APPLICATION OF RAGANGA IN RAGA MEGH MALHAR AND MADHMAD SARANG: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Abstract [English]

Several Hindustani ragas share identical aroh and avroh but differ in chalan, creating distinct flavours, as seen in ragas Megh, Malhar and Madhmad Sarang. While the Malhar raganga impacts Megh Malhar, Madhmad Sarang is impacted by the Sarang raganga. This comparative study qualitatively analysed the placement of the Malhar and Sarang ragangas in Megh Malhar and Madhmad Sarang through recorded performances of the ragas, comparing prominent phrases within different sections of raga presentation, across five purposively selected Gharanas, resulting in a total sample size of ten. One raga presentation by an established artist from a specific Gharana in raga Megh Malhar was compared to another presentation in raga Madhmad Sarang by a different artist from the same lineage. The application of the Malhar and Sarang phrases was observed through these comparisons. Significant differences were observed in the application of ‘mR’, ‘PnP’, and ‘PR’ phrases for both ragas. Findings showed that the Kanada phrase ‘mgmRS’ was used to strengthen Malhar in Megh Malhar and to delineate it from Madhmad Sarang, and that Risabh was not always rendered as ‘mR’ in Megh Malhar; often it was rendered straight as ‘R’ to give the raga a more masculine character. Comparisons indicated that Megh Malhar had a more complex and heavier personality than Madhmad Sarang. Anga or phrasal analysis offered a new framework for comparing these ragas, illustrating their character and personality as reflected in the performances. Such comparisons provide fresh insights into the qualitative and quantitative studies of Hindustani music, especially for future machine-based and computational research on Hindustani ragas.