Ahir Bhairav

Hindustani Classical Music
Concepts
Shruti · Swara · Alankar · Raga
Tala · Gharana · Thaat
Instruments
Indian musical instruments
Genres
Dhrupad · Dhamar · Khyal · Tarana
Thumri · Dadra · Qawwali · Ghazal
Thaats
Bilaval · Khamaj · Kafi · Asavari · Bhairav
Bhairavi · Todi · Purvi · Marwa · Kalyan

Ahir Bhairav is a Hindustani classical raga. It is a mixture of Bhairav and the ancient but now rare raga Ahiri or Abhiri,[1] or perhaps a mixture of Bhairav and Kafi.[2]

Contents

Theory

Arohana and avarohana

Arohana

S r G m P D n S'

Avarohana

S' n D P m G r S

Key:
S, R, G, m, P, D, N: shuddha (natural);
r, g, d, n : komal (flat);
M: teevra (sharp)

Pa and Sa are sometimes avoided in ascending [Arohan].. The descend can be direct, but is often expressed as S' n D P m, G m Gr ~ S with a slight oscillation on komal re to express the character of Bhairav [1]

Vadi and samavadi

Vadi
ma
Samavadi
Sa
But Ga, Pa and Dha are also frequently sustained.

Pakad or Chalan

S, r G M, G M r, ṇ Ḍ, ṇ r S

| komal Ni, shuddha Dha, komal Ni, komal Re, Sa | is the most characteristic run, where the Ni and Dha belong to the lower octave and the Re and Sa are from the middle octave. There is typically some andolan/oscillation at the flattened second (komal Re).

Organization and relationships

Also there may be impressions of Kafi, the image of Ahir Bhairav is easily maintained with the characteristic passage ṇ Ḍ ṇ/r~ S [1] Specially the characteristic Bhairav andolan (oscillation) on komal re. Sometimes shuddha Ni is used in the lower octave to emphazise the Bhairav character.[3]

The Carnatic music equivalent to this raga is Chakravakam.

Behavior

Ahir Bhairav is typical uttarang raga, which means emphasis is on the upper tetrachord.

Samay (Time)

The secondPrahar of the morning, around 6 - 9 AM.

Seasonality

Certain ragas have seasonal associations.

Rasa

Historical Information

Origins

Important Recordings

Wasif-ud-din Dagar, Music Today Cassette:A97015, (Alap and Composition in Dhamar); 'Chalo sakhi braj raje'[4]

Film Songs based on Ahir bhairav

References

  1. ^ a b c Bor 1999
  2. ^ Kaufmann 1968, p.250
  3. ^ Kaufmann 1968, p.251
  4. ^ Bagchee 1998

Literature

(most) entries due to: Moutal, Patrick (1991), Hindustāni Rāga-s Index, New Dheli: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt Ltd, ISBN 81-215-0525-7 

External links

Examples