Rag Bhairav

Ragmala Painting of Rag Bhairav (circa A.D. 1620-25) — *Ragmala* Painting of *Rag Bhairav* (circa A.D. 1620-25)

Description

Rag Bhairav is a very common rag. It is very old, and very popular in both light as well as classical music.

The expanse of this rag is vast. The basic scale is considered to be the shuddha swar saptak (scale of all natural notes) for Carnatic musicians; here it is known as rag Mayamalavagowla. In the West, the music directors of Hollywood have used this whenever an Eastern feel was required; here it has been used to such a degree that it is known variously as “Arabic Minor”, “Gypsy Major”, or the “Double Harmonic Scale. In the musical tradition of the Sikhs, this rag has been used extensively to convey a mood seriousness. The basic scale is also used extensively in the music of the Middle East, where it is often referred to as “Hijaz Kar”.

The name “Bhairav” has interesting origins. It is one of the names of lord Shiva. It means the “destroyer of fear”. According to mythology, it was the first rag. It is believed that it emanated directly from the face of Mahadev (Shiva).

It is a very well known rag but it is seldom heard because it is a morning rag and most performances are in the evening. Kalingada is very similar and is more likely to be heard by most concert goers.

The use of Bharav in film music is much more flexible. The informal treatment means that there is a lot of overlap with Kalingada. This leads to lively discussions as to whether particular songs are in Kalingada or in Bhairav. Furthermore, there is no adherence to particular times with most film songs. Pehaps the most famous example is “Mohe Bhul Gaye Sanvariyan” from the film “Baiju Bawara”. For a larger list of film songs in Bhairav, check “Rags Used in the Films” (Bhairav).

Bhairav has a very simple structure. It is sampurna – sampurna. For those who still adhere to the Vadi / Samvadi theory, it has been suggested that Dha is the vadi and Re is the samvadi. Re and Dha should have a heavy undolan (slow shake) to define its character. Bhairav’s characteristics are: