Bageshri

Raga Bageshri or Bageshree is a Carnatic classical raga. It is a janya raga (derived scale) of the 22nd Melakarta raga Kharaharapriya. It is meant to depict the emotion of waiting for reunion with one's lover. Being a very melodic raga it has gained popularity over the centuries. In Hindustani music, it is said to have been first sung by Miyan Tansen, the celebrated court singer of the Emperor Akbar in the sixteenth century.

In modern days, people like the popular Hindi music director C.Ramchandra favour composing songs in Bageshri, as he found it simple. In a 1978 interview at BBC studios with Mahendra Kaul, he explained this, while playing songs like (Radha na bole – Azad, 1955) that were set to Bageshri.

Theory
The theoretical aspects of Bageshri are as follows:

Scale

 * Arohana : S g m D n S'
 * Avarohana : S' n D m P D g m g R S

Vadi & Samavadi

 * Vadi : Madhyam (Ma)
 * Samavadi: Shadja (Sa)

Pakad or Chalan
D n s, m, m P D, m g R S


 * Varjit Swara – P & R in Aaroh


 * Jati : – Audav-Sampoorna (Vakra)

Organization & Relationships
Thaat: Kafi (raga)

Samayā (Time)
The time for this raaga is (middle of the night).

Carnatic music
Bageshri raga a popular raga. It is derived from the 22nd Melakarta, Kharaharapriya. This raga is a janya raga (derived) as it does not have all the seven notes in the ascending scale.

Structure and Lakshana
Bageshri is an asymmetric scale that does not contain panchamam or rishabam in the ascending scale. It is called a audava-sampurna rāgam, in Carnatic music classification (as it has 5 notes in ascending and 7 notes in descending scale). Its  structure is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):


 * Arohana :
 * Avarohana :

This scale uses the notes, and.

Popular compositions
Bageshri is a very melodic raga in Carnatic music. So, even though this scale has been used only in a few krithis (compositions), many devaranamas, ashtapadis, thiruppugazhs, and other lyrics have been set to tune in this raga. It is typically sung in concerts after the main piece, in viruttams, padams, bhajans, and ragamalika.

Here are some popular compositions in Bageshri.


 * Eru mayil eri vilayaducomposed by Arunagirinathar
 * Sagarasayana by M. D. Ramanathan
 * Maname Ariyen by Papanasam Sivan
 * Antakanadutarige KiMchittu dayavilla by Purandaradasa
 * Govindamiha by Narayana Theertha