Deep ki jyot jale...

This week we celebrate Diwali with Kumar-ji's Raag Dhan-Basanti, composed specially for this joyous festival of light…

Diwali is an occasion to celebrate – with crops harvested, bountiful Mother Nature in full bloom and worries over, at least for the yearly cycle. It has also given birth to a number of compositions in folk music that suit the mood of this merriment. Indian classical music, which evolved from folk music, is no exception to this ambiance and also boasts of a number of delightful compositions to suit it.

However, when legendary Pt Kumär Gandharva, in early 1960s, was invited to present an evening concert on the occasion of Diwali for All India Radio, he could not find a bandish that suited the festive mood of Dhan-Teras. The creativity in him motivated him to take a fresh look at an existing raag-matrix and gave birth to a new delightful raag.

Kumärji was an artist par excellence when it came to the creativity and, what we call in this era, lateral thinking. There have been numerous occasions when Kumärji’s creativity has given established norms a big jolt but, at the same time, offered immense joy to the listeners and connoisseurs, alike. He came up with a number of new raag-matrices that evolved from Mälwi (belonging to Mälwä region that’s now part of Madhya Pradesh) folk music. He also composed completely original bandishes to suit various moods envisages by the raags.

The new matrix used the scale of Raag Puriyä-Dhanäshri but presented it in the manner of Raag Basant. Both these raags use essentially the same set of notes with Shuddha Madhyam (flat fourth note) being an addition in Basant. But the treatment given to it in the latter evokes a mood of well-being, pleasantness and celebration. Kumärji also came up with a suitable self-composed lyric that suited the occasion of Diwali and ‘Deep ki jyot jale’, the composition in the new matrix named ‘Raag Dhan-Basanti’, became extremely popular. The AIR concert, for which this composition was made, also was a huge success. Kumärji later included this composition in his ‘Geet Vasant’, a novel presentation of compositions related to spring season. Here's the bandish in Kumar-ji's mellifluous voice for all connoisseurs...

They say ‘Art reflects life’! This is all the more true in case of performing arts that touch the very core of one’s heart. Kumärji’s Dhan-Basanti proves this point beyond doubt and marks him as a ‘Näyak’, elevating him on a platform distinct from others. Connoisseurs may have heard ‘Deep ki jyot jale’ earlier. But this Diwali, buy yourself a cassette or CD of Pt Kumär Gandharva’s Dhan-Basanti and soak in the joyful mood with sweets, lots of diyäs, firecrackers and lots of happiness! Here’s wishing a Very Happy Diwali to all the readers!!!

Of The Setting Sun And Orange Skies!

As Sun starts its daily journey towards western sky, we not only see the sky changing its colours, but we also experience the brilliant soundscapes afternoon raags create for your senses!

Raag Multäni, one of the ancient and expansive melodies in the Indian classical format, belongs to the Todi Thaat and is primarily sung in the late afternoon. The scale employs all seven notes but komal (minor) rishabh, gandhar and dhaivat and teevra (sharp) madhyam. The ascent and descent in the raag are typical in the sense that they provide symmetry of progression at ‘Sä’ and ‘Pa’. This is commonly known as ‘Shadaj-Pancham Bhäv’ where the progression of notes shows similarity of movement. Multäni is more popular amongst vocalists and, more so, with exponents of Kiränä and Gwalior gharänäs. However, Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan’s (sarod) recording dating back to mid-sixties also showcases a brilliant soundscape of Multäni’s mood.

What I have for you in this post is an expansive Multäni sung once again by Vijay Koparkar. He sings ‘Kavan des kavan nagariya mein', one of the electrifying bandishes popularized by late Pt. Vasantrao Deshpande. He even sang it on-stage in the landmark play ‘Katyär Käljät Ghusali’.



The popular repertoire from Hindi films, regrettably, has not seen many forays into the vast canvas offered by this raag. However, the credit again goes to legendary composer Naushad for getting Ustäd Amirkhan to sing ‘Dayä karo he giridhari’, a devotional song for the film ‘Shabäb’ in the golden era of Hindi film-music. SD Burman also composed ‘Lag gayee akhiyän’, a superb melancholy for the film ‘Jeevan-Jyoti’ sung by Mohd Rafi and Geeta Dutt.

But Marathi nätya-sangeet has come up with some remarkable numbers in Multäni. The most memorable and remarkable composition that comes to mind is ‘Prem sewä sharan’ as sung by Late Dinanath Mangeshkar. The nätyageet was originally composed in Raag Bhimpaläs but the Maestro of Mangeshi gave it a different twist and people loved it immensely. Late Pt Vasantrao Deshpande, who idolized Dinanath Mangeshkar, also rendered this composition brilliantly but in his own way. He also sang ‘Kavan des kavan nagariya mein’, an electrifying bandish in Multäni composed by Ustad Fateh Ali Khan in ‘Katyär Käljät Ghusali’, a popular musical play.

Another nätyageet in the 1970s that bore the un-mistakable stamp of Multäni came from Pt Jitendra Abhisheki, a genius who was equally proficient at hard-core classical and other lighter forms. ‘Nako visaru sanket meelanächä’ from ‘Sangeet Matsyagandhä’ is one of the most remarkable compositions from Pt Abhisheki and has been immensely popular even with the younger generation of singers. Raag Multäni, it has been felt, offers immense potential to a composer, but has been used very sparingly as far as popular music goes. But who knows, we might even get a composer who gives it a go and we experience the ambience of brilliant skies of the late afternoon, the orange ball that is the setting sun, a few wisps of cloud and the trademark pull at your heartstrings – typically Multäni!

An Amazing Family!

This is unmistakably one of the most unforgettable Lata Mangeshkar melodies from the golden era of Hindi film music. ‘Aeri mein to prem diwäni’ (Film: Naubahar, Music: Late Roshan) bears unmistakable stamp of Raag Bhimpaläs and almost fifty years since it was composed, the song still holds its position on the top of charts. Similarly, Bhimpaläs, an afternoon melody in classical repertoire belonging to Käfi Thät, also retains its popularity amongst vocalists and instrumentalists alike despite availability of other raag-matrices in this time zone.

Some musicologists hold that Bhimpaläs’s originates from Raag Dhanäshri (rarely sung in recent times), but differs from Dhanäshri in its emphasis on Shuddha Madhyam (fourth note). Right from the old maestros like Ustäd ‘Baba’ Alläuddin Khän, Ustäd Faiyäz Khän, Pt Krishnaräo S Pandit, Pt Mallikärjun Mansoor to today’s Pt Kishori Amonkar, Late Dr Vasantrao Deshpände, Pt Jitendra Abhisheki and a host of others have explored Bhimpaläs’s matrix according to individual creativity. The Abhisheki composition ‘Rang chhuye jo kesarake’ is worth mentioning here with the maestro’s creativity highlighting upper half of the Bhimpaläs This composition is available for your listening pleasure in the voice of Vijay Koparkar, Pt. Abhisheki's disciple, elsewhere on this page.

Maräthi nätyasangeet has derived a host of popular numbers from this matrix. Bäl Gandharva’s ‘Swakul tärak sutä’ (Sangeet Swayamvar) is one of the most remarkable and popular compositions in Bhimpaläs. Equally popular is ‘Prem sewä sharan’ from ‘Mänäpamän’ composed by Late Pt Govindräo Tembe in Bhimpaläs. This composition was later given a distinct ‘Multäni’ flavour by Pt Dinänäth Mangeshkar. ‘Marathi rasik’ will also forever remember ‘Amrutähuni god näm tuze devä’ sung by Late Smt Manik Varmä in her inimitable, sweet voice.

There are a couple of other melodies that are close to Bhimpaläs’s structure but with a small variation thrown in. The first that comes to mind is Raag Patdeep, identified separately from Bhimpaläs with the use of Shuddha Nishäd and its emphasis on Pancham. Patdeep has been immortalized in Hindi film-music by Late SD Burman in his composition ‘Meghä chhäye äadhi rät’ (Film: Sharmilee, Music: Late SD Burman) while Veer Säwarkar’s ‘Marma bandhätali thev’ (Sangeet Sanyasta Khadga) has been sung by a number of vocalists over the years and has truly been a treasure-trove.

Another raag-matrix that’s close to Bhimpaläs is known as Raag Dhäni. The emphasis here is on ‘Gandhar’ (third note) and the matrix uses only five notes from the octave. SD Burman once again comes up with a masterpiece in this raag with ‘Khilte hai gul yahän’ (Film: Sharmilee). But the ‘magnum opus’ in Dhani has been composed by Pt Jitendra Abhisheki. His brilliance was evident when he composed an electrifying version of ‘Ghei chhand makarand’ in ‘Katyär Kälajät Ghusali' (also available as a link under "For your listening pleasure..."). Late Jaidev also immortalized Dhäni in ‘Prabhu tero näm’ (Film: Hum Dono)।

Truly an amazing family – Raag Bhimpaläs and its siblings! Then there's Raag Madhuwanti - also from the similar time-slot, but an independent raag-matrix closer to Raag Multäni worth writing a separately on. More about it in some other episode...

The Multi-faceted Family

As dawn progresses into morning, there’s a wide variety of raags in this zone under Indian Classical music system. One of the foremost matrixes in this time-slot is Raag Särang and its variants. Sung in the second quadrant (prahar) of the day, Särang belongs to the Käfi Thät. Apart from the main melody, there are several variants of Särang like Shuddha Särang, Brindäbani Särang, Madhmäd Särang, Miyän-Ki-Särang, Lankä-Dahan Särang, Badhans Särang, etc. The entire family presents a wide menu of soundscapes.

Raag Shuddha Särang uses both sharp and flat Madhyam (fourth note) highlighting tension and is ideally suited to projecting the intense heat and restlessness of summer. Brindäbani Särang, on the other hand, is much more soothing while Madhmäd Särang also follows serene path. Other variants like Lankä-Dahan Särang, Badhans Särang are rarely heard these days.

In classical repertoire, Pt Bheemsen Joshi’s Shuddha Särang, recorded about thirty-five years ago, is still popular while Pt Jasraj-ji’s Shuddha Särang projects a typical Mewati Gharänä treatment. But Ustäd Abdul Karim Khan’s 1905 recording of Brindäbani Särang, lasting just three-and-half minutes, puts a sparkle in your heart even today. Smt Hiräbäi Barodekar’s Särang, on the other hand, projects a very composed and sweet picture. With the technology available today, all these recordings have been preserved for posterity and are highly recommended for listening.

Light music has also used various forms of Särang Family and given us numerous memorable songs. Composer SN Tripathi was probably in love with the Särang matrix when he worked on ‘Rani Roopmati’ way back in early-50s. He composed as much as five songs in this matrix for the movie. The best known amongst them is the Mukesh number ‘Aa lautke aajä mere meet’ based on Madhmäd Särang. ‘Lägi tose nain’ (Talat Mehmood-Asha Bhonsale, Film: Chändi Ki Diwär), ‘Jhanan-jhanjhanä ke apani päyal’ (Lata, Film: Rani Roopmati) are some of the better-known songs in Särang. But the most lilting melody comes from under Late Hemantkumar’s baton. ‘Jädugar saiyyä, chhodo mori baiyyä’ from ‘Nägin’ is as fresh as ever with Lataji’s soft melodious voice. Marathi array also boasts of some evergreen numbers with Sudhir Phadke’s ‘Santh vähate krushnämäi’ topping the charts. But the honour for the most energetic presentation based on Särang matrix undoubtedly goes to Shammi Kapoor – Sharmilä Tägore ‘masti’ number ‘Häy re häy, ye mere häthonmein terä häth’ from the legendary OP Nayyar’s ‘Kashmir Ki Kali’. Wow – what a variety! Truly a multi-faceted ‘Särang Family’!

The mercurial ‘Chärukeshi’

This matrix puzzles me – on one hand, there are romantic songs like ‘Baiyä nä dharo’ (Film: Dastak) or a lively Marathi number like ‘Rutu hirawä’ by Asha Bhosale (Music: Shridhar Phadke), while there are equally sweet but sad numbers like ‘Akele hai chale äao’ (Mohd. Rafi, Film: Räz) or that famous Hridaynath Mangeshkar song ‘Gele te din gele’! These songs belong to the mercurial repertoire of Raag Chärukeshi.

Although Chärukeshi hails from the Kärnatic musical tradition, it has been assimilated in the Hindustani tradition for quite some time now. A sampoorna raag (employing all seven notes in the octave) that uses komal Dhaivat and Nishäd (minor sixth and seventh notes), Chärukeshi has found more favour with instrumentalists. Probably, the usage of all seven notes allows them, esp. the maestros of string instruments like sitär, santoor, more freedom of expression and better playing techniques. Pt Ravi Shankar’s recording of Chärukeshi from mid-‘70s is popular even today and memories of Pt Shivkumar Sharma’s early morning’s presentation of this raag in a concert at Pune in early ‘80s are still vivid. Pt Hariprasad Chaurasiyä had also recorded this raag for HMV once upon a time but the cassette seems unavailable these days.

The vocal tradition, however, seems to have sidelined Chärukeshi in a way. This may have been because of availability of other beautiful raag-matrix in the closer range like, for instance, Nat-Bhairav, Asävari, etc. But Gäna-Saraswati Kishori Amonkar used to sing Chärukeshi in her own inimitable style around twenty years ago. Others have rarely, if ever, included this raag in their repertoire. Popular music, on the other hand, has made extensive use of Chärukeshi’s captivating notes to belt out some of the most memorable songs. Lata Mangeshkar’s outstanding songs like ‘Chhod de sari duniya kisi ke liye’ (Film: Saraswatichandra), ‘Kisi räh mein kisi mod par’ (Film: Mere Humsafar) or ‘Aaj dil pe koi jor chalta nahin’ (Film: Milan) are all based on Raag Chärukeshi. But who can forget that nätyageet from ‘Yayäti Aäni Devayäni’, ‘He suräno chandra vhä’, composed by Pt Jitendra Abhisheki? Almost thirty years since its debut, the song still holds its forte as one of the all-time favourites and artists of current generation also seem to be enamored by its magic. This composition, in the late maestro's own voice, is now available for your listening pleasure elsewhere on this page as a link. Do enjoy the rousing 'peshkari' of this otherwise serene raag-matrix!

Although we borrowed it from the South Indian music, Chärukeshi is now here to stay, like the proverbial spoonful of sugar in a glass of milk!

Celebrating ‘Meghdoot’!

‘O cloud, the parching spirit stirs thy pity;
My bride is far, through Royal wrath and might;
Bring her my message to the Yaksha city,
Rich-gardened Alaka, where radiance bright
From Shiva’s crescent bathes the palaces in light.

Learn first, O cloud, the road that thou must go,
Then hear my message ere thou speed away;
Before thee mountains rise and rivers flow:
When thou art weary, on the mountains stay,
And when exhausted, drink the rivers’ driven spray.

’

Thus began Yaksha in Mahakavi Kalidas’s immortal epic requesting Meghdoot (Cloud-Messenger) to take his message to his wife at Alakanagari, Yaksha’s hometown. Kalidas, the Sanskrit poet, lived in approx 100 BC era and has written many other classics. But ‘Meghdoot’ is, by far, the most renowned of his works earning him and Sanskrit literature fame the world over. The narrative in ‘Meghdoot’ begins on the first day of Aashädh (fourth month in Hindu calendar) and we celebrate this day in the legendary poet’s memory.

‘Meghdoot’ has been translated in many languages all over the world and late CD Deshmukh, Sanskrit-scholar, economist and the former Finance Minister of India, proudly wore his love for Kalidas’s poetry on his sleeve. The above lines have been taken from his translation of the epic. Renowned Marathi poets like BB Borkar, Shanta Shelke, Kusumagraj and Vasant Bapat have also translated ‘Meghdoot’ and those readers not fortunate enough to follow Sanskrit can enjoy the same fluency and intensity of the classic in Marathi.

‘Kalidas Din’ as a tradition holds importance for celebrating age-old classics in Indian tradition and is a day to proudly remember and venerate the creative minds that made them happen. A feature based on compilations from Marathi translations of 'Meghdoot' specially recorded for AIR Nashik FM a few years back is also available for your listening pleasure here.

Although it may not be fashionable, in modern age, to read and appreciate ancient Sanskrit classics, who would deny the strong romanticism and lyrical value in verses such as –

The supremest woman from God’s workshop gone –
Young, slender; little teeth and red, red lips,
Slight waist and gentle eyes of timid fawn,
And idly graceful movement, generous hips,
Fair bosom into which the sloping shoulder slips…
And thunder not, O cloud, but let her keep
The dreaming vision of her lover’s face –

Loose not too soon the imagined knot of that embrace…

The ‘Jaunpuri’ Magic!

Continuing our overview of the early-morning repertoire, we look at one more magical raag...

What’s common between the songs ‘Jab dilko satäye gam’ (Lata Mangeshkar, Film: Sargam), ‘Jäye to jäye kahän’ (Talat Mehmood, Film: Taxi Driver) and the AR Rehman number ‘Pal pal hai bhäree’ (Alka Yagnik, Film: Swades)? Well, apart from the fact that all these are extremely hummable melodies, they are all based on Raag Jaunpuri. A few more examples like the famous Talat Mehmood song ‘Meri yäd mein tum na’ (Film: Madhosh), or Marathi bhajan ‘Tuze roop chitti räho’ (Sudhir Phadke) and what you have is a range of melancholy emotions expressed by this early morning raag.

Belonging to the Äsävari family, this is a sampoorna raag using all seven notes in the octave with Gandhär, Dhaivat and Nishäd (third, sixth and seventh notes, resp.) being komal (minor). The typical ascent of this raag leaves Gandhar out but takes in all the seven notes in the descent. Although this was a popular melody earlier, Jaunpuri (also known as Jeevanpuri) was not considered to be a major raag and was subsequently relegated to relatively lesser importance. However, artists from Kirana and Jaipur tradition still seem to revel in the beauty of this raag and include it in their performances. Instrumentalists somehow do not seem to take to this raag passionately (Ustäd Bismillah Khan, Amjad Ali Khan are some noted exceptions) and music lovers, therefore, rarely come across a presentation of this raag in an instrumental music concert.

Nashikites may remember Gän-Saraswati Kishori Amonkar’s memorable presentation of Jaunpuri at the early morning Pädwä-Pahät concert last year (a link to this recording is available elsewhere on this page). The traditional compositions sung by Kishori-tai were reminiscent of hardcore Jaipur training she received from her illustrious mother Late Smt Mogubai Kurdikar. Similarly, Pt Shankar Abhyankar, noted sitar-player and composer, has also composed a couple of sparkling bandishes in Jaunpuri. Whatever the composition, Jaunpuri has never failed to invoke its magic!

Although heard more in its melancholy mood, Jaunpuri can also express itself differently. Who can forget the impish yet romantic song ‘Chale jänä nahi’ by Lata Mangeshkar (Film: Badi Bahen), or not overwhelmed by the anger in ‘Mätä na tu vairini’ sung by Sudhir Phadke in his immortal Geet Rämäyan? Whether you subscribe to the belief or not, this ‘Jaunpuri’ magic never fails to cast its spell on the listeners!

Do Musical Notes Have Colour?

There have been two diverse but well qualified opinions about the moods that musical notes can generate. One side advocates the premise that musical notes have no colour, so to say, but take on the shades lent to it by words it accompanies. There’s also a divergent school of thoughts saying that notes are eminently capable of creating moods independent of words.

Whatever side one takes, there’s no doubt when you hear songs like ‘Dil ek mandir hai’ (Lata, Film: Dil Ek Mandir) or ‘Keh do koi nä kare yahä pyär’ (Rafi, Film: Goonj Uthi Shehnäi), you take on a sad, melancholy mood. Raag Jogiyä, which both these songs belong to, tends to project this mood with its typical framework. Jogiyä, belonging to Bhairav Thät, uses the complete octave and is usually sung in the early morning zone. The specialty of this matrix is its vistär in the upper range of the octave and unbroken descent from Komal Rishabh (in taar – higher – octave) through all minor notes, finally coming to rest on the Pancham (fifth note). This aaläp tends to take on the form of an intense call of a sad, hurt mind.

Most of the composers in popular music have used Jogiyä in their work extensively, more so in the background score than in songs. Just imagine death of an important character in a movie and you are sure to hear intense notes of Jogiyä on a violin or taar-shehnai in the background. We also associate these notes with the music played by national television / radio network during the period of national mourning.

Apart from the famous songs mentioned above, there are a few more extremely popular songs in Jogiyä like ‘Rät bhar kä hai mehmän andherä’ (Rafi, Film: Sone Ki Chidiyä) or ‘He Natraj’ (Film: Sangeet Samrat Tänsen). Marathi repertoire also has some beautiful compositions like ‘Nako jäu Rämräyä’ from Sudhir Phadke’s ‘Geet Ramayan’. But the most popular, perhaps, amongst all Maharashtrians is the immortal Bal Gandharva nätyageet ‘Vad jäu kunälaä sharan’ (Sangeet Saubhadra) from the golden age of Marathi Nätyasangeet. Asha Khadilkar, amongst contemporary singers, also presents this composition beautifully to a rousing applause.You can debate to the world’s end whether musical notes have any inherent moods or not. But it is more or less certain that Raag Jogiyä certainly wears colour blue on its sleeve permanently!

The Sweet Melancholy…

Most of the songs in this matrix are sad or melancholy. Take a few examples – ‘Milkar judä huye’ (Jagjit-Chitra Singh), ‘Jhoothe nainä bole’ (Asha Bhonsale, Film: Lekin), ‘Mein to ek khwäb hun’ (Mukesh, Film: Himalay Ki God Mein) or that immortal Marathi song from Asha Bhosale ‘Rämä Raghunandanä. Raag Todi, however, does not always project a gloomy mood. There are a few notable exceptions where songs have been full of zest, like ‘Bheeni bheeni bhor äyi’, from the non-film album ‘Dil Padosi Hai’ by RD, Asha and Gulzar.

Todi is one of the ancient melodies from Indian classical tradition and has been sung and played by almost all greats from all traditions. A sunrise raag, Todi employs six notes from the octave and, barring Madhyam (teevra) and Nishäd (flat), all the notes are minor. This also brings in a peculiarity where komal rishabh (minor second note) is extremely minor, almost a quarter note below its normal frequency. This is the perfect example of the use of shrutis in Indian music. Gän-Saraswati Pt. Kishori Amonkar treated us all to a heavenly Todi at an early morning Diwäli concert a few years back. The concert has fortunately been preserved for posterity and is available for your listening pleasure as a 2-part link elsewhere on this page! Do enjoy and post your feedback on how you like the selection.

A number of variants of Todi are in vogue. Miyän-ki-Todi, Gujari Todi, Abiri Todi, Jaywanti Todi have all sprung from Todi matrix and have subtle differences amongst themselves. Bilaskhani Todi, although closer in construction to Raag Bhairavi and Raag Asävari, is also one of the most popular yet difficult to present variant and Biläskhän (Mian Tänsen’s son) has been credited for its creation. A recording by Vijay Koparkar demonstrating shades of differences between Bilaskhani Todi and Bhairavi is available as a link for your listening pleasure. There also are some other interesting combinations of other raags with Todi, for instance Khat-Todi, Bhoopal-Todi, Asävari-Todi. Pt Bheemsen Joshi’s ‘Komal-Rishabh-Asävari-Todi’ has been popular since ages and Todi takes on a very different introspective, even aggressive, mood in his presentation.

Although simple in nature, Todi has always been a challenge to music directors. Accomplished composers like Pt Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Naushad, Sudhir Phadke have given memorable songs in this matrix. ‘Jai jai kartär tori’ from ‘Baiju Bawarä’ testifies to Naushad’s command, while Sudhir Phadke’s magnificent use of chorus in the ‘Geet Rämäyan’ song ‘Thämb Sumantä’ highlights Todi’s intensity in the upper range of the octave. Ghazal-maestro Jagjit Singh also seems to be enamored by Todi’s magic with almost half-dozen compositions in this raag. My personal favourite, however, is ‘Are are Dnyänä zäläsi päwan’ (Miyän-ki-Todi), from Sant Dnyäneshwar’s pen sung by Lata Mangeshkar. The words speak of an enlightened mind after intense introspection, light at the end of the tunnel really! Likewise, let Todi bring us light, both literally and figuratively!

The Early Morning Ambience – Raag Bhatiyär

Remember that soulful, haunting jingle for the National Literacy Mission – ‘Poorab Se Soorya Ugä’? Early morning ambience with soft sunlight filtering through trees and windows, chirping birds and temple bells signify the arrival of the day। The night has surely ended and your mind has gained strength from the reassurance of the daylight that has just announced its arrival. Raag Bhatiyär excels in this twilight zone. Literacy mission’s famous jingle (link to this short-sweet composition is available under 'For Your Listening Pleasure...'), composed by Ashok Patki, brings out the end of uncertainty and beginning of hope with the notes of Bhatiyär!

Raag Bhatiyär, from the early morning twilight slot, belongs to the Maarwä Thaat (category) and uses all seven notes in the scale with Re (Second Note) being komal (minor). Alongwith flat Ma (fourth note in the scale), it also sparingly uses teevra (sharp) Ma in the ascent. The essence of this melody is its expansive treatment in the upper half of the octave where it shines with intricate taan-patterns around dhaivat and komal rishabh. Being an ancient melody, most of the accomplished singers / vocalists, especially from Agra, Gwalior, Kirana gharanäs, have shown their affinity towards Bhatiyär. Late Smt. Manik Varma’s recording of this raag is still popular almost forty years after its release. Much as I would have loved to share this recording with you, it was simply a technical challenge I could not surmount! Instead, you can listen to another quality recording of Bhatiyär by Sanjeev Abhyankar!

Bhatiyär also gels well with other melodies in combination. Some of the melodious and famous jod-raags and mishra-raags like Sohani-Bhatiyar, Triveni (using Lalat-Bhatiyär-Bibhas combination), Bhairav-Bhatiyar, etc. have been composed by creative minds like Pt Kumar Gandharva and others. Triveni has been immortalized by Pt Jitendra Abhisheki in ‘Tejonidhi Lohagol’, one of the most popular compositions from the landmark Marathi play ‘Katyär Kalajät Ghusali’ sung by inimitable Pt Vasantrao Deshpande।

Apart from the jingle mentioned above, music-lovers may remember the soulful Manna Dey – Lata Mangeshkar number ‘Ek Ritu Aaye Ek Ritu Jaaye’ where the opening lines of the song are composed in Bhatiyar. Marathi music has made the most of this soulful, expressive melody with several songs based on this raag. The first that comes to mind is Pt Jitendra Abhisheki’s composition ‘Arthashoonya Bhase Maj Ha’ from the play ‘Yayäti Aani Devayani’. Panditji’s disciple Ramdas Kamat also sung ‘Wäte Bhalyaa Pahäte’, a romantic composition in this raag. Mention must be made here that the lyricists of both these Bhatiyär compositions have had close ties with Nashik.

Recently, Padmaja Phenany-Joglekar has also used Bhatiyär very effectively to welcome the God of Light in ‘Yä Ho Yä ho Sooryanäräyan’! Likewise, go on; welcome the day with this timeless melody!

P.S.: Just as I published this refreshed post, dear friend Sonal Athnikar shared her precious recording of Smt. Manik Varma's Bhatiyär with me. So here it is for your listening pleasure - a taste of 'Khändäni Kiränä Gäyaki' in Manik-tai's sonorous voice courtesy Sonal...!