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 Bhairav •
• 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Virat Bhairav •
S-r-G-m-P-dD-n-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Dinkarbuwa Panshikar (2019)— [alap, e.g. 0:17] nSS n/rSnd, dnSrS rS(dn)S, Srr, r(SrSnSndnS)r, nnS(rSnS)r, (G)r (Gr)r, n(D) n(D) S(nr) n(r), nn(Snd), dnS nS, n n(DS)n\D(d) nS, nS nDnS… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, […]
• Raag Tilak Bhairav •
S-rR-G-m-P-dD-N-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Dhruv Tara Joshi (~1960s)— [alap, e.g. 0:30] N(RSN) (P)S, SGR, Rm(P)G, G(RSG)R G, (S)G, (Pm)G\r S; S(m)R m(G)P(G), P(GmG)d P, Pd(mPm), PD mP(mG), S(G)RG\r S… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more […]
• Raag Saurashtra (Bhairav) •
S-r-G-m-P-dD-N-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Shrikant Bakre (~1980s)— [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 Roopkali •
S-rR-G-mM-P-d-N-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Khadim Hussain Khan (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 Rati Bhairav •
S-r-G-m-P-dD-nN-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Kumar Gandharva (~1980s)— [refrain, e.g. 18:18] m, (G)m (G)r\S, G, m, PD(N)S, S(nDnPm), m(PDnDnP) G(mG)G\r(G)S, S\d, N S, m, m(P)… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag […]
• 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 Meghranjani •
S-r-G-mM-N-S As per Abhirang’s performance notes (on his recording of the Pyaari Pyaari Batiyaan bandish), Meghranjani’s swara set is formed by removing the komal dha from Lalit. This produces an even stranger scale form, with two consecutive generic swaras – Pa & Dha – being omitted (a truly rare feature: as far as I can discern, […]
• Raag Mangal Bhairav •
S-r-G-m-P-D-N-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Ronu Majumdar (2013)— [motifs, e.g. 11:11] S(D)S(D)S SDPDS; PDrrS(NS), (P)DrrS… • 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 […]
• Raag Kabiri Bhairav •
S-r-G-m-P-dD-nN-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Mallikarjun Mansur (1968)— [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 (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 Gauri •
S-r-G-m-P-d-N-S Described by Deepak Raja as “difficult to render in its purity”, Gauri is associated with viraha shringara (‘the piety arising from the separation of lovers’). The raga had at least two distinct forms as far back as the 16th century, and continues to manifest in several variations – spanning a main Bhairav-ang ‘shuddha ma‘ […]
• 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 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 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 Bhavmat Bhairav •
S-r-gG-m-P-d-nN-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Kumar Gandharva (~1970s)— [bandish, e.g. 0:26] PN S/G(r) r(S)S, S(NrSN)S, S(NS)N (Nd)P, NS(r) S(NS)N, S(Nd), NS/G(r) r(S)S, (N)S S, N(SR), SR(SN)SN\dP P, NS(RSN)S (GS)G r(S)S, (N)S… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & […]
• 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 Bangal Bhairav •
S-r-G-m-P-d-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Priyanshu Ghosh (2022)— [refrain, e.g. 1:13] G(PmP) m(Gm) G\r, GmP (n)d, d/S (n)d (d)P, G(mGm)P, G(PmP) m(Gm) G\r, GmP (n)d, d/S… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full […]
• 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 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 […]
