S-g-m-d-n-S Among the most revered ragas in the Hindustani pantheon, Malkauns (‘he who wears serpents as garlands’) combines structural simplicity with a nuanced mythological ethos. Said to have been composed by the goddess Parvati to soothe Shiva’s murderous rage, it is associated with states of ‘severe tranquility’, calling on artists to approach with solemnity and […]
• Raag Malkauns •
• 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 Jog •
S-gG-m-P-n-S A lively late-evening raga, Jog translates as ‘state of union’ (derived from the Sanskrit concept of yogi). Its oddly bluesy harmony presents an enchanting almost-familiarity to uninitiated listeners, mixing major and minor flavours via a characteristic ‘Gmg zigzag’ phrase in descent (which, via the wonders of convergent evolution, suggests the structure of a 7#9 […]
• Raag Mohankauns •
S-gG-m-d-n-S As recounted in The Hindu, Mohankauns “was spontaneously created by Ravi Shankar in 1949. On hearing of [Mohandas K.] Gandhi’s death, Pandit-ji was asked by AIR to play a piece dedicated to the Mahatma. On the spot, he created a variation of…Malkauns”. The new raga adds a shuddha Ga in aroha, bringing special prominence […]
• 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 Hemshri •
S-g-m-P-nN-S A night raga created by Gwalior composer and vocalist Vishwanath Rao Ringe ‘Tanarang’, essentially equivalent to ‘Tilang komal ga’. In his own words: “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 the raga is distinguished from Dhani by the use […]
• Raag Gangeshwari •
S-G-m-P-d-n-S Like Parameshwari and Rangeshwari, Gangeshwari (‘Lord of the Ganges River’) was created in 1968 via murchana rotation of Ravi Shankar’s Kameshwari (itself dreamed up during a car ride through Bengal). Its unique swara set, lacking in reflective symmetries, most closely resembles a ‘no Re’ version of either Charukeshi or Basant Mukhari (or alternatively, ‘Gopika Basant shuddha […]
• Raag Chandrakauns •
S-g-m-d-N-S Chandrakauns is a spacious raga of relatively modern origin, only becoming distinct from divergent strains of ‘shuddha Ni Malkauns’ by around the mid-20th century. This ni-for-Ni replacement removes much of Malkauns’ symmetry and intervallic balance, with the chromatic leading-tone resolution (Ni>Sa) bringing more prominence to both swaras. Due to these sharper tensions, it is […]
• 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 Sundarkauns •
S-g-m-D-n-S Taking the shape of ‘Malkauns shuddha Dha’ (or ‘Harikauns shuddha ma’), Sundarkauns’ swara set has, as per Tanarang, been unjustly sidelined by previous generations as a ‘Bageshri-ang Chandrakauns’ (“A misnomer…this raag has [neither] a shuddha Ni indicating Chandrakauns, nor [an] avroh like Bageshri…[so] it couldn’t gain much popularity”). He describes his revival of this intriguing audav […]
• Raag Tulsikauns •
S-g-m-d-nN-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Karthik & Niladri Kumar (1980s)— [refrain, e.g. 6:14] d, d, d, NNS, ggm, mdnNnd, ggN, S/m\g, g\S, SS(n/)S, gSn\d; NSgm… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag […]
• Raag Tilang •
S-G-m-P-nN-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Shahid Parvez (2020)— [gat, e.g. 6:58] GmP, NS, NSnP, P/n\P, GmG… • 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 | […]
• Raag Rajeshwari •
S-g-m-D-N-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Adnan Khan (2022)— [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: Audav […]
• Raag Pancham Malkauns •
S-g-m-P-d-n-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Dinkar Panshikar (2020)— [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: Audav […]
• Raag Nandkauns •
S-gG-m-d-n-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Amjad Ali Khan (1970)— [refrains, e.g. 0:01] SGmdPm g(m)SS, SSSn\d nnSG m; SGmn\d, mn\dd d/nn\d, mPmGmPG, SgSnS SGmdPm g(m)SS, SSSn\d nnSG m… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the […]
• Raag Madhurkauns •
S-gG-m-d-n-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Prabha Atre (2014)— [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: Audav […]
• Raag Madhuranjani •
S-g-m-P-N-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Sawani Shende (2021)— [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: Audav […]
• 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 may skip Ni in ascent, traditional Dhrupad presentation will render it shuddha in aroha and komal in avroh – along with a strong […]
• Raag Madhukauns •
S-g-M-P-n-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Amir Khan (~1960s)— [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: Audav […]
• Raag Kaushik Dhwani •
S-G-m-D-N-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Rashid Khan (2012)— [bandish, e.g. 2:34] S(GmDNS) S(ND), D(ND)m, mG, (G)S D(SnS), S(GmDNS) S(ND), DNDm, mG… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag List): Swaras: -4 | 5 […]
• Raag Kalashri •
S-G-m-P-D-n-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Bhimsen Joshi (1971)— [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: Audav […]
• Raag Jogeshwari •
S-gG-m-D-n-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Ravi Shankar (1980)— [gat, e.g. 0:02] (S)n D m, GmG (m)g/m, nSDn g\S, Gm GmD, D(nSn)D, m… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag List): Swaras: -4 | […]
• Raag Hindol •
S-G-M-D-N-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Pandit Jasraj (2002)— [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: Audav […]
• Raag Harikauns •
S-g-M-D-n-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Nasir Ahmed (2003)— [gat, e.g. 11:50] MMgS (D)nD nD, MDnSg\S, MMgS (D)nD nD, (S)ngMDnD… • 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 Gopika Basant •
S-g-m-P-d-n-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Acharya Jayanta Bose (1990)— [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 Dhani •
S-g-m-P-n-S Despite its ‘Minor Pentatonic’ scale form enjoying global popularity as the predominant mode of blues, rock, pop, and countless other guitar-driven genres, Dhani is comparatively rare as a raga in its own right – with its swara set mostly being heard as the ‘aroha of Bhimpalasi’ rather than in isolation (…it may be the […]
• Raag Chandramadhu •
S-G-M-P-n-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Amir Khan (~1960s)— [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: Audav […]
• Raag Chandni Bihag •
S-G-mM-P-D-nN-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Ramashreya Jha ‘Ramrang’ (~1990s)— https://www.parrikar.org/music/bihag/jha_chandnibihag.mp3 [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+ […]
• Raag Bhinna Shadja •
S-G-m-D-N-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Kishori Amonkar (1989)— [themes, e.g. 0:39] m, mG, N/G m/D(ND)G, G(R)Gm, (SG)m, G(m), G(RS), N/G G/m m/D(NSN), NN DG(m), m, mG… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full […]
• Raag Amirkhani Kauns •
S-G-M-P-n-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Amir Khan (1977)— [themes, e.g. 0:03] (S)G, MPM\G(Sn)S, (S)P (P)n S, S(nS), (S)G, MPM\G(Sn)S, (S)P (PS)n S… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag List): Swaras: -4 | […]
