Ahīra Bhairava

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Ṭhāṭa : Bhairava

Jāti : sampūrṇa / sampūrṇa

Āroha / avaroha : Sa re Ga ma Pa Dha ni Ṡa / Ṡa ni Dha Pa ma Ga re Sa

Vādī / Samvādī : ma / Sa

Prahara : 6 - 9 am

Pakaḍa : Ga ma re, Sa Ḍha ṇi re Sa (Abhinava Gītanjali)

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As its name suggests, raga Ahīra Bhairava belongs to Bhairava ṭhāṭa. It is a samyukta raga, that means it is formed by the combination of two ragas: Bhairava in the lower tetrachord (purvāṅga) and Kafi in the upper tetrachord (uttarāṅga). The ascending and descending scale is straightforward. However, the particular charm of Ahīra Bhairava is manifested through oblique movements, such as: Dha ma Pa Ga ma, Ga ma re, ṇi Ḍha ṇi re. Most reference books on hindustani classical music classify this raga as an uttarāṅga pradhāna raga and present ma and Sa as its vādī and samvādī svara, but these rules are not reflected in practice. The analysis of the contemporary interpretations of Ahīra Bhairava reveals the importance of the svara re and Ga. The challenge with this raga, as with most samyukta ragas, is to reach a balance between the two parts of the musical territory (uttarāṅga and purvāṅga). In this regard, some musicians choose to tune the tānpurā on the svara ma-Sa rather than Pa-Sa. In my opinion, the presence of the ma in the tānpurā accentuates the division of the musical territory. I therefore prefer to keep the tānpurā tuned with Pa. 

 

Calana:

Sa ṇi Ḍha ṇi re- Sa, ṇi re Sa ṇi Ḍha P̣a, Ḍha ṇi re- Sa, Ga ma Pa ma Ga ma re Sa, ṇi Ḍha ṇi re- Sa | re Ga ma Pa ma, Ga ma Pa Dha ni Dha- Pa, Ga ma Dha ni Ṡa, ni Dha ni ṙe Ṡa, Ṡa ni Dha Pa, Dha ma Pa ma Ga, Ga ma Pa ma Ga ma re- Sa, ṇi Ḍha ṇi re- Sa.  

 

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