AADI RAGAS - SIX PRIMEVAL RAGAS

AADI RAGAS

The first raga or musical scale born out of the sacred ritualistic chanting practiced by Aryans in India, was Raga Bhairav.

Eventually, five other ragas were derived from Bhairav by altering the pitches of certain notes and/or omitting certain notes from its octave progression. Thus, a set of six “Aadi Ragas” : Bhairav, Hindol, Malkauns, Shree, Megh and Deepak were crystallized as musical entities in the beings of these sacred-chant practitioners.

1) Raga Malkauns:
Malkauns is to be performed at night in a very serious mood. All five notes of the Malkauns scale have practically equal importance, and melodies may be started or interrupted on any of these notes. This raga, having no characteristic phrases, offers the performer a comparatively wider field for free improvisation.

2) Raga Bhairav:
The awe-inspiring Bhairav, also believed to be one of the incarnations of Shiva, is depicted by this raga. Bhairav today still represents awesome grandeur, sometimes fear, but also a certain mood of melancholy and even tender adoration. This very important raga has to be performed in the early morning, before sunrise.

3) Raga Megh:
Megh is said to be able to produce rain. It is said that a dancing girl in Bengal, in a time of drought, once drew from the clouds with this raga, a timely refreshing shower which saved the rice crop. Sir W. S. Ousley, who related many of these anecdotes, says that he was told by Bengali people that this power of reproducing the actual conditions of the raga is now only possessed by some musicians in Bengal.

4) Shree Raga: One does not speak of Raga Shree but always of Shree Raga. It is to be performed at sunset. Its character is mysterious, gentle, and depicts the prayerful mood of evening.

5) Raga Hindol:
Hindol means “swing”. If the raga is performed correctly, its mood represents quiet, dignified joy. It is a late morning raga.

6) Raga Deepak:
The magical power ascribed to this raga, if rendered faultlessly, is the creation of fire. As Deepak is to be performed in the evening when lamps are lit, the chance of having a fire in the house is, of course, greater than at other times. Most musicians and theorists shy away from describing Deepak or even mentioning its name. Orthodox, old Indian musicians are very rarely willing to perform Deepak or even explain its performance rules.