S-R-m-P-n-S Among the oldest surviving members of the Malhar family, Megh (‘cloud’) is said to have saved the life of Tansen himself. Legend holds that great composer’s forceful rendition of Deepak caused the waters and streams around him to boil, and all the oil lamps to burn uncontrollably in Emperor Akbar’s royal palace. His efforts to […]
• Raag Megh •
• 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 Durga •
S-R-m-P-D-S Beguiling in its pentatonic simplicity, Durga (‘invincible, impassable’) is inextricably tied to visions of the Mother Goddess: depicted in Hindu lore as a destroyer of demons and protector of the faithful. Despite these ancient associations, the raga is of relatively recent Carnatic import, only gaining broad acceptance among Northern rasikas around the mid-20th century. […]
• Raag (Brindabani) Sarang •
S-R-m-P-nN-S Sarang ragas, often linked with 16th-century mystic-musician Swami Haridas, are also said to have been used in snake-charming rituals of the past. Brindabani Sarang, named for Uttar Pradesh’s Vrindavan region, is believed to have brought an incarnation of Krishna to earth when Haridas sung it for the first time. The raga is associated with […]
• Raag Kedar •
S-R-mM-P-D-N-S An early night raga, Kedar is associated with heat (Tanarang: “there is much thermal energy in this melody…hence it is regarded as the ragini of Deepak“: Tansen’s legendary fire-bringing raga). Often seen as particularly subtle, complex, and hard-to-perform – partly due to its curiously wide aroha jump from Sa to Ma (depending on variant, […]
• Raag Ambika Sarang •
S-R-mM-P-D-nN-S According to Rajan Parrikar, Ambika Sarang “was designed by [Agra vocalist] Chidanand Nagarkar…elements of Shuddha Sarang and Kafi are blended together in a delicious cocktail”. Ga is banished, allowing for Saraswati-tinged movements. While Nagarkar’s naming motives are unclear, ‘ambika’ (meaning ‘mother’ in Sanskrit) is closely tied to the goddess Saraswati (in particular, the manifestation of […]
• Raag Kameshwari •
S-R-M-P-D-n-S Dreamed up by Ravi Shankar during a car journey to Chengali in March 1968. As explained by his wife Sukanya: “While riding in the car, he conceived the nucleus of a melodic form that he later developed and called Kameshwari. By using the old murchana and swara bheda system, he discovered three more ragas […]
• Raag Devshri •
S-R-M-P-n-S An intriguing-but-uncommon audav raga resembling ‘Megh tivra Ma’ (or ‘Vachaspati no Ga/Dha’). Its unique swara set is distinguished by a disbalance in how Sa and Pa are ‘enclosed’ by the swaras above and below (nSR: ‘2-2’, MPn: ‘1-3’) – offering curious contrast with the symmetry of the R–M–n ‘equilateral triangle’ (a ‘4-4-4’ aug. triad). Described by […]
• Raag Surdasi Malhar •
S-R-m-P-D-nN-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Venkatesh Kumar (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: Audav […]
• Raag Shuddha Malhar •
S-R-m-P-D-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Lalith J. Rao (1994)— [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 Shobhawari •
S-R-m-P-d-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Aslam Khan (~2000s)— [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 Sawan Sarang •
S-R-mM-P-D-nN-S [=Samat Sarang?] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —V.R. Athavale (~1970s)— [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 Saraswati Sarang •
S-R-mM-P-D-nN-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Gopal Krishna (~1970s)— https://www.parrikar.org/music/sarang/gopalkrishnan_saraswatisarang.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+ Sapta: […]
• Raag Saraswati •
S-R-M-P-D-n-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • 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 Samant Sarang •
S-R-m-P-D-nN-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Ulhas Kashalkar (2015)— [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 Rasaranjani •
S-R-m-D-N-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Sakuntala Narasimhan (~1990s)— [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 Noor Sarang •
S-R-mM-P-nN-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Bahauddin Dagar (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 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 Miyan ki Sarang •
S-R-m-P-D-nN-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Apoorva Gokhale (2018)— [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 Madhumad Sarang •
S-R-m-P-n-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Kaivalya Kumar Gurav (2015)— [refrain, e.g. 1:23] m(R)m\R, (m)RS, nR, R(mRPm)RS 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 | 7 […]
• Raag Jogiya •
S-r-m-P-d-N-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • 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 Jaldhar Kedar •
S-R-m-P-D-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —K.G. Ginde (1985)— [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 Gunkali •
S-r-m-P-d-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Kedar Bodas (2015)— [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 Gunakri •
S-r-m-P-d-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Vidyadhar Vyas (1997)— [refrains, e.g. 1:04] P(d)mPdP, m m, (g)r r, S S, P; (m)P mm, g\r, n\d(nd) d/S, SS… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag […]
• Raag Durgawati •
S-R-m-P-D-n-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Hariprasad Chaurasia (1997)— [refrain, e.g. 18:59] D(nDP) mPD, S, nDPm R(n)S, D(nDP) mPD, 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 Chatuswari Bhavani •
S-R-m-D-S Distinguished by allowing only four swaras (‘chatu’=four, ‘swara’=tones), Bhavani’s symmetrical shape is akin to a ‘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 vocalist Narayanrao […]
• Raag Bairagi •
S-r-m-P-n-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (300+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Shahid Parvez (2021)— [refrain, e.g. 5:01] P/n\P, n S r, r/m g/m, (m)rS, P/n\P, n(Sn) S r… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag List): Swaras: -4 | 5 […]
