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 Rang Malhar •
• Raag Malay Marutam •
S-r-G-P-D-n-S ‘Malay Marutam’ translates as ‘Fragrant Hill-Breeze’. Maihar 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 raga, mainly due to the nature and essence of […]
• Raag Khem Kalyan •
S-R-G-mM-P-D-N-S A rare-but-charming raga of the Agra gharana, Khem Kalyan is a Kalyan variant with Hansadhwani-like touches. In his essay The Precious Kalyan, Imdadkhani sitarist-scholar Deepak Raja recounts his quest to decode and reconstruct its workings from old recordings, having failed to find a guru who knew it: “This was no ordinary raga…not even just […]
• Raag Gaoti •
S-R-G-m-P-D-n-S Sarodiya Rahul Bhattacharya describes the late-afternoon Gaoti as “an underutilised gem…a pleasant, fulfilled feeling…like enjoying a perfume without actually knowing why”. Also known as ‘Gawati’, differences of opinion persist as to whether the raga is identical to Bheem: while some claim that Bheem can be distinguished by its occasional use of komal ga in […]
• Raag Gagan Vihang •
S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S As per Ocean of Ragas, Gagan Vihang (Sanskrit: ‘Birds of Heaven’) “was composed by Pandit Dinkar Kaikini…we find features of Bihag, Savani, Nand, and Mand, although the raga maintains its independent melody [via] unique phrases such as SRPGm, GmRS, NDmP” – while others also point to the influence of Shankara. The Agra khayal innovator […]
• Raag Deen Todi •
S-r-g-m-D-n-S A near-extinct raga of uncertain origin, Deen Todi sets an ‘Ahiri no Pa’ form to the framework of the Todi-ang. 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 to a D-n-r-S cluster). Parveen […]
• Raag Dagori •
S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S The seldom-heard Dagori features prominent use of shuddha Ni and characteristic slides and glides between ma and Re. Seemingly invented by Jaipur-Atrauli gharana founder Alladiya Khan (also the progenitor of Maru Bihag and Jait Kalyan), and still near-exclusively performed by the khayal singers of that tradition, although detailed information is scant. While I initially […]
• Raag Bheem •
S-R-gG-m-P-D-n-S Near-identical to Gaoti, Bheem is sometimes said to be marked out by its allowance of komal ga in taar saptak – although this distinction now seems moot: there are plenty of Gaoti performances with this characteristic too. Debate persists: while Agra-Gwalior vocalist Prabhakar Karekar considers the ragas indistinguishable (having remarked that he “had been taught […]
• Raag Arun Malhar •
S-R-G-m-P-D-nN-S A rare and ancient Malhar variant, said to be marked out by a DDnP DGPm pakad. As per Rajan Parrikar, “although it finds a mention in Bhatkhande, no details are forthcoming – there are a couple of other works where the raga is treated, but only in the sketchiest of terms”. Described as a mix […]
• Raag Anand Bhairav •
S-r-G-m-P-D-nN-S A rarely-heard member of the Bhairav raganga, which seems to have no precise prakritis. As per Rajan Parrikar, “the komal dha in Bhairav is replaced by its shuddha counterpart, and 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, […]
• 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 March 1968 car journey through Chengali, Bengal. 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 SrgM+PDnS 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 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 Swanandi •
S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S Fashioned by Agra vocalist Jagannathbuwa Purohit ‘Gunidas’ (also the creator of Jogkauns and Jaun Bhairav), fusing material from Bhatiyar, Bihag, and Bhinna Shadja into an engrossing new whole. Bhatiyar forms the main base, with its phrases being reworked to match the swaras of Bilawal thaat (e.g. PGRS; SD NDP, PDPm), with Bhinna Shadja contributing […]
• 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 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 ‘Marwa 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 […]
• 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 Monomanjari •
S-r-G-M-P-D-nN-S A scale with no apparent prakritis unveiled by sitar icon Nikhil Banerjee some time in the 1970s (in his own words: “I’m quite satisfied with one of my Sonodisc LPs, Raag Monomanjari: that’s my favourite so far…”). From Narendra Datar’s 1989 review of this record: “A jod raga…a remarkable combination of Kalavati and Marwa. […]
• 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”, gives a […]
• 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 Kalashri •
S-R-G-m-P-D-n-S Introduced by Kirana legend Bhimsen Joshi, via combining Kalavati and Rageshri to span the full seven swaras of Khamaj thaat. Aarshin Karande notes that the raga’s origins lie in Gopalkrishna Bhobe’s 1969 sangeet natak [Marathi musical drama] ‘Dhanya Te Gayani Kala‘ (“Bhimsen-ji developed upon the melody, becoming Kalashri…He even named his home in Pune […]
• 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 Devgiri Bilawal •
S-R-G-m-P-D-nN-S A fusion of Bilawal, Kalyan, and Shuddha Kalyan, which either avoids the tivra Ma throughout or relegates it to an ornamental role. Balancing an uttarang-focus with a tendency for melodic development in mandra and madhya saptak, the raga (as per Thakurdas) prioritises Ga and Dha, also using Pa as a nyas – with komal […]
• Raag Des Malhar •
S-R-G-m-P-D-nN-S A well-established fusion of the pastoral-themed Desh and the rain-bringing Malhar, spanning the full swara sets of both via characteristic movements such as RmP, PNSRmGR; mPnDP, PNS. Steadily popular with both instrumentalists (e.g. Ali Akbar Khan’s many renditions) and singers (e.g. the Bodas clan’s duets). Dinkar Kaikini’s daughter Aditi Upadhya recounts the tale behind the […]
• Raag Chaya Malhar •
S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S Profiled by Parrikar as “a compound melody formed by joining elements of Chaya to the Malhar raganga signature [mRm\RP]…The nyas on Pa is important, but an inapposite nyas on Re or undue brightening of ma may tilt the development towards Nat Malhar”. Listen to his Gwalior guru Ramrang’s rendition, seasoned with a particularly prominent […]
• 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 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 Bihagda •
S-R-G-m-P-D-nN-S A Khamaj-seasoned Bihag variant with possible connections to the Carnatic Behag, which appears in several overlapping variants. Raja notes that the raga’s main ‘double-Ni’ form (indistinguishable from some types of Khokar) is associated with Jaipur-Atrauli vocalists, who apply a pakad of Gm PDnDP, GmG PmPG, and limit Bihag’s tivra Ma to swift ornamental movements – while […]
• 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 and Rati Bhairav – as well as Saheli Todi, Lagan Gandhar, and Madhusurja). Bose describes how “the projection of the raga is done mainly around Sa…the aroha poorvang is similar to Jogiya [Srm: also Gunakri], and it has a small portion […]
• 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 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 Abhogi •
S-R-g-m-D-S A rare instance of an ‘audav Kanada’ raga, Abhogi’s swara-set resembles ‘Bageshri‘s aroha without ni’ – presenting a clustered poorvang and sparse uttarang (SRgm; DS). As per Tanarang, the raga’s capacity for Darbaric concluding motions (mgmRS) summons “a deep atmosphere” – with the vacant upper scale presenting performers with a curious creative challenge. Abhogi is […]
• Raag Salagavarali •
S-r-g-P-D-n-S A rare ‘Ahiri no ma’ scale, combining a Bhupali Todi-like poorvang with an Ahir Bhairavic uttarang (Srg+PDnS) 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 […]
• Raag Pancham se Pilu •
S-R-G-mM-P-D-nN-S A murchana rotation of Pilu (literally: ‘Pilu from Pa’) – i.e. if you treat this raga’s Pa as the ‘new Sa’, Pilu is produced (albeit in its somewhat less common ‘komal dha-less‘ form). Pilu’s doubled gG–nN swaras, separated by a perfect 5th, are thus spun into nN–mM (i.e. the murchana’s principal effect is to […]
• 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 Milan Gandhar •
S-gG-P-D-n-S An enchanting yet ultra-rare raga created by pioneering Punjabi vocalist Salamat Ali Khan, running along the lines of ‘Kalavati with komal ga in avroh’ (often as PDPgS or SngS), bringing shades of Kafi. A 1965 Salamat & Nazakat performance in Kabul (bandish: Piya More Angan Aaye & Tana Dhere Na Dhim), emphatically places the […]
• 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 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 Rajeshwari •
S-g-m-D-N-S Taking the swaras of ‘Chandrakauns shuddha Dha’, Rajeshwari’s five tones bring an idiosyncratic spin to the Kaunsi-ang, coloured 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 presents significant challenges […]
• Raag Chandni Kedar •
S-R-G-mM-P-D-nN-S A loosely-organised set of Kedar variations, Chandni Kedar (‘Moonlight Kedar’) is formed via minor modifications to its parent raga. As per Parrikar, who recommends a Kesarbai Kerkar mehfil rendition (Eri Ina Naina), “some suggest strengthening the komal ni and shuddha Ga in standard Kedar…others [suggest] Kedar with an added komal ni” – while Ocean […]
• Raag Bihagara •
S-R-G-m-P-D-nN-S A variant of Bihag popular in Kirtan and other Sikh devotional styles, used as the basis for compositions by great Gurus including Ram Das and Tegh Bahadur (some refer to the raga as ‘Punjabi Bihag’). As per Jawaddi Taksal, “Bihagara is very melodious, and brings out pangs of separation which can be removed by…becoming […]
• Raag Bhinna Shadja •
S-G-m-D-N-S Often characterised as the ‘older form’ of today’s Kaushik Dhwani, Bhinna Shadja’s lineage stretches back well over 1000 years. It appears in numerous ancient shastras: notably including Matangamuni’s Brihaddeshi (~8th-century), Abhinavagupta 11th-century writings (“Bhinnashadaja, Kaushiki, and Bhinnapanchama are favoured in Summer”), and Sarangdeva’s 13th-century Sangita Ratnakara – which describes its scale form in remarkably […]
• Raag Basanti Kanada •
S-r-G-mM-P-D-nN-S Perhaps the only Kanada raga to give prominence to tivra Ma (which appears in Basant-like poorvang motions such as GMDMG; MGrS), Basanti Kanada is a thinly-analysed form which summons idiosyncratic tensions via a precise mixing of seemingly incongruous elements (e.g. from the bandish below: DmG, GMdM\G, MGrS). Predominantly associated with vocalists of the Jaipur-Atrauli […]
