Compositions in Raag Bahar
Bahar means spring, and Raag Bahar is filled with the lightness and celebration of springtime. It can be performed at any time during the spring season. This raga belongs to the Kafi thaat. Its vadi (most important note) is ma, and samvadi (second most important note) is Sa. Raag Bahar's aaroh and avaroh (ascending & descending scales) are as follows:
Below are a couple of simple compositions (bandish) in Raag Bahar.
1. Sakal ban phul rahe sarason
In this composition, a drut khayal by Omkarnath Thakur, the singer first describes a joyous scene of yellow mustard fields as far as eye can see, cuckoo birds singing in every mangrove, peacocks calling, bees humming. She then goes on to say that in the midst of all this, she is still lonely as her lover has not come home to her these many years.
Sakal ban phul rahe sarson (key A♭)
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2. Kaliyan sang karata rang-raliya
This charmingly rustic composition is a bandish by Kiniwale Ram. The poet here describes the spring season – bees flirting with the new buds, the gardens in full bloom, peacocks calling and koels singing everywhere, trees laden with blossoms waving in the breeze, women out in groups to bring back water from the river. All this, he says, gladdens his heart.
Kaliyan sang karata rang-raliya (key G)
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Compositions in other ragas
- Bageshree
- Bhairav
- Bhairavi
- Bhimpalasi
- Bhupali
- Bihag
- Bilawal
- Darbari
- Durga
- Jog
- Kafi
- Kedar
- Malkauns
- Sindhura
- Yaman
