Raga Bihag
Elegant, romantic, luminous, graceful
Raga Details
- Thaat
- Bilawal
- Vikrut Swar
- Tivra Madhyam (M^) may appear as an ornament; Shuddha Madhyam (M) remains central
- Varjit Swar
- Rishabh (R) and Dhaivat (D) are commonly omitted in ascent
- Jati
- Audav - Sampurna
- Vadi
- Gandhar (G)
- Samvadi
- Nishad (N)
- Time
- 2nd prahar of night
Aaroha • Avaroha • Pakad
Aaroha / Aaroh
S G M P N S'
Avaroha / Avroh
S' N D P M G M G R S
Pakad
G M P, N S', N D P, M G M G R S
Notation guide: S R G M P D N are shuddha swars. Lowercase r, g, d, n indicate komal swars. M^ indicates tivra Madhyam. S' indicates upper Sa.
Explanation
How to understand Raga Bihag
Raga Bihag feels graceful and luminous. It often has a romantic night-time character, with phrases that sparkle while remaining controlled and classical.
Features of the Raga
- Raga Bihag has an elegant night-time character.
- R and D are generally avoided in the ascent, giving the aroha a smooth and graceful shape.
- Shuddha Madhyam is central, while Tivra Madhyam may appear ornamentally in some treatments.
- The repeated G M movement is important to the raga's identity.