S-R-g-m-P-D-nN-S Derived from the Sanskrit for ‘banishing uncleanliness’, the main raga of the Malhar family is mythically connected to Miyan Tansen, said to have sung it at Emperor Akbar’s 16th-century royal court to summon the monsoon. Still inextricably linked to the rejuvenating effects of rain, Malhar’s twin ni swaras are essential to generating the charged […]
• Raag Miyan ki Malhar •
• Raag Jogkauns •
S-gG-m-P-d-N-S Created by vocal master Jagannathbuwa Purohit Gunidas in the 1940s, Jogkauns is often summarised as ‘Jog plus Chandrakauns’ – although his original inception in fact drew more from the melodies of Malkauns than the latter raga. Gharana-blending singer Kumar Gandharva soon picked up on the new form, quickly garnering acclaim from audiences across North […]
• Raag Gorakh Kalyan •
S-R-m-P-D-n-S A spacious, folksy raga of the late evening, Gorakh Kalyan (named for Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh) has fabled links to Saint Gorakhnath – a yogi and mystic-musician said to have travelled throughout the Subcontinent in search of spiritual wisdom and sonic enrichment. Some include only four swaras in aroha (SRmD), leaving room for winding, […]
• Raag Desh •
S-R-G-m-P-D-nN-S Intimately connected to Indian national identity, Desh gives melodic direction to the famous patriotic anthem Vande Mataram, as well as soundtracking dozens of Rabindrasangeet. Associated with the second quarter of night, renditions tend towards the sweet and romantic, borrowing liberally from thumri, hori, and other folk forms. Re is prominent – and the raga […]
• Raag Bhairavi •
S-r-g-m-P-d-n-S Probably the most prominent raga in the entire Hindustani canon, Bhairavi (‘awe, terror’: after the Fifth Avatar of the Mother Goddess) is a concert-closing staple. Unique in its chromatic flexibilities, the raga may span the full swara spectrum, allowing for a multitude of moods in the hands of a master. Long linked to the […]
• 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, or towards shuddha ma for a more open, expansive sound – often seen […]
• Raag Shankara •
S-R-G-P-D-N-S Long fabled as a favourite of Lord Shiva, Shankara takes its name from an epithet of the deity (Rajan Parrikar: “the musical embodiment of [Shiva’s] personality, comporting with all its attributes: raudra, veera, irascible, volatile, capricious…”). A pre-midnight raga, it ascends with SGPDNS, often in vakra patterns, before adding subtle touches of shuddha Re […]
• 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 further extensions into Jog’s territory (all its swaras are now present). In Tanarang’s own analysis: “while descending from Dha […]
• Raag Jaunpuri •
S-R-g-m-P-d-n-S Jaunpuri is a late morning raga, likely originating in the Sultanate-era music of Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh. Rajan Parrikar describes it as an “Asavariant”, closely tied to the phraseologies of the Asavari family: some see the ragas as indistinguishable, while others consider Jaunpuri to take more ‘rounded’ melodic shapes, and permit greater use of […]
• Raag Adi Basant •
S-rR-G-m-P-D-N-S An alternate form of the far more prevalent Basant (‘Springtime’), named for its intimate connection to the ceremonies of that season. Many see Adi Basant as the latter’s ancestor, highlighting its historic prevalence in Dhrupad and Haveli Sangeet. Usually played before dawn, Adi Basant remains rare outside of the Dagarvani lineages and associated Dhrupad zones. […]
• Raag Adana •
S-R-g-m-P-d-n-S Though congruent with the swaras of Darbari, Adana favours a “lighter, flittering” treatment: skipping ga in aroha, limiting ornaments on dha, and focusing more on madhya/taar saptak (although the gmRS Kanada signature may reappear in avroh), while some may assign a higher sruti to the komal ni. The raga appears in several 17th-century ragmala […]
• Raag Tilang Bahar •
S-R-gG-m-P-D-nN-S A sparsely-recorded form which uses all the swaras of both Tilang and Bahar, appraised by Tanarang as “a fine blend of the two melodies…both [ragas] provide sweet tonal embellishment” (who gives characteristic phrases of GmPm; GmRS; mDNS; DNSRS; SnPmG; mPm; DNSnP; GmRS). Kirana singer R.D. Jadhav’s performance (described on the cover as a “bright […]
• 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 these more famous congruents – focusing on agile movements in madhya and taar saptaks, 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 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” (evident in an intriguing violin take by Allauddin Khan: later reworked by Ravi Shankar, and also by […]
• Raag Saraswati •
S-R-M-P-D-n-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Shahid Parvez (2021)— [refrain, e.g. 4:53] S(nSn)nS R, M, P(M), RSR, S, R(SRS)nS R, M(P), P(M), RSR… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag List): Swaras: -4 | […]
• 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 (intoned with a noticeably higher sruti than usual), and often avoid rising more […]
• Raag Rageshri •
S-R-G-m-D-n-S Working along the lines of a ‘shuddha Ga Bageshri with shades of Khamaj’, 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, bringing consistent prominence to the shuddha ma (which is often used to […]
• Raag Puriya Kalyan •
S-r-G-M-P-D-N-S Effectively combining the poorvang of Puriya Dhanashree with the uttarang of Yaman, Puriya Kalyan covers the seven swaras of Marwa thaat. Pa is prominent in descent, but may be skipped in Kalyanic ascending passages such as MDNS – and Sa is often omitted in both upward and downward motions, with mandra saptak Ni favoured as […]
• Raag Prabhateshwari •
S-r-g-m-P-D-n-S A seldom-heard raga created by 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, the raga […]
• Raag Pancham Malkauns •
S-g-m-P-d-n-S A loose collection of melodic strands which fall under the general banner of ‘Malkauns with Pa in avroh’ (thus offering significant overlap with Kaunsi Kanada and Sampurna Malkauns). Ascents typically stay true to the pentatonic structure of Malkauns, and the Pa is usually rendered in vakra avroh lines (e.g. ndmgmdP or gmdndmP). Beloved by […]
• Raag Pancham •
S-r-G-mM-P-D-N-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Pournima Dhumale (2020)— [refrain, e.g. 21:22] N(R)N (DP)DP, S (SN)S, SS(SNSRSRSN)N, PSN(RPNPRDR)D, (DP)D P, P\Gm, S… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag List): Swaras: -4 | 5 […]
• 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 […]
• Raag Malgunji •
S-R-gG-m-P-D-n-S Roughly describable as a ‘Khamaj–ang Bageshri with a Rageshri-like shuddha Ga in aroha’, Malgunji is a multicoloured form, beloved by Gwalior vocalists (as well as Maihar sitarist Nikhil Banerjee). Some artists also feature a vivadi of shuddha Ni (often as mDNS, likely indicating the influence of Gara). Tanarang, aiming to evoke a “deep atmosphere”, […]
• Raag Malavi •
S-r-G-M-P-D-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Manjiri Asnare-Kelkar (2020)— [refrain, e.g. 1:08] SS(NS)G, (SGMG)M/ND (DND)S, SS, D(ND) S(D)SS, (rS)r r(Sr)S, S(NSD) S(NS)M S(D), D/S(DPDMP)G P(MPD)P P\G… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag […]
• Raag Khamaj •
S-R-G-m-P-D-n-S Among the most popular light-classical ragas, Khamaj’s core form matches the ultra-versatile Mixolydian Mode of Western music. Despite being chosen by Bhatkhande as the titular raga of Khamaj thaat, renditions will usually draw on melodic combinations from outside these main seven swaras. Jairazbhoy discusses the evolution of these ‘mishra‘ features as a natural outgrowth […]
• 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 Carnatic import. Explored to powerful effect across vocal and instrumental music, the raga’s robust geometries are capable of housing everything from bhajan (Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande’s Ganesh Vandana) and freewheeling sitar solos (Ravi Shankar’s rhythmic take) to epic, full-length […]
• Raag Hem Bihag •
S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S Often cited as an invention of Ravi Shankar, Hem Bihag was in fact devised by his teacher Allauddin Khan – as noted by Shankar & Ali Akbar Khan when they chose it to open a tribute concert just a few weeks on from their guru’s 1972 death, at the reputed age of 110 (below: […]
• 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), and Desi (RPRg). The komal ga tends to be omitted in aroha, and ma is rendered deergha, while Re–Pa is often given as the vadi-samvadi. Traditionally associated with the late morning hours, the raga is one of many Kafi-allied […]
• Raag Bahar •
S-R-g-m-P-D-nN-S As per Tanarang, Bahar (meaning ‘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, […]
• 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 thaat (SRgmPDnNS). Agra vocalist Khadim Hussain Khan’s intriguing […]
