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On Raga Bhatiyar By- Rajan P. Parrikar Rajan P. Parrikar is a recognized expert on Indian Classical music and shares his knowledge freely with those interested in the subject. He has written a series of articles on Classical Indian Music some of which have been archived on Sawf. Click here to read Rajan's earlier articles.

Rajan P. Parrikar at the birthplace of Lord Mahavira in Vaishali, Bihar (1996)

Namashkar.

Raga Bhatiyar is heard at the crack of dawn, attendant with the quotidian, crepuscular rite where Indian ladies, armed with state-of-the-art spices, take control of their sovereign space to negotiate the day's culinary projects. The name of this old rAga is said to derive from King Bhartrhari; this may well be a good example of inventive etymology. Throughout the following discussion M = shuddha madhyam and m = teevra madhyam.

Bhatiyar's attractive façade belies its complexity. It exhibits bi-directional (i.e. Arohi and avarohi) assymetry in tonal construction and punctuation. The seed capital is supplied by Ragas Mand and Marwa, their respective strands conjoined by special swara-sangatis. Bhatiyar is of 'abstract' type, where the whole is not the sum of the parts. While the latter comment may be generally true of every rAga, the gaps to be filled in the more 'abstract' melodies require substantial reflection and internalization of the underlying aesthetic spirit. In this essay I propose to touch upon the rAga's central features.

The definitive movement in Raga Bhatiyar is the propulsive leap S-->D, an artifact of its Marwa heritage. The dhaivat thus approached is rendered deergha (elongated) and followed up by a Mand-inspired (N)D N P, D M, culminating with a nyAsa on the madhyam. The melodic thought at this juncture is typically concluded on the shaDaj via P G, P G r, S - where the second (P G) subgroup looks to the rishab. The crucial point here is the avarohi nyAsa on the madhyam, that swara being of utmost value to this rAga. A pause on the pancham following S->D must be avoided.

A S-->M launch is just as frequent. The madhyam is elongated but not accorded full nyAsa in the Arohi flow. A typical foray may look like:

S M, M P, M D P M, P G, P G r, S

Or, when the avarohi nyAsa on the madhyam is illustrated, it may assume:

S D, D N P D M, M (P)D P, P g r S

The uttarAnga forays have a life of their own and are initiated from the teevra madhyam in a Marwa-like cluster: m D S". For instance (caveat: careless handling may invite unwanted memories of Marwa):

m D S", N r" G" r" S", r" N D P D N (D)P D (P)M

To get the gestalt of Bhatiyar we must turn to the supporting audio clips. Only the 'big picture' has been outlined above, the auxiliary details of interest to the more excited reader have been skimped. The following chalan in the voice of Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" holds Bhatiyar's concentrate (notice the special treatment of the swaras enclosed in square brackets):

S M, M M P [P] G, G M P G r, S

S M M P P D D [N] P [D] M M M (P)D P, M P G P G r S

S D, D [N] [N] P, m D S", N r", N P D [N] P [D] M M M (P)D P, P G P G r, S

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhatiyar/jha_bhatiyar_chalan.ram

The key ingredients that make for Bhatiyar's design are common to almost all renditions as will be evident from the clipfest. We kick off the proceedings with a bhajan by Lata Mangeshkar from the movie GHAR GHAR KI KAHANI (1970). The composers are Kalyanji-Anandji: jaya Nandlala -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhatiyar/lata_ggkk.ram


Ramrang's compositions are splendidly conceived. First, a sparkling bandish in Jhaptala delivered with his customary verve.

mero bane nAhiN tero krupA bina
kaise karuN maiN vighana haiN ghanero

nAtha too anAthana ke deenana ke ho dAtA
'rAmrang' ke sakala kAraja sudhAro

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhatiyar/jha_bhatiyar.ram

Another handsome Ramrang composition in vilambit Ektala, by his disciple, Shubha Mudgal: sajana binA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhatiyar/mudgal.ram

Bhatiyar's robust design readily submits itself to Dhrupad treatment. N. Aminuddin Dagar's nomtom AlAp and the dhrupad, Shiva Shiva Shiva, are both class acts -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhatiyar/nadagar.ram

Among the finest Bhatiyars around, this recording of Laxmanprasad Jaipurwale features the traditional vilambit tero guna gA'ooN and his own druta composition -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhatiyar/lpj.ram

Amir Khan, a perpetual delight, sings a traditional Khayal: barani na jAya -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhatiyar/amirkhan.ram

The same Khayal, fluently developed by Basavraj Rajguru -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhatiyar/rajguru.ram

Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande's creative acumen is written all over his compositions. One such, nisadinana bismarata, finds an ally in K.G. Ginde -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhatiyar/ginde.ram

Ramkrishnabuwa Vaze and his bag of quirks -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhatiyar/vazebuwa.ram

A Tarana by Nissar Hussain Khan of the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana brings us to the final item in our Bhatiyar catalogue -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhatiyar/nhk.ram

For completeness I should mention that some Agra singers render a Lalit-anga Bhatiyar that employs the komal dhaivat (see, for instance, Babanrao Haldankar's recording). Also, versions of Bhatiyar of the Bilawal and Khamaj extraction are now mostly out of circulation (a recording of the Khamaj-anga Bhatiyar is adduced in the Khamaj feature).

Bhatiyar forms a triad with two other rAgas, namely, Bhankar and Pancham. My intent here is to only introduce the reader to these uncommon melodies. In the interest of brevity this will be a quick, drive-by excursion.

Raga Bhankar

There are at least three primary versions of this Bhatiyar affiliate. In the type purveyed by Jha-sahab (the Ratanjankar branch shares this view in large measure) the accent is now transferred to the pancham (recall the dominant madhyam in Bhatiyar), the teevra madhyam appears in a peculiar avarohi passage. An altogether independent swaroopa accrues with these alterations. Ramrang outlines the chalan and then his bandish:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhatiyar/jha_bhankar_chalan.ram

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhatiyar/jha_bhankar.ram

Aftab-e-Mausiqui Faiyyaz Khan's Bhankar is an odd one. He does not much appeal to Bhatiyar's dhAtu. Instead, one finds chhAyAs of Poorvi (in the poorvAnga G r M G} and Bhairav. Of the two dhaivats pressed into service the komal is by far the dominant. The massive meeND from the tAra komal rishab back down to the base shaDaj is breathtaking. All this and more parlayed in the famous E karatAra jaga nistArana -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhatiyar/faiyyaz_bhankar.ram

And now for the piece de resistance of this article: the Atrauli-Jaipur conception of Bhankar developed by Alladiya Khan. That he could fashion something so complex without compromising on melodic and aesthetic content shows him for the extraordinary genius that he was. That in our time we had a vehicle in Mallikarjun Mansur to convey Khansahib's ideas marks us out as a singularly fortunate generation.

In this Bhankar, Alladiya Khan has re-worked both E karatAra jaga nistArana and the rAga itself. A LalitAnga is inducted via the downward chromatic use of the two madhyams - d m M. The melodic 'centre' alternates between M and P. The antara is launched with m D S" a la Bhatiyar, and is resolved by a gigantic declining meenD along the r"-N-d-m-M locus.

If this rendition doesn't move and shock you to tears you have no soul. These are only seven minutes of Mansur's tour de force from a long, old AIR recording. E karatAra jaga nistArana in vilambit roopak -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhatiyar/mm_bhankar.ram

Raga Pancham

This rAga comes in multiple versions. The common Marwa-thAT type, in fact, eschews the pancham swara. In the first clip Ramrang talks briefly of the rAga's antecedents beginning with Bhookosh and its morphing over time. His lakshaNageet is featured in the second.

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhatiyar/jha_pancham_chalan.ram

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhatiyar/jha_pancham.ram

K.G. Ginde's interpretation of this rAga with Ratanjankar's composition has much in common with Ramrang's but there's an additional bite of LalitAnga off the two madhyams: Aja gA'o, gA'o rijhAvo -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhatiyar/ginde_pancham.ram

Vestiges of the earlier Bhookosh (resurrected now as Bhinna Shadaj) alluded to by Ramrang are observed in the Rampur-Sahaswan script for Pancham. The subtle touches of the komal rishab and pancham in avarohi mode induce pleasing flavours. Allauddin Khan of Maihar perhaps derived some inspiration for his Hemant (with R replacing r) from this melody.

Mashqoor Ali Khan -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhatiyar/mashqoor_pancham.ram

The concluding item of Faiyyaz Khan's Pancham extends the Rampur conception. The Arohi prayoga assumes the form S G M D N. In descent, the pancham and shuddha rishab are taken in vakra clusters, and a strong madhyam characterizes the development. The recurring P G R S reins in and terminates a melodic foray. Also notice the occasional komal rishab.

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhatiyar/faiyyaz_pancham.ram

Acknowledgement:

My deepest thanks to Anita Thakur of SAWF for initiating this series of features, for turning my plain text files into attractive, readable Web pages, and for her good cheer in following up on every emendation.

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