An oft-heard compound raga churned out of Bhim and Palasi, this has overshadowed both its Janak (parent) ragas.
Thhaat (parent scale)
Kafi
Jaati:
Audav-Sampoorn (pentatonic ascent-heptatonic descent)
Vaadi:
Madhyam (M)
Samvaadi:
Shadja (S)
Swaras:
Omits Rishabh ( R ) and Dhaivat (D) in ascent, sports Komal Ghandhar (g) and Nishaad (n), rest shuddh swaras
Aaroh (ascent):
n. S g M P n S’ (Western Notes: A# C D# F G A# C)
Avaroh (descent)
S’ n D P M g, M g R S (Western Notes: C A# A G F D#, F D# D C)
Key phrases:
n. S R n. S, P.n.S, S M, M g M P, P M P, g M P n D P, P n S’ n S’, M’g’R’S’, S’n D P, D M P, g, Mg R S
Time:
Late Afternoon (pre-sunset)
Mythically Krishna, the cowherd boy, played this sweet melody on his flute to give a return call to all his grazing cows and cowherd friends. As such this raga, exuding peace and assurance, is associated with homecoming and offers a vast canvas for improvisations. Its universal appeal has made it very popular in every genres of Indian music; so much so that Bhim and Palasi are almost extinct now. Bhimpalasi is also adopted by Carnatic stream as Bhimpalas.
Bibliography
- Bhatkhande V.N. (1919-1937) ‘Kramik Pustak Malika Vol 1-6’
- The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Music of India
- The Raga-ness of the Ragas by Deepak Raja
Links
1. Ustad Abdul Karim Khan (vocal)
2. Kishori Amonkar (vocal)
3. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (vocal)
4. Pandit Ravi Shankar (sitar)
5. Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande (vocal)
Kaushiki Chakraborty sings the romantic afternoon Raag Bhimpalasi, showcasing the ornaments and rapid-fire melodies of her Patiala khayal gharana.
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