Raag Bhatiyaar

Amit Mukherjee

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Mar 21, 1992, 11:47:10 AM3/21/92

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Hi,
I was wondering if anybody knows the aaroh, avroh and pakad of the above
mentioned raag. Also any notable compositions.

amit

Ramesh Gangolli

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Mar 24, 1992, 3:43:24 PM3/24/92

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Encouraged by a balmy spring break, I append a small article which
some netters may find interesting. Any comments?

RAGA BHATIYAR

Three varieties of Bhatiyar are mentioned in the literature.

1. Bhatiyar of Marwa Thaat.

This is the most commonly sung variety. The Marawa scale is

S r G M+ P D N S^

(Here and in what follows, I denote shuddha swaras by capitals,
komal swaras by lower case letters. The augmented (tivra) madhyama
will be written as M+. The carat ^ following a swara signifies the
octave above the basic octave, ie. the taar saptak, and the tilde ~
used preceding a swara denotes the lower octave, i.e. the mandra saptak)

Vadi : M
Samvadi : S
Time : Pre-dawn (last Prahara of the night)
Aroha : S M G, M+ D S^
Some compositions may take N in Aroha, but its
presence is weak.
Avaroha : S^ N r^ N D P M, G P G r S
(Note that N is used in a Vakra manner)

The tonal structure of this Raga is close to Raga
Bhankhar, another somewhat rare Raga of Marwa Thaat.
There are also similarities between this Bhatiyar and
the Ragas Lalit, Basant and Paraj. All these Ragas use
both madhyamas, M and M+. In fact there are compositions
in Bhatiyar in which the phrase M M+ M G , clearly
reminiscent of Raga Lalit, is used with the same tonal
graces as in Lalit, and to a lesser extent in Basant. Sometimes
these compositions will be referred to as being in Lalit-Bhatiyar.

Some characteristic phrases of Bhatiyar :

S M, P M P G, P G r S;
S ~N r ~N ~D ~P; ~M+ ~D S; S r S;
S M; M P; M+ D S^; S^ r^ S^; N r^ S^;
N r^ N D P; M+ D M+ G; M P G; P G r S;
(Alternatively, using Lalit phrasing, this last descent
can executed as follows) :
N r^ N D P; M M+ M G; M P G; P G r S;

Raga Bhatiyar is very serene in mood, with a distinct
pathetic tinge to its phraseology. Amir Khan's recording
of the khayal : "Tuma bina jagoon" is well known, as is Manik Verma's
recording of the compositions : "Ginat rahi" , "Piya Milanake Kaaj
Sakhi Ri".

An absolutely BEAUTIFUL, but little known, pair of
compositions, one by Natu Saheb, and the other by
S.N.Ratanjankar, is in the form of a question and answer
: The question is posed out of the despair that follows
the realization that one's powers are fading; the answer
provides hope and encouragement, with the thought that
getting a grip on one's own mind is the key to overcoming such
despair. The beginning lines are :

" Dina Gaye Beete Sukhake ri" (Natu Saheb)

" Tanika Suna Ri Sata Bachan Aba " (S. N. Ratanjankar)

This sort of compositional exercise follows the tradition of Sanskrit
kavya, and there seems to be some internal evidence that court
composers in times past might have indulged in similar sport. The pair
referred to above is the only modern example I know of this kind of
repartee, or dialogue.

2. Bhatiyar of Khamaj Thaat.

(This is commonly also called Bhatiyali.)

Bhatkhande, in vol 6 of his Kramik Pustak Malika, says that this Raga
is mentioned in "older works" but gives no references; nor are any
compositions in this raga given in the Kramik Pustak Malika.

The Khamaj scale : S R G M P D n S^

Vadi : P
Samvadi : S
Time : early part of the night (first prahara of the night)
Aroha : S R M P D S^
Avaroha : S^ n D P M G R S, ~n ~D S, ~n R S

Some characteristic phrases :

~n ~D S, ~n R S; S R M P D M D P, D P M G R, M G R S;
S R M P D S^, S^ n D P M D P; D P M G R S, ~n R S;

This raga is described in J.D Patki's books : " Aparichita Ragas",
in vol 2., where a couple of notated compositions are also given.

Also described in Subbarao's "Raga Nidhi" vol 1;

As described here, and in Patki's book, this raga is very close to
Jinjhoti, Khambavati and Sindhura. In renderings it comes through
as a playful melody, and is considered to be a folk melody by some.

It sounds so close to the Jhinjoti, Sindhura, Khambavati trio that
one is tempted to treat it as a folk (desi) offshoot of those.

3. Bhatiyar of Bilawal Thaat.

Described in Subba Rao's "Raga Nidhi" vol 1;

Vadi : S
Samvadi : P
Time : ??
Aroha : S R P D n P D S^
Avaroha : r^ n D P, M G R, S ~n ~D ~P, ~D ~P ~D S.

(Note that although the komal nishad n, is not a note of the Bilawal
Thaat, it is used in many Bilawal thaat ragas, e.g. Alhaiya Bilawal)

I have never heard this Raga being sung by anyone, and would welcome any
information that others can provide. I believe that one of
Ramakrishnabuwa Vaze's books contains a composition in this Raga, and
That as notated there, the Raga is a mixture of Bilawal and Jhinjhoti.
However, I have not checked this out myself.

Comment : All three Ragas are called Bhattiyali, Bhattihari, Bhatiyari
as well as Bhatiyar in various works. Only the bhatiyar of Marwa thaat
is rendered these days in a serious khayal mode, or so it seems to me.
I would welcome other information from connoiseurs.

--
Ramesh Gangolli (gang...@math.washington.edu)
Dept. of Mathematics GN-50
University of Washington
Seattle WA 98195.

Rajan Parrikar

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Mar 24, 1992, 4:55:41 PM3/24/92

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In article <1992Mar24....@u.washington.edu> gang...@frobenius.math.washington.edu (Ramesh Gangolli) writes:
>
***deleted***

>
> 3. Bhatiyar of Bilawal Thaat.
>
> Described in Subba Rao's "Raga Nidhi" vol 1;
>
> Vadi : S
> Samvadi : P
> Time : ??
> Aroha : S R P D n P D S^
> Avaroha : r^ n D P, M G R, S ~n ~D ~P, ~D ~P ~D S.
>
> (Note that although the komal nishad n, is not a note of the Bilawal
> Thaat, it is used in many Bilawal thaat ragas, e.g. Alhaiya Bilawal)
>
> I have never heard this Raga being sung by anyone, and would welcome any

This version is extremely rare and I don't know of any recorded
piece. In a seminar on "rarest of the rare" Ragas, Pandit Athavale
of the Kala Academy, Goa, had demonstrated this one (along with other
arcane Bhatiyaar variants). I still have the notes .....back home:-(
BTW, there's another Raga, close to all these, called Pancham,
which is very charming - The only version on record I know of is by
Mushtaq Ali Khan. Anyone out there has it????

Rajan Parrikar
==============
email:parr...@mimicad.colorado.edu

Ramesh Gangolli

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Mar 24, 1992, 5:46:25 PM3/24/92

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Pancham is a very interesting Raga indeed. Actually there are two versions,
but without going into that, I do have a recording by Pandit K. G. Ginde
of a composition of Ratanjankar in Pancham of Marwa thaat : "Aaja Aawo
Gaawo, Gaawo Rijhawo Mila" which is very pleasing. This variety of Pancham
actually omits the pancham note P;

BTW, there is typo in the Avaroha of the Bhatiyar of Bilawal Thhat, see
above. ( I apologize for this ). The first r^ in the Avaroha should have
been R^.

Rajan, if you havce access to Pt. Athavale's recording of the Bhatiyar
of Bilawal thaat, I would do anything reasonable to get a copy.

Rajan Parrikar

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Mar 24, 1992, 6:10:37 PM3/24/92

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In article <1992Mar24.2...@u.washington.edu> gang...@frobenius.math.washington.edu (Ramesh Gangolli) writes:

***deleted***

>
>

>Pancham is a very interesting Raga indeed. Actually there are two versions,
>but without going into that, I do have a recording by Pandit K. G. Ginde
>of a composition of Ratanjankar in Pancham of Marwa thaat : "Aaja Aawo
>Gaawo, Gaawo Rijhawo Mila" which is very pleasing. This variety of Pancham
>actually omits the pancham note P;

Yes, Mushtaq Ali Khan's rendition too omits the pancham in Raga
Pancham. It almost sounds like Raga Bhinna Shadaj (Kaushikdwani) with
a komal rishab. Is the recording by Ginde commercially available??

>
>Rajan, if you havce access to Pt. Athavale's recording of the Bhatiyar
>of Bilawal thaat, I would do anything reasonable to get a copy.

Recordings were made though not by me. Some of my colleagues at the
Academy might have archived these. I'll try and check up.

Ramesh Gangolli

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Mar 24, 1992, 7:15:17 PM3/24/92

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In article <1992Mar24.2...@colorado.edu> parr...@csn.org (Rajan Parrikar) writes:

>***deleted***

>Yes, Mushtaq Ali Khan's rendition too omits the pancham in Raga
>Pancham. It almost sounds like Raga Bhinna Shadaj (Kaushikdwani) with
>a komal rishab. Is the recording by Ginde commercially available??
>

The recording by Ginde is not commercially available. I made the recording
in Bombay at a concert on the occasion of the Punyatithi of V. N.
Bhatkhande, on which occasion Shri Ginde sang Hem-Nat and Pancham.

Hari Subramanian

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Mar 25, 1992, 6:56:34 PM3/25/92

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In article <1992Mar21.1...@noose.ecn.purdue.edu>, mukh...@rainbow.ecn.purdue.edu (Amit Mukherjee) writes:
|> From: mukh...@rainbow.ecn.purdue.edu (Amit Mukherjee)
|> Subject: Raag Bhatiyaar

|>
|> Hi,
|> I was wondering if anybody knows the aaroh, avroh and pakad of the above
|> mentioned raag.

I am familiar with Carnatic music. I haven't come
across this term`pakad'. Could some kind soul
enlighten me on this?