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 Dhavalshree •
• 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 Trishnaa •
S-R-gG-P-dD-S A charming late-evening audav raga which features both forms of Ga and Dha, recently introduced by Dagarvani vocalist Ashish Dha. As per the summary he sent me, “Trishna – meaning ‘thirst’ in Hindi – creates a plaintive, slightly melancholic mood…Dha is shuddha in aroha, and komal in avroh. Komal ga is used in both […]
• Raag Chanchalas Malhar •
S-R-g-m-P-nN-S Chanchalas Malhar (canchalas: ‘restless’, ‘flirting’, ‘fickle’) is an aprachalit stream of the monsoon family, seldom heard in the modern era. As per SIMA, the basic framework is derived from Megh, with other movements borrowed from Nayaki Kanada (e.g. mPnnP) – along with distinct srutis of komal ga and ni, both of which are raised […]
• Raag Shrutivardhini •
S-g-mM-P-n-S A rare hexatonic raga which instantly gripped my ears as a match for the Western ‘Blues Scale’ (SgmMPnS) when I came across a mellifluous rendition by sarangi master Abdul Latif Khan – who regularly utilises distinctly bluesy double-Ma phrases such as nSgmM, PMmgS (as per his student Nicolas Magriel: “His bandish is somewhat reminiscent […]
• Raag Dhuliya Malhar •
S-R-g-m-P-D-nN-S An underappreciated branch of the Malhar family tree, titled in various ways (‘Dhulia/Dhuliya’, ‘Dhundu/Dhoondo’, ‘Dhundya/Dhoondiya’): said by Ocean of Ragas to be a reference to its creator ‘Pandit Dhundibaba Dikshit’, although further details on this prove elusive. Most sources describe the addition of Sarang flavours to the basic Malhar framework, although they disagree on […]
• 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). Characteristic […]
• 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 Shivanjali •
S-gG-m-P-d-nN-S Despite captivating millions of listeners, Shivanjali is only known to the world through a single performance. Conceived by bansuri master Hariprasad Chaurasia as a tribute to his close friend and collaborator Shivkumar Sharma, its lone unveiling came at a whole-night Stuttgart concert in 1995, with Shiv-ji present in the audience (‘Shiv-anjali’: ‘Reverences to Shivkumar’). […]
• Raag Kaushik Dhwani •
S-G-m-D-N-S A modern-era descendent of the ancient Bhinna Shadja, essentially indistinguishable from its parent. Ma is a strong vadi, and a S\D glide is common in descending motions – but aside from this, artists are essentially free to roam at will within the scale, with all swaras employable as nyas across all three saptak (Tanarang: […]
• Raag Komal Ramkali •
S-r-g-M-P-d-n-S A strange sampurna scale, equivalent in shape to ‘Todi komal Ni’ or ‘Bhairavi tivra Ma’ (or ‘Todi’s poorvang + Bhairavi’s uttarang’: SrgM+PdnS) – indeed, the scale matches a historic form of Todi itself (Bor: “Todi Varali…first mentioned by Ahobala c.1665, with the scale SrgMPdnS”). Aside from Sa and Pa, Komal Ramkali has no shuddha […]
• Raag Bhatiyar •
S-r-G-mM-P-D-N-S A dawn raga fabled as a creation of Raja Bharthari, a mythical King of Ujjain who is said to have left behind his life of material wealth and romantic pleasure to pursue a path of ascetic devotion (“Bharthari resolves to kill a black buck, and seek diksha [initiation rites] from the yogi…As the plan […]
• Raag Amrut Ranjani •
S-gG-m-dD-n-S An ingenious evening raga created by the late (and vastly underappreciated) santoor maestro Ulhas Bapat, based around mirroring Jog‘s GmgS catchphrase in the uttarang as Dndm: thus hinting at a ma-murchana (i.e. ‘double-Ga is to Sa as double-Dha is to ma‘). This allows Amrut Ranjani (meaning ‘Nectar of Delight’) to sample flavours of Bageshri (DnS), Rageshri […]
• Raag Jog Tilang •
S-gG-m-P-nN-S Seldom heard today, the SgGmPnNS scale form once served as a vital historical bridge between Tilang and Jog: the latter, having evolved from the former around a century ago, originally retained Tilang’s double-Ni along with its own distinctive double-Ga. While most artists soon dropped Jog’s shuddha Ni, the older version is still occasionally performed […]
• Raag Sughrai •
S-R-g-m-P-D-nN-S An afternoon raga of the Kanada family, Sughrai shares significant historic and melodic overlap with Suha (the two are sometimes fused as ‘Suha-Sughrai’) – with Mewati vocalist Aarshin Karande describing it as “a ‘higher-shruti‘ version of the more popular Suha” and “an ancient compound of Sarang and Malhar, featured prominently in Haveli Sangeet“. Shuddha […]
• Raag Madhurkauns •
S-gG-m-d-n-S A fascinating creation of Kirana vocalist Prabha Atre, matching the swaras of ‘Malkauns double-Ga’ (or ‘Nandkauns no Pa’). The addition of shuddha Ga maintains the original Ga–ni symmetry axis of Malkauns, while also giving more gravity to shuddha ma via upward resolutions of G/m – a feature which forms the basis of most of her […]
• Raag Jogeshwari •
S-gG-m-D-n-S A low-high combination of Jog and Rageshri (SgGm+DnS) invented by Ravi Shankar and first released on a stellar 1980 album – although he was performing it at least 5 years before this: e.g. a 1975 rendition from an all-night concert in Varanasi. Jog’s strong shuddha Ga dominates the poorvang, while motions towards the uttarang […]
• Raag Jansammohini •
S-R-G-P-D-n-S Broadly running along the lines of ‘Kalavati plus shuddha Re’ (especially in avroh), Jansammohini is a captivating Southern import. As per santooriya Tarun Bhattacharya, “This [scale] was originally called ‘Siva Kalyan’, but the raga went out of circulation. Having heard the Carnatic Jansammohini, my guruji Ravi Shankar brought it back [under] the Carnatic name. […]
• 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 Asa Bhairav •
S-rR-G-m-P-D-N-S A joining of Bhairav and the archaic Sikh form Asa (Sanskrit for ‘Hope’), matching the swaras of ‘Bilawal double-Re’ – with the shuddha taken in ascent, and the komal in descent. Parrikar notes that “the Bhairav-ang is expressed in the poorvang [e.g. Gm(G)rS], and the rest of the contour looks to Asa [e.g. S, S(m)RmP, […]
• Raag Sohini •
S-r-G-M-D-N-S Sharing its six swaras with Marwa and Puriya, Sohini aims for a looser, more sprightly flavour to its more famous congruents – focusing on agile movements in madhya and taar saptak, and uttarang-based phrases built on a strong Dha–Ga sangati. Re is banned in aroha, and Sa assumes greater strength than in Marwa, while […]
• 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 Adbhut Kalyan •
S-R-G-D-N-S An uncommon Kalyan variety, named Adbhut (‘Wondrous’) for omitting two of Kalyan’s most vital swaras (Ma & Pa). Remains popular in the Dagarvani Dhrupad, but few others have risen to the centreless challenges of losing both mid-saptak swaras. Aminuddin Dagar reportedly considered the raga to be an offshoot of Khem Kalyan, while Uday Bhawalkar links […]
• 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 Jaun Bhairav •
S-rR-gG-m-P-d-nN-S A jod raga fashioned by Agra vocalist Jagannathbuwa Purohit ‘Gunidas’ (also the creator of Jogkauns and Swanandi), combining ideas from two well-known morning ragas – Jaunpuri and Bhairav. Parrikar points to to the “crowded swara-space”, with both komal and shuddha variants of Re, Ga, and Ni on display: meaning that the entire komal ni […]
• Raag Hemshri •
S-g-m-P-nN-S A night raga created by renowned Gwalior composer and vocalist Vishwanath Rao Ringe ‘Tanarang’, essentially equivalent to ‘Tilang komal ga’. In his own summary (seemingly the only source of melodic information): “the mood is light…a very sweet melody that manifests readily in the following combinations [e.g. SgmPm, gmPnPNNS; PNSnP; PNSgNS]”. Re is banned entirely, while […]
• 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 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 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 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 Saheli Todi •
S-r-g-P-d-n-S An invention of vocalist Kumar Gandharva, lying between Bhupali Todi and Bilaskhani Todi via the addition of an avroh komal ni to the former (or the subtraction of ma from the latter). His original renditions linger patiently on the komal re (often intoned with a noticeably higher sruti than is usual for the Todi […]
• Raag Raj Kalyan •
S-R-G-M-D-N-S A ‘Kalyan no Pa’ melody devised by Gwalior vocal innovator Vasantrao Deshpande (although he may well have seen it more like a ‘Puriya shuddha Re’). Parrikar describes how “the relief-inducing nyas on Pa is missing, giving a ‘restive’ persona”, while Ocean of Ragas gives a pakad of GMD, DMGR, NRS. Generally treated as hexatonic in […]
• Raag Rageshri •
S-R-G-m-D-n-S Working along the lines of a ‘shuddha Ga Bageshri with shades of the Khamaj-ang’, the early-night Rageshri enjoys popularity among vocalists and instrumentalists alike. Like Bageshri, Re is often weak in ascent, and the ma–Dha sangati is strong – while unlike Bageshri, Pa is varjit throughout (likely as a result of shuddha Ga destroying the […]
• Raag Meghranjani •
S-r-G-mM-N-S A truly odd scale form, Meghranjani can be interpreted as either ‘Bhairav minus Pa & dha‘ (SrGmNS) or ‘Lalit minus dha‘ (SrGmMNS) – producing a strange shape which omits two consecutive generic swaras (see other such ragas in my ‘consecutive varjits‘ category, including Adbhut Kalyan, Devranjani, & Malashree). Originally borrowed from the Carnatic Megharanjani, the […]
• Raag Madhuradhwani •
S-G-m-D-nN-S As per Parrikar, “Durga Khamaj-thaat is also known as ‘Madhuradhwani’. This is not a popular raga, its base eroded by the popularity of Rageshri…but is part of the Dagar family repertoire”. While some renditions will skip Ni in ascent, traditional Dhrupad presentations will render it shuddha in aroha and komal in avroh – along with […]
• Raag Lalita Sohini •
S-r-G-mM-D-N-S A blend of the early-morning Lalit and late-night Sohini, with the melodies of the latter dominating the aural impression, reportedly created by Agra vocalist Yunus Ahmed Khan in the mid-20th century. Raja notes that “while Sohini is a resident of the upper tetrachord, Lalit is a resident of the lower tetrachord. Thus, the resulting melodic entity […]
• Raag Gunji Kanada •
S-R-gG-m-P-d-n-S A Gwalior gharana favourite which blends Malgunji and Kaunsi Kanada, principally via inserting the former’s catchphrase of RnSRG, Gm (also found in Dev Gandhar) into the broader Kanada framework – although some sources also cite vital influences from Adana and Bahar (e.g. mDnS). Modern renditions tend to take the komal dha, although a shuddha Dha variant […]
• Raag Devgandhari Todi •
S-rR-gG-m-P-d-n-S A modification of Dev Gandhar, devised by Agra vocalist S.N. Ratanjankar via the addition of a Todi-ang rgrS conclusion phrase – thus filling the entire Sa-to-ma swara space. Also recorded by his student K.G. Ginde, who extends this hemitonic run (and leans further into Todi’s geometries) by including touches of shuddha Ni, also reworking some […]
• 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’ – seemingly reflected in its title, with ‘Bhavani‘ referring to a fierce, nurturing form of Maa Durga who dispenses cosmic justice by killing malevolent Asuras. Its intriguing surtar sparsity necessitates a multipolar approach to […]
• Raag Chandrakaushiki •
S-R-g-m-P-d-nN-S An invention of Nikhil Banerjee, combining Chandrakauns and Kaushiki. Expanding on a Malkauns base, the shuddha Re opens up a broader array of intervals to and from the interlinked twin-Ni positions – with the komal dha playing a similarly vital role below. (n.b. While some online sources refer to the raga as having been “created by […]
• Raag Chandni Bihag •
S-G-mM-P-D-nN-S Chandni Bihag (‘Moonlit Bihag’) is a speciality of the Rampur khayal gharana which introduces the tense Ma–ni sangati to the basic framework of Bihag, further accentuated by a weak or absent Re – leaving two ‘4-row’ clusters (GmMP & DnNS), arranged symmetrically. Parrikar recounts the “enchanting tonal formulations” of his guru Ramrang’s rendition (passed down by […]
• Raag Bhairav Bahar •
S-rR-gG-m-P-D-nN-S A ten-toned multi-jod raga, Bhairav Bahar’s descent blends the melodic signatures of several disparate ragas, notably including the springtime Bahar – although, as per Darbhanga Dhrupad vocalist Premkumar Mallick, flavours of Bhairav should dominate the overall impression. Bose gives a vadi–samvadi of ma–Sa, while also mentioning the existence of an alternate ‘double-Dha’ version (thus […]
• Raag Baradi •
S-r-G-M-P-D-N-S A long-lived and diffuse sonic lineage variously referred to as ‘Baradi’, ‘Barari’, ‘Varati’, and ‘Varali’, which appears in several overlapping modern forms, typically spanning the territory around Marwa thaat (Bhatkhande’s Sangeet Shastra Vol.3, published around a century ago, notes 13 distinct variants). Some artists omit tivra Ma, and others may add komal dha (‘Poorvi–ang’) – […]
• Raag Nandkauns •
S-gG-m-P-d-n-S A poorvang–uttarang blend of Jog and Malkauns created by vocalist Chinmoy Lahiri, which despite the name, contains no trace of Nand – as explained by his son Shyamal Lahiri: “Baba performed this raga at the All Bengal Music Conference…and Allauddin Khan Saheb wanted to know that from where it derived. My father said that […]
• Raag Sohini Pancham •
S-r-G-mM-P-D-N-S A variant of Sohini, named for its insertion of shuddha ma and Pa via phrases from Pancham including MGMGrS; MPGmG; MDMmG [n.b. many other raga names involving ‘Pancham’ indicate the inclusion of the swara position rather than the raga, e.g. ‘Pancham Malkauns‘]. Refer to renditions by Madhup Mudgal and Nisha Nigalye-Parasnis (singing a Pranpriya […]
• Raag Mangal Gujari •
S-r-g-M-d-n-S A strange shadav scale matching the swara set of ‘Gujiri Todi komal ni’ or ‘Meladalan minus shuddha ma’. Its structure presents a unique combination of geometric quirks: Sa is ‘detached’ (=Pa and ma are both varjit), and all other swara positions are vikrit (rgdn: komal, M: tivra) – leaving the ultra-rare ‘tivra Ma, no […]
• 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 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 raganga 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 […]
