S-r-g-m-D-n-S A mellifluous modern form created by Ravi Shankar in 1968 (…via a murchana rotation of Kameshwari: itself the product of backseat travel boredom in Bengal). While somewhat resembling a ‘komal re Bageshri’, Parameshwari’s hexagonal structure is ripe for open-ended experiments, summoning its own colours and tensions – and, despite its young history, has already garnered significant […]
• Raag Parameshwari •
• Raag Todi •
S-r-g-M-P-d-N-S Pivotal to Hindustani history, Todi verflows with musical ideas found nowhere else on the planet. Some link its ambiguous geometries with ‘existential anguish and 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 Shree •
S-r-G-M-P-d-N-S According to Gwalior vocal master Omkarnath Thakur, Shree’s seven swaras are associated with those sunset hours when “disembodied spirits…become active, and aid in the black magic of Tantriks”. Tied to mythologies of Lord Shiva, the raga takes its name from ‘sri’, a sacred Sanskrit syllable which, in Vedic tradition, represents the material nature of humanity’s […]
• Raag Puriya Dhanashree •
S-r-G-M-P-d-N-S Like the scale-congruent Shree, Puriya Dhanashree’s versatile hemitonic clusters outline a major triad (SGP) with the first and last steps ‘enclosed’ by their neighbours to present two sets of three adjacent swaras (NSr, MPd). Pa, while often omitted in aroha, exerts its gravity on descending melodies, easing the tension of the tivra Ma by […]
• Raag Puriya •
S-r-G-M-D-N-S A prominent sunset raga, Puriya takes the same six swaras as Marwa and Sohini, reworking them to bring a distinct set of melodic forces. Renditions tend to focus on mandra and madhya saptak, seeking a relatively even balance between ascending and descending phrases – with its character often considered more ‘melodic’ than Marwa (which is […]
• Raag Poorvi •
S-r-G-mM-P-d-N-S Poorvi is a long-lived sunset raga from East India, which some describe as evoking a ‘serious mood of mystical contemplation’. Mixing narrow and wide intervals (all swaras have at least one immediate neighbour), its complex twists and turns belie the base scale’s neat, palindromic nature – with Sa and Pa sometimes being omitted or rendered […]
• Raag Multani •
S-r-g-M-P-d-N-S Multani is an afternoon raga of angular shape and ancient heritage, which, while matching the seven swaras of Todi thaat, takes unique phrase patterns – with re and dha omitted in ascent and generally rendered durbal throughout. Bhatkhande is said to have considered it the ‘daytime’ counterpart of Basant – while, in Deepak Raja’s […]
• Raag Marwa •
S-r-G-M-D-N-S Notable for omitting its own Sa for long stretches, the hexatonic Marwa conjures moods of ‘austere, spiritual renunciation’ – summoning these sentiments with low, slow lines which patiently outline the raga’s highly irregular geometry (three adjacent plus three wide-set swaras: NSr; GMD). Its descent-dominant melodies, which must avoid Pa throughout, often tease at resolutions […]
• Raag Lalit •
S-r-G-mM-d-N-S Lalit (meaning ‘lyrical’) is an oddly-shaped sunrise raga, resembling ‘Bhairav with Pa lowered a semitone’. 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‘ (Deepak Raja discusses “two facets…SrGm; MdNS….Lalit’s […]
• Raag Kalavati •
S-G-P-D-n-S A playful pentatonic form, neatly structured as a stack of ‘regularly narrowing’ intervals (4>3>2>1 semitones). The wide, sparse poorvang (SG) and clustered uttarang (PDnS) combine to bring a reassuring momentum, with increasing melodic urgency as you go higher (a ‘triple jump followed by a sprint’). Most Kalavati performances tend towards energy and rhythmic charge […]
• Raag Gorakh Kalyan •
S-R-m-P-D-n-S A spacious, folksy raga of the late evening, Gorakh Kalyan (named for the Gorakhpur region of Uttar Pradesh) has fabled associations with Saint Gorakhnath, an 11th-century yogi mystic-musician who is said to have travelled throughout the Subcontinent in search of spiritual wisdom and sonic enrichment. Despite its name, the raga’s modern form has no […]
• 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 16th-century durbar. 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 […]
• Raag Bhairavi •
S-r-g-m-P-d-n-S Probably the most prominent raga in the entire Hindustani canon, the dawn Bhairavi (‘awe, terror’: named after the Fifth Avatar of Mahadevi, the Mother Goddess) is a concert-closing staple. Unique in its chromatic flexibilities, the raga’s ‘Mishra Bhairavi’ form can span the full swara spectrum, allowing for a multitude of moods in the hands […]
• Raag Bhairav •
S-r-G-m-P-d-N-S Revered as the foremost raga of Lord Shiva, the morning Bhairav takes its name from Kala Bhairava (‘awe-inspiring form’) – an apocalyptic manifestation of the deity fabled in Hindu lore to have cut off one of Brahma’s five heads to silence his arrogance. Renditions reflect the gravity of these ancient tales, depicting Shiva’s resulting […]
• Raag Basant Mukhari •
S-r-G-m-P-d-n-S Effectively blending the poorvang of Bhairav with the uttarang of Bhairavi (SrGm; PdnS), Basant Mukhari’s complex history bears the imprints of multiple musical cultures. While its main modern inception is traceable to S.N. Ratanjankar’s eclectic Carnatic borrowings of the 1950s (also see Charukeshi: the same scale with komal re instead), many also explicitly link […]
• Raag Asavari •
S-rR-g-m-P-d-n-S An antique late morning raga, listed in lakshanagranthas as a ragini of Malkauns, Asavari’s modern incarnation comprises two disinct variants: an older, Dhrupad-rooted ‘komal re’ form, and a more recent set of ‘shuddha Re’ interpretations. Both forms of the raga call for complex connective motions and expressive alankar around dha, which some artists tune […]
• 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 from one raga to another (although it is unknown which ones…). Adapting the geometries of Bhairavi, the raga is […]
• Raag Ahir Bhairav •
S-r-G-m-P-D-n-S Ahir Bhairav’s unique swara set is inextricably linked to visions of the Indian sunrise. While the raga’s poorvang matches that of the ‘main’ Bhairav (SrGm) its uttarang presents its own geometries, taking a shuddha Dha and komal ni (PDnS) in a manner closer the Kafi–ang (although many artists tune their Dha sruti closer to that of Bageshri […]
• 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 Bairagi (Bhairav) •
S-r-m-P-n-S A pentatonic form introduced to the ragascape by Ravi Shankar in the 1940s, although the basic scale shape has likely been used in many guises throughout the ages. Its swara set – which concisely scatters interval jumps of 1, 2, 3, and 4 semitones – is describable as ‘Megh komal re’, while its melodies […]
• Raag Meladalan •
S-r-g-mM-d-n-S A truly oddball creation I stumbled upon in Subbha Rao’s 1965 Raga Nidhi Vol. 3: “Meladalan and ‘Thatavidhwamasa’ are pseudo-names which Acharya Brahaspati…has given to a raga the identity of which [he] wants to keep unpublished for certain reasons. He points out, however, that it is an ancient raga which he wants to bring […]
• Raag Bairagi Todi •
S-r-g-P-n-S Created by Ravi Shankar, Bairagi Todi replaces Bairagi’s shuddha ma with a Todi-intoned ati-komal ga, retaining the concise audav structure while presenting an odd mix of narrow and wide intervals. Sometimes matched with unusual talas (e.g. Shankar’s original is in Sade-Gyarah: a ‘fractional’ 11.5 matra cycle divided ‘4-4-2-1.5‘), the raga is explorable in all saptak, […]
• 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 […]
• 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 forms (given the uniqueness […]
• Raag Madhusurja •
S-rR-mM-P-n-S A Kumar Gandharva creation, inspired by witnessing the plight of a goat as it was led past his house on the way to be sacrificed at a nearby Kali temple. To collate a few common tellings: “When the goat realises, it starts pleading to save its life. The vilambit bandish describes these prayers [‘bachaale […]
• 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 Gaurimanjari •
S-rR-G-mM-P-d-nN-S An intricate ten-toned raga created by Ali Akbar Khan via blending ideas from across the Lalit–Gauri spectrum (Gaurimanjari: ‘Bouquet of Gauris’) – notable for its winding melodic motions and dense, crowded swara-space (some renditions employ all specific positions except komal ga). Its core form also possesses the ultra-rare property of rotational symmetry (i.e. the […]
• Raag Patmanjari •
(S-rR-gG-mM-P-dD-nN-S) Said by some to be more of a ‘performance concept’ than a single raga, ‘Patmanjari’ translates as ‘Bouquet of Five Ragas’. Debate persists over whether the form should be interpreted as an open challenge to blend five ragas of an artist’s own choosing, or whether it entails five specific ragas – and, if so, […]
• 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 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 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 madhya and […]
• Raag Purba •
S-r-G-mM-P-dD-N-S A rare raga of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, described by Rajan Parrikar as “essentially Raag Poorvi adorned with bells and whistles” (namely, the Ma-mixing catchphrases Sm, mGP and M, MP Pd, dNdP). Mewati innovator Pandit Jasraj also recorded his own captivating rendition, seasoned by the liberal inclusion of shuddha Dha. Also explored by the great Vilayat […]
• Raag Prabhakali •
S-r-G-m-P-d-n-S An Ali Akbar Khan invention, 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 Monomanjari •
S-r-G-M-P-D-nN-S Created by Maihar sitar legend Nikhil Banerjee (“…I’m quite satisfied with one of my Sonodisc LPs: Raag Monomanjari”). From Narendra Datar’s 1989 review of this record: “A jod raga…a remarkable combination [of] Kalavati and Marwa. Kalavati is a very joyful late night melody, whereas Marwa is an early evening melody that portrays pathos. In […]
• 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 raga, 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 (e.g. […]
• 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 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: below), accompanied by a multiphonic cluster of tanpura drones (tuned DnrS). Parveen Sultana has also sung it live, and seems to […]
• 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 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 Amiri Todi •
S-rR-g-m-P-dD-n-S Created by sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan in 1974, catalysed by the untimely passing of legendary vocalist Amir Khan the same year. As recounted to Indian Express in 2009: “My love and reverence for Khansaheb does not stem only from his music, but for his truly kind and humble nature. When he died, it appeared […]
• 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 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 ma and Pa’, Bhatiyar omits or limits re and Ni in […]
• 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 Sazgiri •
S-r-G-mM-P-dD-N-S Often described as being among the most complex of Hindustani forms, Sazgiri is fabled as a creation of Amir Khusro (1253-1325): the legendary Sufi poet, singer, and mystic of the Delhi Sultanate (although direct historical evidence for his authorship of the raga is admittedly scant). Komal dha is restricted to Poorvi-ang phrases such as […]
