S-r-g-m-D-n-S A mellifluous modern form created by Ravi Shankar in 1968, via a murchana rotation of Kameshwari (itself the product of backseat travel boredom in Bengal). While somewhat resembling a ‘komal re Bageshri’, Parameshwari’s hexagonal structure is ripe for open-ended experiments, summoning its own colours and tensions – and, despite its young history, has already garnered significant […]
• Raag Parameshwari •
• 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 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 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 Gorakh Kalyan •
S-R-m-P-D-n-S A spacious, folksy raga of the late evening, Gorakh Kalyan (named for the Gorakhpur region of Uttar Pradesh) has fabled associations with Saint Gorakhnath, an 11th-century yogi mystic-musician who is said to have travelled throughout the Subcontinent in search of spiritual wisdom and sonic enrichment. Despite its name, the raga’s modern form has no […]
• Raag Durga •
S-R-m-P-D-S Beguiling in its pentatonic simplicity, Durga (Sanskrit: ‘invincible, impassable, inaccessible’) is inextricably tied to visions of the Hindu Mother Goddess: depicted in lore as a destroyer of demons and protector of the faithful (Maa Durga: who, according to legend, “was created to slay the buffalo demon Mahisha by Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and the lesser gods, […]
• 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 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 Shivranjani •
S-R-g-P-D-S A spellbinding scale resembling ‘Bhupali komal ga’ (or ‘Kafi no ma/ni’), Shivranjani’s melodies, described by Kalakar as “plaintive, haunting”, are said to appease the destructive rage of Lord Shiva (also see Malkauns). Tanarang gives essential combinations including SRgP; PDPgR; gRgSR DS, although it may arrive in mishra form – rare for a pentatonic raga […]
• Raag Madhu Multani •
S-r-g-M-P-D-N-S An aprachalit raga combining Multani’s poorvang with Madhuvanti’s uttarang (also viewable as ‘Multani komal re’ or ‘Madhuvanti shuddha Dha’), which I found during my search for ragas matching the ‘32 thaat’ (=all possible 7-swara sampurna scales). Conceived by prolific rare raga explorer Abhirang in 2020, who banishes Re and Dha in aroha alongside other […]
• 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 Kedar •
S-R-mM-P-D-N-S An early night raga, Kedar is traditionally associated with heat (Tanarang: “there is much thermal energy in this melody…hence it is regarded as a ragini of Deepak“: Tansen’s legendary fire-bringing raga). Often seen as particularly subtle, complex, and hard-to-perform – partly due to its curiously wide aroha jump from Sa to Ma (depending on […]
• 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 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 Lanka Dahan Sarang •
S-R-g-m-P-D-nN-S ‘Lanka Dahan’ refers to a famous tale from the Ramayana – as per Rajeev Taranath’s preface to a recital of the raga: “Ravana’s demonic horde set fire to Lord Hanuman’s tail; and the Monkey God sent the entire city of Lanka up in flames with it. But Rama’s consort Sita, an avatar of Lakshmi, […]
• Raag Dhanashree •
S-R-g-m-P-D-n-S Dhanashree is a multivariate raga of ancient vintage (listed in Medieval shastras as a ragini of Malkauns), which arrives in several present-day forms – usually matching the swaras of Kafi (SRgmPDnS), Khamaj double-Ni (SRGmPDnNS), Bhairavi (SrgmPdnS), Bilawal (SRGmPDNS), or Patdeep (SRgmPDNS). Characteristic motions tend to retain similar ‘generic’ movement patterns, mapping them to the differing […]
• Raag Kokilapriya •
S-r-g-m-P-D-N-S The Carnatic Kokilapriya scale (mela #11) is still barely known in the North (‘kokilapriya’: ‘the one who is dear to the koel bird‘). Its unique shape, resembling ‘Bhairavi–Yaman’, has several curious properties: with an ‘all-komal’ poorvang (Srgm) and ‘all-shuddha’ uttarang (PDNS), it is ‘palindromic’ (=symmetric from Sa) – but 5 of its swaras are ‘imperfect’ […]
• Raag Surdasi Malhar •
S-R-m-P-D-nN-S A combination of melodies from the Malhar and Sarang ragangas, said to have been created by Saint Surdas: a blind 16th-century poet-musician renowned for his evocations of Krishna amidst themes of shringara and bhakti. The raga which bears his name is described by Tanarang as “uttarang-pradhan, with general movement around taar Sa…[lyrics] are dominated […]
• Raag Harikauns •
S-g-M-D-n-S Among the strangest of pentatonic scales, Harikauns resembles ‘Madhukant no Re/Pa’ or ‘Madhukauns with Dha-for-Pa’ (or ‘Malkauns with the middle two swaras raised’) – forming a ‘diminished square’ of 3-semitone jumps (SgMD) plus a (symmetry-destroying) komal ni. Aside from a natural uttarang focus, the raga allows for near-complete freedom of motion – but presents inherent […]
• Raag Barwa •
S-R-g-m-P-D-nN-S An Agra gharana speciality, Barwa blends ideas from Kafi (mP, mgR; mPDNS), Sindhura (SRmP; Pg), Desi (RPRg), and Miyan ki Malhar (nDNS). The komal ga tends to be omitted in aroha, and ma is rendered deergha, while the Malharic Re–Pa pair is often given as the vadi-samvadi. Traditionally associated with the late morning hours, […]
• Raag Prabhateshwari •
S-r-g-m-P-D-n-S A seldom-heard raga associated with bansuriya Hariprasad Chaurasia, which (to my ears) resembles a blend of the morning Ahir Bhairav and the late night Bageshri. His student Rajendra Teredesai describes it as having “all the hues…beautiful, complex, yet spiritually uplifting…full of pathos and bhakti ras, a state of perpetual divine bliss”. Prakriti with Ahiri and Jaiwanti […]
• Raag Shahana •
S-R-g-m-P-D-n-S A late night raga, Shahana (literally: ‘Of Royal Demeanour’) is a close cousin of the more famous Bageshri, sharing the same swara set but focusing more on the use of shuddha Dha as a melodic endpoint – as well as a stronger and more consistent role for Pa. Usually classed as a member of the […]
• Raag Salagavarali •
S-r-g-P-D-n-S A rare ‘Ahiri no ma’ scale, combining a Todi-like poorvang with an Ahir Bhairavic uttarang. As per Parrikar: “S.N. Ratanjankar conceived of this raga…ma is eliminated to yield the following contour: SrgPDnDS; SnDPgPrgrS. Brilliantly exploited by Jitendra Abhisheki in a celebrated natyageeta. Watch out for the injection of a vivadi dosha via tivra Ma”. […]
• Raag Rang Malhar •
S-R-mM-P-D-nN-S From my 2018 Darbar interview with Rupak Kulkarni: “Rang Malhar happened by chance. It was the rainy season, and I was playing in a monsoon festival. I was the last performer, and by the time my turn came then all types of Malhar family ragas had been played already. I thought I should come […]
• Raag Mudriki Kanada •
S-R-g-m-P-D-n-S Described by Rajan Parrikar as “an uncommon Kanada variety, on which there prevails no consensus”. Basing his analysis of Ramrang’s renditions, he considers the raga to be formed via “introducing a shuddha Dhaivat into the Adana stream…[although] the Agra-Atrauli edition comes in a different flavour, involving a recurring phrase of RmRP” (evident in Sharafat […]
• Raag Deen Todi •
S-r-g-m-D-n-S A near-extinct raga of uncertain origin, Deen Todi takes an ‘Ahiri no Pa’ form. Best preserved via an astonishing rendition by Kamalesh Maitra on the tabla tarang (a semicircle of 13 sruti-tuned dayan drums: below), accompanied by a multiphonic cluster of tanpura drones (tuned D-n-r-S). Parveen Sultana has also sung it live, and seems to […]
• Raag Amiri Todi •
S-rR-g-m-P-dD-n-S Created by sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan in 1974, catalysed by the untimely passing of legendary vocalist Amir Khan the same year. As recounted to Indian Express in 2009: “My love and reverence for Khansaheb does not stem only from his music, but for his truly kind and humble nature. When he died, it appeared […]
• Raag Ambika Sarang •
S-R-mM-P-D-nN-S According to Rajan Parrikar, Ambika Sarang is associated with Agra vocalist Chidanand Nagarkar, with “elements of Shuddha Sarang and Kafi blended together in a delicious cocktail” (as per his great-nephew Prasad Upasani, “The story goes that while teaching Shuddha Sarang, one student kept singing komal ni by mistake. This phrase stuck in his head, and […]
• Raag Badhans Sarang •
S-R-m-P-D-nN-S A seldom-heard Sarang variant which appears in several different guises. All main forms include the swaras SRmPDnS, and most add shuddha Ni, while some also include shuddha Ga amidst other quirks. Thankfully, rare raga explorer Moumita Mitra recently conducted a survey of known renditions (read in full below), categorising them into three streams: ‘komal […]
• Raag Kameshwari •
S-R-M-P-D-n-S Dreamed up by Ravi Shankar during a car journey in Chengali in March 1968. As explained by his widow Sukanya: “While riding in the car, he conceived the nucleus of a melodic form that he later developed and called Kameshwari [‘Lordess of Love’]. By using the old murchana and swara bheda system, he discovered […]
• Raag Sundarkauns •
S-g-m-D-n-S There are at least two ragas in modern circulation which go by the title ‘Sundarkauns’, which appear to share no connection other than their name. One version, taking the swaras SgmDnS (‘Malkauns shuddha Dha’), is described by Tanarang as having been unjustly sidelined by previous generations, who have tended to misinterpret it as a ‘Bageshri-ang Chandrakauns’ […]
• Raag Chandni Todi •
S-r-g-M-P-D-n-S Equivalent to ‘Todi’s poorvang + Kafi’s uttarang‘ (or ‘Ahiri tivra Ma’), the SrgMPDnS scale has barely been explored in Hindustani music – in fact, I couldn’t trace a single recording of it until late 2025, when vocalist Ashish Dha sent me his experiment in a new raga titled Chandni Todi (‘Moonlit Todi’). He describes […]
• 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 Shivawanti •
S-R-g-M-P-D-S A sparsely-documented modern creation of sitar and surbahar legend Imrat Khan – kindly brought to my attention by his student Chris Stephens via the Chandrakantha forum: “In regard to the ‘idiosyncratic’ Etawah ragas, here’s a video of [Khan] playing Shivawanti, which he described as a combination of Shivranjani and Madhuvanti. I captured this in […]
• Raag Rasaranjani •
S-R-m-D-N-S A rare, oddly-shaped audav raga formed by omitting Ga and Pa from Bilawal thaat – essentially, ‘removing the major triad from the major scale’ (it can also be seen as ‘Bhavani plus Ni’, Rajeshwari Re-for-ga’, or ‘Durga Ni-for-Pa’). Vocalist Sakuntala Narasimhan, introducing a drut khayal, cites Rasaranjani as an innovation of her Rampur gharana […]
• Raag Narayani •
S-R-m-P-D-n-S Adapted from the Carnatic ragam of the same name, Narayani takes the swaras of a ‘komal ni Durga’ (or ‘Khamaj no Ga’). Pa is a nyas, while Dha is rendered deergha (e.g. mPnD, DP), with a general melodic focus on madhya and taar saptaks. Tanarang describes the raga as “soothing”, while Parrikar traces its Northern […]
• Raag Madhukant •
S-R-g-M-P-D-n-S An oddly-shaped and thinly-analysed sampurna raga, taking the shape of ‘Madhuvanti’s poorvang + Kafi’s uttarang’ (or ‘Kafi tivra Ma’). Analysed by Jairazbhoy in 1971: “Ragas in which the Pa has a leading note [MP], while the Sa does not [nS]…Madhukauns and Madhukant are both modern ragas which appear to be evolving rapidly…Madhukant [is] unstable […]
• Raag Bhavani •
S-R-m-D-S Distinguished by permitting only four swaras (and sometimes titled ‘Chatuswari’: ‘four-toned’), Bhavani’s symmetrical shape is akin to ‘Durga no Pa’. Its intriguing surtar sparsity necessitates a multipolar approach to melodic resolution, tempting a murchana-like refocus towards the triads available from Re (RmD: minor) and ma (mDS: major). Associated with the 20th-century experiments of Gwalior […]
• 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 Anjani Kalyan •
S-R-g-M-P-D-N-S A creation of Gwalior vocalist and educator Ramashreya Jha ‘Ramrang’ – named in honour of Anjana, a mythic Vanara princess fabled in Hindu lore as Lord Hanuman‘s mother. As per his student Rajan Parrikar, “the basic idea involves rendering the aroha of Madhuvanti sampurna, by taking in both [shuddha] Re and Dha. The aroha […]
• 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 Abhogi •
S-R-g-m-D-S A rare instance of an ‘audav Kanada’ raga, Abhogi somewhat resembles ‘Darbari no Pa/ni’ (or, if the Kanada component is de-emphasised, ‘Bageshri‘s aroha without ni’). As per Tanarang, the raga’s capacity for Darbaric poorvang movements summons “a deep atmosphere” – while the ultra-sparse uttarang (empty save for Dha) presents performers with a curious creative […]
• Raag Miyan ki Sarang •
S-R-m-P-D-nN-S A relatively straightforward mixture of Miyan ki Malhar and Brindabani Sarang, which omits Ga throughout in the fashion of the latter raga, while showcasing the former’s nDNS uttarang phrase (Jairazbhoy observes that “Dha is attached to ni, more or less as an ornament”). Refer to assorted vocal renditions by Apoorva Gokhale, K.G. Ginde, Shounak Abhisheki, […]
• Raag Desi •
S-R-g-m-P-D-n-S Desi (not to be confused with Desh) is a diffuse raga lineage, spanning several intertwined variants. Generally prakriti with Kafi, it may also follow the komal dha swara set of Asavari, as well as arriving in double-Dha form (Parrikar also discusses a rare double-Re variant known as ‘Utari Desi / Komal Desi’, likely connected […]
• Raag Tanseni Madhuvanti •
S-R-g-M-P-D-nN-S A captivating offshoot of Madhuvanti, named ‘Tanseni’ for its use of a Miyan ki Malhar-flavoured double-Ni sangati. Associated with the Rampur sarangi tradition, most prominently Hamid & Zahid Khan – as per the liner notes to Hamid’s ektal rendition: “it also resembles Multani…it is of Kafi parentage, with accents on Sa & Ma”. Thus […]
• Raag Shuddha Malhar •
S-R-m-P-D-S 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 […]
• Raag Saraswati •
S-R-M-P-D-n-S Derived as a ‘janya’ offshoot of the Carnatic Vachaspati (mela #64), Saraswati is named after the four-armed Hindu goddess of music, art, and learning – also venerated in Thailand as ‘Surasawadee’, Myanmar as ‘Thurathadi’, China as ‘Biancaitian’, and Tibet as ‘Yang-Chen-Ma’ (the word derives from ‘saras+wati’: ‘she who possesses flowing water’, associated with Harappan-era worship of […]
• Raag Rajeshwari •
S-g-m-D-N-S Taking the swaras of ‘Kaushik Dhwani komal ga’ (or ‘Chandrakauns shuddha Dha’), Rajeshwari’s five tones bring an idiosyncratic flavour, tied with diffuse tensions. All poorvang swaras are set to their lowest specific position (Sgm), and all uttarang swaras are set to their highest (DNS), with the relief-bringing Re–Pa axis banished throughout. The resulting scale […]
• Raag Bageshri Bahar •
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 Suha Todi •
S-r-g-m-P-dD-n-S A jod raga primarily associated with (and probably invented by) Ali Akbar Khan. As per the liner notes to his 1978 album rendition with Swapan Chaudhury: “Suha is a time-tested traditional raga, and so is Todi…[however] their combination, though happily feasible, is not commonly heard…[Suha’s] Kanada trend blended with a raga of the morning […]
• Raag Shuddha Sarang •
S-R-mM-P-D-N-S A prominent early afternoon raga of the Sarang family, often said to evoke sringara. Ga is omitted, Dha is ornamental, and shuddha ma is introduced in avroh (always before Re, and sometimes adjacent to the tivra, e.g. MmR) – with Tanarang giving a pakad of NDSNRS (n.b. older variants of the raga also employed […]
• 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 Noor Sarang •
S-R-mM-P-D-N-S A rare raga of the Sarang family, around which there exists limited melodic consensus. As per Abhirang’s account, “when we only use tivra Ma in Shuddha Sarang, it is converted to Noor Sarang…in avroh, the Dha is kept ‘free’ [e.g. ornamented D(NP)]” – also noting its proximity to Jaymini Sarang (both Ni). Dhrupad interpretations […]
• Raag Lilavati •
S-g-P-D-n-S Confusion persists around which melodic forms assume the name ‘Lilavati’, with several incongruous examples in sporadic modern circulation. Abhirang sets his to the tones of a ‘komal ga Kalavati’ (SgPDnS), taking his composition from a 1969 edition of Sangeet magazine and linking his interpretation to the congruent Carnatic ‘Karani’. Dilshad Khan & Parveen Sultana’s apparent […]
• Raag Jaldhar Kedar •
S-R-m-P-D-S Jaldhar Kedar applies the movement patterns of Kedar to the swara set of Durga, also drawing on the monsoon melodies of the Malhar family. Shuddha ma is emphasised as a nyas (e.g. SRSm; mRPm; DPm), and the Malharic Re–Pa sangati is also strong, while Durga’s mRP; mRDS is replaced by mRP; mRS; SRSm. Study […]
• Raag Hemavati •
S-R-g-M-P-D-n-S Adopted from Carnatic mela #58, Hemavati matches the swaras of ‘Kafi tivra Ma‘, ‘Madhuvanti komal ni’, or ‘Vachaspati komal ga’. Prominently associated with Hariprasad Chaurasia, although it is unclear who may have first borrowed the scale from the South: Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan also recorded it, as has Amjad Ali Khan, with broad melodic variance […]
• 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 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 Manavi •
S-R-g-P-D-n-S A shadav scale resembling ‘Kafi no ma’ (or ‘Shivranjani plus ni’), said to have been adapted from a congruent Carnatic form (Madhyamavarali). Most prominently performed by Patiala star Parveen Sultana: her enchanting 1982 album rendition places a swooping Pa–ga sangati centre-stage (e.g. P\gP; P(g)PgR), often traversing wide interval jumps such as gPgD; nDgPgRS (bandish: […]
• 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’ […]
