S-r-g-m-D-n-S A mellifluous modern form created by Ravi Shankar in 1968 (…via backseat car-ride boredom in Bengal). While somewhat resembling a ‘komal re Bageshri’, its hexagonal structure summons its own colours and tensions – with early performances exerting hidden influence on countercultural icons including George Harrison. A captivating scale, ripe for open-ended experiments. Also see […]
• Raag Parameshwari •
• Raag Todi •
S-r-g-M-P-d-N-S Pivotal to Hindustani history, the Todi raganga overflows with musical ideas found nowhere else on the planet. Some link its ambiguous geometries with “existential unsettlement”, while others hear “the playfulness of a newborn, content and smiling”. Rajan Parrikar hails it as “the most profound, finespun idea in melodic music…from ecstasy, to frolic, to pathos, […]
• Raag Lalit •
S-r-G-mM-d-N-S Lalit is an oddly-shaped sunrise raga. 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”. The evenly-weighted treatment of the twin ma swaras leads some to see the tivra as […]
• Raag Charukeshi •
S-R-G-m-P-d-n-S Adopted from Carnatic music, Charukeshi calls for wide-open melodic exploration, favouring long melodies which wind around themselves while visiting the furthest reaches of all three octaves. Like many Southern scales, it is often used as a canvas for reshaping and recolouring ideas from adjacent ragas, while itself presenting an odd marriage of major and […]
• Raag Chandranandan •
S-R-g-m-P-d-nN-S Chandranandan (‘moonstruck’) is a modern classic, created by Ali Akbar Khan in a spare studio moment via spontaneously blending concepts from the Kaunsi family. The recording sold wildly – but, when concert audiences called out for the raga, he found that he had forgotten how to play it. The sarod master’s paradox-laden path of […]
• Raag Bilaskhani Todi •
S-r-g-m-P-d-n-S A hallowed form, Bilaskhani Todi is fabled to have been created by Bilas Khan: son of Tansen, the legendary composer of Emperor Akbar’s court. On trying to sing Todi at his father’s funeral wake, Bilas found himself so grief-stricken that he mixed up the swaras – however, his panic was allayed on witnessing the […]
• 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 Bhairav •
S-r-G-m-P-d-N-S Revered as the primary raga of Lord Shiva, Bhairav takes its name from Kala Bhairava (‘fearsome form’) – 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 this ancient lore, depicting Shiva’s tandav (‘dance of destruction’) with wide-roving […]
• Raag Basant Mukhari •
S-r-G-m-P-d-n-S Blending the poorvang of Bhairav (SrGm) with the uttarang of Bhairavi (PdnS), Basant Mukhari bears the imprints of multiple musical cultures. While its main modern inception is traceable to S.N. Ratanjankar’s eclectic Carnatic borrowings, some also link it to the near-extinct Raag Hijaz, itself derived from Arabic maqam. Scale-congruent forms turn up across the […]
• Raag Asavari •
S-rR-g-m-P-d-n-S An antique late morning raga, Asavari comprises two main variants: an older, Dhrupad-favoured ‘komal re’ form, and a more recent set of ‘shuddha Re’ offshoots. Both call for complex connective motions and expressive oscillations on dha, which may be tuned ati-komal. Classical ragmala paintings often depict Asavari as a female snake-charmer sitting atop a […]
• Raag Antardhwani •
S-r-g-m-d-N-S Among the youngest ragas to have found global acclaim, Antardhwani (‘sound of the inner self’) was unveiled by Shivkumar Sharma in the 1990s, who discovered its unique hexatonic shape by chance while retuning his santoor. Drawing from the geometries of Bhairavi, the raga is adored for its calming, meditative flavours, partly inspired by the […]
• Raag Ahir Bhairav •
S-r-G-m-P-D-n-S Inextricably linked with the Indian sunrise, Ahir Bhairav draws on ideas from both the North and South of the Subcontinent. Possibly named for the Ahir cattle-herding caste, the raga is fabled to mimic the ringing of cowbells at dawn – with patient ascent patterns often settling into extended oscillations on the komal re (seen […]
• 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 Rajan Parrikar: “S.N. Ratanjankar conceived of this raga…Ma is eliminated to yield the following contour: SrgPDnDS, SnDPg(P)rgrS. Brilliantly exploited by Jitendra Abisheki in a celebrated natyageeta. Watch out for the injection of a vivadi dosha via tivra 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 (“the emotions in Ramkali are like those of a wise teacher disciplining their student, who is aware of the pain of learning…”). Though generally similar to Bhairav, Ramkali focuses more on […]
• Raag Prabhakali •
S-r-G-m-P-d-n-S A modern Ali Akbar Khan creation, prakriti with Basant Mukhari. As per the liner notes to the raga’s 1964 LP release, “It 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 hence it is essentially a morning melody. […]
• Raag Nat Bhairav •
S-R-G-m-P-d-N-S Associated with Ravi Shankar’s 20th-century experiments (although not, contrary to common perception, directly invented by him), Nat Bhairav is named for its combination of Nat in poorvang and Bhairav in uttarang. Flavours of Bhairav tend to dominate, including an ati-komal dha and vakra phrases resolving with GmRS (adapting Bhairav’s GmrS). Expounded mainly in madhya saptak, its […]
• Raag Malay Marutam •
S-r-G-P-D-n-S ‘Malay Marutam’ translates as ‘fragrant hill-breeze’. Bansuriya Rupak Kulkarni explained to me in a 2018 interview how the raga “is from Carnatic music, which does not give so much attention to the times of day. We have decided to designate it as a morning raag, mainly due to the nature and essence of its […]
• Raag Lalita Gauri •
S-r-G-mM-P-dD-N-S Created by Jaipur-Atrauli vocalist Kesarbai Kerkar, who often employed it as a concert centrepiece. Blending Lalit and Gauri via, respectively, “the close coupling of the two madhyams…[and] appropriate clusters on and in the vicinity of the mandra Ni”, the raga typically takes a shuddha Dha (giving a Poorvi inclination), but can use the komal variant instead […]
• Raag Kalingada •
S-r-G-m-P-d-N-S Kalingada shares the same seven swaras as Bhairav, but approaches them differently – preferring a straighter, less ornamented character (as per Rajan Parrikar: “Kalingada has a flippant mien…far less austere than Bhairav. The Ga and Pa are advanced to positions of influence, [and] the swara-lagav is mostly linear, without the andolit treatment prevalent in […]
• 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 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 Jaunpuri and Bhairav. Described as having a “crowded swara-space”, with both komal and shuddha variants of Re, Ga, and Ni on display. Abhijith Shenoy ‘Abhirang’ offers catchphrases including SRmP; rNSdP; dmPG; PgRS; GmrS. • Raga Megalist […]
• Raag Gujiri Todi •
S-r-g-M-d-N-S A popular Todi variant named for its association with Gujarat, India’s Westernmost state. Linked to the morning hours, it takes a similar swara set to the main Todi, distinguishing itself by omitting Pa throughout. Dagarvani beenkar Bahauddin Dagar chooses to intone the raga’s Sa with a slightly higher sruti than that of the tanpura, adjusted […]
• 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), accompanied by a multiphonic cluster of tanpura drones (tuned DnrS). Parveen Sultana has also sung it live, and seems to have […]
• Raag Darjeeling •
S-r-g-m-P-d-n-S Unveiled by sitarist Niladri Kumar in a 2014 Taj Mahal tea commercial, launching a new Darjeeling-themed range described in marketing materials as “definitely our most premium offering” (Niladri: “I have composed [it] in honour of the superlative flavour”). Status as a ‘real raga’ (rather than just a Mishra Bhairavi) is highly dubious – and […]
• Raag Bhankari •
S-r-G-mM-P-D-N-S A mega-mix of several ragas, Bhankari originates with Ramashreya Jha ‘Ramrang’, guru of Rajan Parrikar – who describes it as a “tantalizing melody, blend[ing] facets of Bhatiyar, Jait, Bibhas, and Deshkar while retaining an aesthetic coherence in the end product”. To my ears, Bhankari also appears to draw from Marwa (particularly in the weak […]
• Raag Bairagi Todi •
S-r-g-P-n-S Created by Ravi Shankar, Bairagi Todi replaces Bairagi’s ma with a Todi-intoned ati-komal ga, retaining a concise audav structure while presenting an odd mix of narrow and wide intervals. Often set to unusual talas (Shankar’s original is in Sade-Gyarah, an 11.5-matra cycle divided as ‘4-4-2-1.5’), the raga is explorable in all octaves, with most artists […]
• Raag Annapurna •
S-r-g-M-P-d-N-S From my 2018 Darbar interview with bansuri maestro Rupak Kulkarni: “I lately composed…Raag Annapurna: dedicated to Maa Annapurna Devi, my grand-guru [teacher of my teacher]. It is a combination of morning and evening ragas, so can be played at either of these times.” In 2022 I asked Kulkarni for more info: he described it […]
• Raag Anand Bhairav •
S-r-G-m-P-D-nN-S As per Rajan Parrikar, “the komal dha in Bhairav is replaced by its shuddha counterpart. The komal ni is parachuted into the scheme in an [avroh phrase] SDnP, inspired by Bilawal (in Bhairav-ang ragas where either re or dha is rendered shuddha, the ma tends to assume a powerful role, and is often elevated to a […]
• 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 Bhupali Todi •
S-r-g-P-d-S A captivating audav raga said to symbolise spiritual purity, which essentially runs along the lines of ‘what if all Bhupali‘s chal swaras were set as komal rather than shuddha?’ (SRGPDS > SrgPdS). Most renditions are poorvang-dominant, drawing from the Todi-ang as well as reshaping phrases from Bhupali, Bilaskhani Todi, and other allied forms (given the […]
• Raag Bhatiyar •
S-r-G-mM-P-D-N-S A dawn raga fabled as a creation of Raja Bhartruhari, a mythical King of Ujjain who is said to have abdicated from his life of material wealth and romantic pleasure to pursue a path of ascetic devotion. Somewhat resembling a ‘vakra Marwa with Pa’, Bhatiyar omits or limits re and Ni in aroha – with, […]
• 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 ‘Charukeshi 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. Notice the strong ma…[and] the subtle Gm/S meend”. […]
• 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 Shivmat Bhairav •
S-r-gG-m-P-d-nN-S Shivmat Bhairav can be described as a blend of Bhairav, Bhairavi, and Todi, with the former being the most dominant over the sound (‘Bhairav double Ga/Ni’). Relatively rare in modern times, the raga brings out Bhairav via GmrS phrases and oscillations on the komal re – while also incorporating komal ga and ni in […]
• 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 Simhendra Madhyamam •
S-R-g-M-P-d-N-S Borrowed from a South Indian ragam (melakarta scale #57), Simhendra Madhyamam takes the form of a ‘Kirwani tivra Ma’, ‘Todi shuddha Re’, or ‘Madhuvanti komal Dha’. Despite the popularity of its Carnatic congruent (hailed by Charulatha Mani as “regal, meditative, bold, and striking”), the raga remains relatively rare in the North – with its […]
• 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 Prabhat (Bhairav) •
S-r-G-mM-P-d-N-S A morning form 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 congruent-but-distinct Lalit Pancham). Pakad include GmG; rSrS; […]
• 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 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 Lakshmi Todi •
S-rR-gG-m-P-dD-n-S A complex multi-melodic blend named after the Hindu goddess of power, beauty, prosperity, and good fortune (Lakshmi: ‘she who leads to the goal’) – which imports the movements of several other ragas into a general Todi framework. Abhirang’s breakdown discusses “shades of Jaunpuri (RmPSdP; nSRndP), Dev Gandhar (RnSRGm), Gaud (SRGmGm; mGRGm), Kafi (RmPDnS), Gandhari […]
• Raag Khat Todi •
S-r-g-mM-P-d-nN-S In Parrikar’s summary, Khat Todi is described as an “uncommon [double-Ma] prakar…mostly sung by Jaipur-Atrauli and Agra musicians. In the main body of Todi, a small phrase of Khat is introduced” (i.e. the raga is more like ‘Todi seasoned with Khat’ rather than a more evenly-weighted combo). He cites two different Khat strains used by […]
• Raag Khat •
S-rR-gG-m-P-dD-n-S Often described as one of the most complex Hindustani forms, Khat (Sanskrit: ‘six’) is said to combine six different ragas – although it remains unclear precisely which they may be (Subbha Rao’s Raga Nidhi cites either “Suha, Kanada, Sarang, Desi, Gandhari, & Sughrai” or “Ramkali, Asavari, Todi, Gujiri, Baradi, & Gandhari“). Often, Asavari is […]
• Raag Jogiya •
S-r-m-P-d-N-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Amjad Ali Khan (2016)— [Swaras] • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag List): Swaras: -4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10+ Sapta: […]
• Raag Hindol •
S-G-M-D-N-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Pandit Jasraj (2002)— [refrain, e.g. 0:48] SM G, MGS, S(NS)D (N)SS; S(D) S(D)S (N)S, (S)G (G)SS; (S)MGGMD (M)SDDMG, MGS; SM(GM) G, MGS… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the […]
• Raag Gunkali •
S-r-m-P-d-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Kedar Bodas (2015)— [bandish, e.g. 7:43] d P m, (P)m\r, rS(rS) PP, (S)dd P(d)P m(P)m\r(m)r S, Pm r(m)r S(r)S d(S)dS, rrS S(PmP)m m\rr rS S\dd rS (S)PmmP, dPdmPdd, Pdd, Pdd P m… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, […]
• 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 Gopika Basant •
S-g-m-P-d-n-S A hexatonic raga of bewitching beauty, Gopika Basant matches the swaras of ‘Asavari no Re’ (or ‘Malkauns add Pa’) – while also inviting shades of Bhairavi from ga upwards. The Sa–ma sangati is strong, and, as noted by Jairazbhoy, descents can mirror the Malkauns scheme of “parallel conjunct tetrachords by oblique use of the […]
• Raag Devranjani •
S-m-P-d-N-S Stretched by the emptiness of a vast S-m 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 importance of the ascending phrase Sm, mP as a […]
• 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-like komal re – 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 Devata Bhairav •
S-r-gG-m-P-d-N-S A double-Ga Bhairav derivative, introduced by Agra gharana pioneer Azmat Hussain Khan ‘Dilrang’. As per Parrikar, the raga is distinguished from its parent with “the introduction of [an] avroh pragoya via the komal ga [mgrS]”. Some artists include subtle touches of komal ni, including Jitendra Abhisheki – who sings a madhyang-focused bandish (to me, somewhat reminiscent […]
• Raag Desi •
S-R-g-m-P-D-n-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Aditya Modak (2020)— [refrain, e.g. 1:41] R(SRSnS)R, (m)RP (gRg)Rg R(SR)S, (RS)R (g)S\n S(n)SS, RPmP(mP), D(n)PmP (P)mP, (m)Rg (RS)R S(n)S; mm(nP), mP(Sn)S\nP P(m)P, D(n)mP (m)Rg (RS)R S(n)S, RP (gRg)Rg R(SR)S, (RS)R… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, […]
• Raag Deshkar •
S-R-G-P-D-S Typically summarised as ‘the other raga with Bhupali’s swaras’, Deshkar shuffles the same five tones to produce a mood suited more to the morning than evening hours. Taking a vadi-samvadi of Dha–Ga (as opposed to Bhupali’s Ga-Dha), the raga is uttarang-dominant, with a melodic focus on vakra movements in madhya and taar saptaks. Dha […]
• Raag Bilawal •
S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S Approximates the Western Major Scale, thus taking an ‘all-shuddha’ sampurna swara set – and selected by the great V.N. Bhatkhande as the titular raga of Bilawal thaat – although its popularity has declined in the century since (partly in favour of prakritis such as Tilak Kamod and Gaud Malhar). Dha and Ga assume vital […]
• Raag Bihad Bhairav •
S-r-gG-m-P-d-nN-S A ‘double-Ga, double-Ni’ creation of Bhairav-loving vocalist Kumar Gandharva (also see Bhavmat Bhairav & Rati Bhairav). Bose describes how “the projection of the raga is done mainly around Sa…the aroha is similar to Jogiya [SrmdPdS: also Gunakri], and it has a small portion of Shivmat Bhairav” [e.g. rgrS], giving pakad such as Srm; GrS rrS; […]
• Raag Bibhas •
S-r-G-P-d-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Shruti Sadolikar (1992)— [refrain, e.g. 1:07] S (S)G (G)P (P)D, D D\P G\r S; S/r\S, S\D/S(r)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 Bhatiyari Bhairav •
S-r-G-m-P-D-N-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Ramashreya Jha ‘Ramrang’ (2007)— [refrain, e.g. 1:56] GmPD, N(S)D D(Pm)P m(PDP), P(GP)GmGr S… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag List): Swaras: -4 | 5 | 6 | […]
• 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 – although, as per Darbhanga Dhrupad vocalist Premkumar Mallick, flavours of Bhairav should dominate. Bose gives a vadi–samvadi of ma–Sa, while also mentioning the existence of an alternate ‘double-Dha’ version (thus allowing for the use of every swara position […]
• 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 Bairagi (Bhairav) •
S-r-m-P-n-S A pentatonic form introduced to the ragascape by Ravi Shankar in the 1940s. Its swara set – which concisely scatters interval jumps of 1, 2, 3, and 4 semitones – is describable as ‘Megh komal re’ (or ‘Lilavati no Ga’), while its melodies generally draw from the Bhairav–ang (e.g. sustained oscillations on komal re). […]
• 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 Alhaiya Bilawal •
S-R-G-m-P-D-nN-S While essentially summarisable as ‘Bilawal plus komal ni’, Alhaiya also presents other quirks. Most distinctively, Dha is treated as the vadi, but not as a nyas (Pa and Ga are used as stopping tones instead, often being reached via meend). Dha is also used to support komal ni via ‘up-and-down’ phrases such as SNDP, […]
• 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 […]
• Raag Ahir Lalit •
S-r-G-mM-D-n-S Introduced by Ravi Shankar, drawing from the swara material of three morning ragas: Ahiri, Ahir Bhairav, and Lalit. As per Deepak Raja, “for most listeners, Ahir Lalit will be unable to escape the shadow of Ahir Bhairav over the Lalit facet of the raga…since Ahiri is heard mainly as a Bhairav / Ahir Bhairav […]
• Raag Adarangi Todi •
S-r-g-mM-P-d-nN-S A double-ma, double-ni Todi variant linked to 18th-century composer Naimat Khan ‘Sadarang’ and his nephew Feroze Khan ‘Adarang’, who served at the court of Mughal Emperor (and prolific arts patron) Muhammad Shah. While the raga’s historical lineage remains half-sketched, Ali Akbar Khan took to performing it later in his career. Sometimes given the alternate […]
• Raag Abheri Todi •
S-rR-gG-m-P-d-n-S Described by musicologist and critic Rajan Parrikar as “another obscure [Todi] variant, in which strands of Asavari and Khamaj are tied to the Todi-anga”. His guru Ramrang’s rendition of the raga revolves around phrases such as PmPm\g; mPn\d; SRnS; rnSRG – while the name presumably derives from the mostly-congruent Carnatic Abheri. Remains rare on […]
• Raag Ahiri •
S-r-g-m-P-D-n-S Somewhat resembling a ‘Bageshri komal re’, ‘Ahir Bhairav komal ga’, or ‘Bhairavi shuddha Dha’, Ahiri favours long, kaleidoscopic melodies, laden with shapes from proximate ragas. Artists may seek to accentuate the ‘equilateral triangle’ of nyas (r–m–D: an augmented triad), also drawing from its murchana-set neighbours Patdeep, Charukeshi, and Vachaspati. Matches the Carnatic Natakapriya, although origins remain […]
