Hindustani / Ragas

Ragas

A raga is a melodic framework - a chosen set of swars, characteristic phrases, and a mood, traditionally tied to a time of day. Its skeleton is the aroha (ascent) and avaroha (descent). Press play on each raga below and listen for how different they feel, even over the same Sa.

The ten thaats

The Bhatkhande system groups ragas under ten parent scales called thaats. A thaat is a swar inventory, not a performable raga - each raga borrows its swars from one:

BilawalKalyanKhamajBhairavPoorviMarwaKafiAsavariBhairaviTodi

Ten ragas to meet first

Sa is on C. Komal swars are lowercase, teevra Ma is M̄, and ʼ marks the lower octave. Each card carries the raag's full identity: thaat, jati, vadi-samvadi, prahar, pakad, and a playable aroha and avaroha.

Raga Yaman

1st prahar of the night (6-9 PM)

Serene, devotional, romantic - the classic first raga.

Kalyan thaatSampoorna-SampoornaVadi: GaSamvadi: Ni

ʼNRGM̄PDNṠ

ṠNDPM̄GRS

Pakad: ʼN R G · ʼN R S - phrases enter from Ni below and rest on Ga.

Uses teevra Ma throughout.

Raga Bhairav

1st prahar of the day (6-9 AM)

Grave, meditative, awe-inspiring.

Bhairav thaatSampoorna-SampoornaVadi: Dha (komal)Samvadi: Re (komal)

SrGmPdNṠ

ṠNdPmGrS

Pakad: r r S · d d P · G m d d P · G m r r S

Same swaras as Carnatic Mayamalavagowla - the raga of your Carnatic exercises!

Raga Bhoopali

1st prahar of the night (6-9 PM)

Calm, majestic, spacious - just five swaras.

Kalyan thaatAudav-AudavVadi: GaSamvadi: Dha

SRGPDṠ

ṠDPGRS

Pakad: G R G · P G · D P · Ṡ D P G · G R S

Raga Bheempalasi

3rd prahar of the day (12-3 PM)

Yearning, tender.

Kafi thaatAudav-SampoornaVadi: MaSamvadi: Sa

ʼnSgmPnṠ

ṠnDPmgRS

Pakad: ʼn S g m P · n D P · m g R S

Raga Kafi

2nd prahar of the night (9 PM-12 AM)

Sweet, earthy - the sound of thumri and hori.

Kafi thaatSampoorna-SampoornaVadi: PaSamvadi: Sa

SRgmPDnṠ

ṠnDPmgRS

Pakad: D P m P m P g R · R g m P R g R

Raga Bageshree

2nd prahar of the night (9 PM-12 AM)

Longing in the quiet of night - deeply lyrical.

Kafi thaatShadav-Sampoorna (vakra)Vadi: MaSamvadi: Sa

SRgmDnṠ

ṠnDmPDmgRS

Pakad: ʼn S m · S g m · g R S · m D n D · m g R S

Pancham is skipped in the ascent and touched only lightly coming down.

Raga Malkauns

3rd prahar of the night (12-3 AM)

Deep, ancient, gravity itself - five komal-leaning swaras.

Bhairavi thaatAudav-AudavVadi: MaSamvadi: Sa

SgmdnṠ

ṠndmgS

Pakad: S g m · m g S

Raga Durga

2nd prahar of the night (9 PM-12 AM)

Simple, bright, folk-fresh - all shuddha swaras.

Bilawal thaatAudav-AudavVadi: MaSamvadi: Sa

SRmPDṠ

ṠDPDmRS

Pakad: R R m R · ʼD ʼD S

Raga Des

2nd prahar of the night (9 PM-12 AM)

Sweet and patriotic - the raga of Vande Mataram.

Khamaj thaatAudav-Sampoorna (vakra)Vadi: ReSamvadi: Pa

SRmPNṠ

ṠnDPDmGRGʼNS

Pakad: R m P N · Ṡ Rʼ n D P - shuddha Ni rising, komal ni falling.

Raga Darbari Kanada

3rd prahar of the night (12-3 AM)

Regal and profound - Tansen’s raga for Akbar’s court.

Asavari thaatSampoorna-Sampoorna (vakra)Vadi: ReSamvadi: Pa

SRgmPdnṠ

ṠdnPmPgmRS

Pakad: S R g · m P d n P · m P g m R S

Komal ga and dha sway with a slow andolan (oscillation) no keyboard can fully capture.

Raag directory

Every raag below has its own page with thaat, jati, vadi-samvadi, prahar, pakad, and a playable aroha and avaroha - all 121of them. Your expert teacher is the best guide to which one you're ready for next.

Kafi thaat

Abhogi Kanada

Aroha: S R g m D Ṡ

Ragas

The ten thaats

Ten ragas to meet first

Raga Yaman

Raga Bhairav

Raga Bhoopali

Raga Bheempalasi

Raga Kafi

Raga Bageshree

Raga Malkauns

Raga Durga

Raga Des

Raga Darbari Kanada

Raag directory

Abhogi Kanada

Adana

Aheer Bhairav

Alhaiya Bilawal

Bageshree

Bahar

Bairagi

Bairagi Todi

Basant

Basant Mukhari

Bhairav

Bhairavi

Bhatiyar

Bheem

Bheempalasi

Bhoopali

Bhupal Todi

Bihag

Bihagda

Bilaskhani Todi

Chandrakauns

Charukeshi

Chhayanut

Darbari Kanada

Des

Deshkar

Desi

Dev Gandhar

Devgiri Bilawal

Devshree

Dhanashree (Bhairavi Ang)

Dhani

Durga

Gaud Malhar

Gaud Sarang

Gauri (Bhairav Ang)

Gopika Basant

Gorakh Kalyan

Gunkali

Gurjari Todi (Gujari Todi)

Hameer

Hansdhwani

Hanskinkini

Harikauns

Hemant

Hemshree

Hindol

Jaijaivanti

Jaldhar Kedar

Jaunpuri

Jayat

Jhinjhoti

Jog

Jogeshwari

Jogiya

Jogkauns

Kafi

Kalawati

Kamod

Kaushik Dhwani (Bhinn-Shadj)

Kausi Kanada

Kedar

Khamaj

Khambavati

Kirwani

Komal Rishabh Asawari