of MP, PdNdP and a prominent M\G glide. Also recorded by […]
• Raag Prabhakali •
S-r-G-m-P-d-n-S An Ali Akbar Khan invention, prakriti with the better-known Basant Mukhari. Information is scant – but, as per the liner notes to the raga’s 1964 LP release, “Prabhakali permits only five notes in aroha, dropping [Ga & Ni]. For avroh, it admits all the seven notes…[re & dha] are flats as in Bhairav, and […]
• Raag Nat Bhairav •
S-R-G-m-P-d-N-S A direct combination of Nat in poorvang and Bhairav in uttarang (SRGm+PdNS), Nat Bhairav was sitar icon Ravi Shankar‘s first raga creation, released in the pre-Independence music scene of 1945 – inspired by Shankar hearing an allied theme sung in a lecture-demo by legendary musicologist B.R. Deodhar (read the full origin tale below). Flavours of Bhairav […]
• Raag Lalita Gauri •
S-r-G-mM-P-dD-N-S Spanning a diverse range of ‘Lalit + Gauri‘ experiments, the name ‘Lalita Gauri’ essentially refers to the general concept of fusing these two ragas rather than a specific melodic form. The most prominent modern incarnation was created by Jaipur-Atrauli vocalist Kesarbai Kerkar (who often employed it as a concert centrepiece), although differing forms of the […]
• Raag Kalingada •
S-r-G-m-P-d-N-S Kalingada shares the same seven swaras as Bhairav, but approaches them in distinct fashion – generally preferring a simpler, less ornamented character (as per Rajan Parrikar: “Kalingada has a flippant mien…far less austere than Bhairav. Ga and Pa are advanced to positions of influence, and the swara-lagav is mostly linear, without the andolit treatment […]
• Raag Zeelaf •
S-G-m-P-d-S A rare audav raga fabled to have been created by 13th-century qawwali pioneer Amir Khusrau, somewhat resembling ‘Bhairav minus re & Ni’. As per Rajan Parrikar, “this haunting pentatonic melody is composed of the following swaras: SGmPd. Jitendra Abhisheki gives a superb account with his own composition [transcribed below]: notice the strong ma and […]
• Raag Sonakshi •
S-r-G-mM-P-dD-N-S From my 2018 Darbar interview with Maihar bansuri maestro Rupak Kulkarni: “I created Sonakshi [‘Golden-Eyed‘] so I could experience a raga which was suitable for any time of day. I believe we have different mindsets depending on the hour: in the morning our mood is spiritual and fresh, and in the evening it is […]
• Raag Shobhawari •
S-R-m-P-d-S A rare ‘audav Asavari’ raga, matching the swaras of ‘komal Dha Durga’ (or ‘shuddha Re Gunakri‘). While relatively free of specific melodic constraints, the dha assumes natural prominence due to its disbalancing effects: it is involved in the only hemitonic pairing (Pd) and also the widest adjacent jump (dS), while serving as the only […]
• Raag Sazgiri •
S-r-G-mM-P-dD-N-S Often described as being among the most complex of Hindustani forms, Sazgiri is fabled as a creation of Amir Khusro (1253-1325): the legendary Sufi poet, singer, and mystic of the Delhi Sultanate (although direct historical evidence for his authorship of the raga is admittedly scant). Komal dha is restricted to Poorvi-ang phrases such as […]
• Raag Prabhat (Bhairav) •
S-r-G-mM-P-d-N-S A morning form (Prabhat: ‘dawn’) summarised by Bose as “a combination of three or four ragas dominated by the Bhairav-ang…with a touch of Lalit-ang only in the avroh , where both Ma come together…The vadi Ma separates Prabhat Bhairav from Bhairav, while Pa keeps it away from Lalit” (also see the nearby Lalit Pancham). Pakad […]
• 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 Jogiya •
S-r-m-P-d-N-S Jogiya (from Sanskrit yogi: ‘State of Union’) is a shadav raga of considerable mystique. Tanarang recounts “a characteristic mood of devotion and detachment…Jogiya has komal re and dha like Bhairav, however they are not oscillated…and shuddha ma is powerful as nyas and vadi”. Generally expandable in madhya and taar saptaks, the raga’s geometries revolve […]
• Raag Gunakri •
S-r-m-P-d-S Taking the swaras of ‘Bhairav no Ga/Ni’, Gunakri – described by AUTRIM as “serious and peaceful” – brings out the character of its parent raga via an oscillating komal re, and movements patterns including Sd, dP and SdSr, rS (although Jairazbhoy prefers to analyse it via the geometries of Basant Mukhari). Bose gives a […]
• Raag Devranjani •
S-m-P-d-N-S Stretched by the emptiness of a vast Sa–ma poorvang jump, Devranjani is formed by removing the re and Ga from Bhairav. Abhirang offers up both ‘shuddha Ni’ and ‘double Ni’ variants, with the former appearing to be predominant – while Bhatkhande’s early 20th-century works discuss the unavoidable strength of the ascending phrase Sm, mP […]
• Raag Bhankar •
S-r-G-mM-P-dD-N-S Bhankar is a complex morning form which introduces Lalit-flavoured phrases to the basic framework of Bhatiyar. Manjiri Asanare-Kelkar cites two main variants sung in her Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, one of which also features touches of Bhairav – with both versions sharing common phrases including Bhatiyar’s Sm mPG, MDS and Lalit’s NdMm, GmMmG. She also elucidates how […]
• Raag Reva •
S-r-G-P-d-S A rare pentatonic raga, Reva is often described as the ‘evening counterpart’ to Bibhas (or the ‘jawab to its sawal’), matching this samay designation by taking after the Poorvi–ang rather than Bibhas’ Bhairav-ang roots. Chiefly, its movements are distinguished from Bibhas via poorvang-focused sangatis including Gr; rS; SrrS, along with a greater exploration of […]
• Raag Din ki Puriya •
S-r-G-M-d-N-S Din ki Puriya (‘Daytime Puriya’) sets its six swaras to the general phrase patterns of the Puriya–ang, avoiding Pa throughout. The scale’s ‘palindromic hexagon’ places a tight hemitonic cluster (NSr) opposite a wider tone-trio (GMd), also providing an augmented ‘equilateral triangle’ (SGd). Melodic motions remain fairly free, given the lack of any prakriti ragas […]
• Raag Dhavalshree •
S-r-G-M-P-dD-N-S A Shree-ang monsoon raga which presents in multivariate modern forms, with particular variance evident in the status of Dha. Kishori Amonkar’s Jaipur-Atrauli interpretation adds shuddha Dha to the basic framework of Jaitashree, whereas Mallikarjun Mansur’s take renders dha komal amidst Shree-ang motions such as rNdP, also showcasing a strong SGP sangati and chayas of […]
• Raag Maligoura •
S-r-G-M-P-dD-N-S A sandhiprakash raga which draws on Puriya, Gauri, Marwa, and Shree. Depending on rendition, Dha may be komal (Ali Akbar Khan), shuddha (Ramprapanna Bhattacharya), or double (Khadim Hussain Khan) – with considerable cross-gharana variance in characteristic phraseologies. Maihar sarodiya Sayak Barua states that “NDNrNP is the heart of the raga”, and, as per Manjiri […]
• Raag Bangal Bhairav •
S-r-G-m-P-d-S A distinctive Bhairav raganga offshoot with uncertain origins, summarised in oddly poetic fashion by MeetKalakar: “Being Nishad-taboo, its caste is shadav. Dhaivat and Rishabh are used softly…which are respectively the plaintiffs” (n.b. the ultra-rare Meghranjani is the only other ‘shadav Bhairav’ raga I can definitively trace). Performed by only a handful of khayal vocalists […]
• 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 Paraj Kalingada •
S-r-G-mM-P-d-N-S A seldom-performed jod raga matching the swaras of Poorvi, summarised by Aneesh Pradhan as “a combination of the [springtime] Paraj and Kalingada, [which is] popularly used in the thumri–dadra genres”. Paraj and Kalingada, already being closely-related forms, give rise to a subtle, samay-mixing blend – further seasoned by their respective proximities to Basant and Bhairav. […]
• Raag Gauri Basant •
S-r-G-M-P-d-N-S Introduced by prolific raga creator Kumar Gandharva via fusing Gauri with Basant’s tivra Ma incarnation. His original renditions also prominently showcase a Bhairav-ang G\r slide – but this fragment lacks its usual support from shuddha ma above, instead being followed in the bandish by Basant-like turns such as GPd; PMPG (…this shift is timed […]
• Raag Saurashtra Bhairav •
S-r-G-m-P-dD-N-S A unique ‘double-Dha’ blend of the morning Bhairav with the night-time Bhinna Shadja, Saurashtra Bhairav’s movements vary across gharana boundaries. Abhirang, interpreting a pair of Ramrang compositions (Barani Na Jaye Chabi & Aba Main Kase Jaya Kahu), cites the importance of Bhinna Shadja’s mDNSNDm catchphrase – although most other movements fall in line with those of […]
• 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 Rati Bhairav •
S-r-G-m-P-dD-nN-S An idiosyncratic ‘double-Dha’ invention of vocalist Kumar Gandharva (also the creator of Bhavmat Bhairav, Bihad Bhairav, Saheli Todi, Lagan Gandhar, & Madhusurja), which blends Bhairav with Ahir Bhairav. As per Milap Rane, “Rati Bhairav is a jod raga, [with] Ahir Bhairav overshadowing Bhairav…This raga symbolises the union of Shiva [Bhairav] and Shakti [Ahir Bhairav]. […]
• Raag Paraj •
S-r-G-mM-P-d-N-S A playful sonic form which matches the swara set of Poorvi, with movements roughly akin to a ‘double-Ma Kalingada’ (also see their combination: Paraj Kalingada). Described by Parrikar as “an uttarang-pradhan raga with tonal activity clustered around taar Sa…elongation of Ni in SNdSN is a Paraj signpost, and dha is rendered durbal throughout”, with […]
• Raag Jaitashree •
S-r-G-M-P-d-N-S A sunset raga prominent in the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, blending Shree with Jait’s komal re incarnation. Some, such as Ulhas Kashalkar, render the aroha ‘triswari’, limiting it to the three swaras of Malashree (SGP), set in Jait Kalyan-style phrases such as SG, GP, PSP – although the avroh is more clustered, often skipping taar Sa […]
• 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 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 Shiv Manjari •
S-R-G-m-d-n-S A captivating shadav raga created by my own sitar guru-ji Pandit Shivnath Mishra, resembling ‘Charukeshi no Pa’. The only known recording is a brief clip by his sarod student Pat Lambdin, filmed at a 2024 Vermont concert with Amit Kavthekar on fine tabla form (mukhda: dnSRG; GmGRS). [More info to follow…]. Compare to Imratkauns, […]
• Raag Kanakangi •
S-rR-m-P-dD-S A truly strange scale, Kanakangi is a recent import from the South, derived from the very first raga on the Carnatic melakarta wheel. As such, all 7 generic swaras are set to their lowest possible positions: a principle which, under Hindustani axioms, would produce Bhairavi (SrgmPdnS) – however the Carnatic swara-system allows for ‘double-komal’ […]
• 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, […]
• Raag Chandraprabha •
S-R-m-d-N-S A magical audav raga matching the scale of ‘Chandrakauns with Re instead of ga’ (or ‘Kirwani no ga/Pa‘, thus allowing for poorvang shades of Sarang. Benares bansuriya Ajay Prasanna cites the raga as a creation of his father Bhola Nath Prasanna, adding that Chandraprabha “celebrates the light and glow of the moon…its serene calmness […]
• Raag Rishabhapriya •
S-R-G-M-P-d-n-S Already a rare mode in Carnatic music (mela #62), Rishabhapriya has barely been touched by Hindustani musicians. Equivalent to ‘Charukeshi tivra Ma’ or ‘Vachaspati komal dha’, all poorvang swaras are set to their highest specific positions, and all uttarang swaras are at their lowest (SRGM+PdnS: like ‘Yaman’s poorvang + Bhairavi’s uttarang’). The rare Ma–ni sangati […]
• Raag Sarangkauns •
S-R-m-d-n-S A rare audav raga of bewitching beauty, taking the form of ‘Malkauns with shuddha Re instead of ga’. As the name implies, the adoption of Re allows for poorvang shades of Sarang (SRm, mR), set in contrast to distinctive Malkauns turnarounds in uttarang (Snd, dnS). Like both Malkauns and Madhumad Sarang, the scale shape […]
