Bilaskhani Todi

Bilaskhani Todi is a Hindustani classical raga. It is a blend of the ragas Asavari and Todi, and has a close affinity with Komal Rishabh Asavari.

Theory

Research on the musical theory of Indian classical music is fraught with complications, largely because there have been no set, formal methods of written notation. Indian music is an aural tradition, and therefore writing is not an essential part of attaining talim (knowledge).

Arohana & Avarohana

• Arohana: Sa re ga Pa dha Sa
• Avarohana: re ni dha Ma ga re Sa

Vadi & Samavadi

• Vadi: dha
• Samavadi: ga

Organization & Relationships

Thaat: Bhairavi

Behavior

Behavior refers to practical aspects of the music. It is complicated to talk about this for Hindustani music since many of the concepts are fluid, changing, or archaic. The following information cannot be accurate, but it can attempt to reflect how the music existed.

Samay (Time)

Morning,between 6 AM to 12 PM

Seasonality

Certain ragas have seasonal associations.

Rasa

Devotional, Bhakti

Historical Information

Origins

Legend has it that this raga was created by Bilas Khan, son of Miyan Tansen, after his father's death. It is said that Bilas composed the raga while grief-stricken at the wake itself, and that Tansen's corpse moved one hand in approval of the new melody. (There is a similar legend, differing only in detail, about Tansen's Todi.)

Important Recordings

• Amir Khan, Ragas Bilaskhani Todi and Abhogi, HMV/AIR LP (long-playing record), EMI-ECLP2765
• Nikhil Banerjee, Morning Ragas, Bombay 1965, LP record, Raga Records. (Audio CD released June 1996; iTunes 2000).
• Ravi Shankar, from the 1950s

References

Bor, Joep (ed). Rao, Suvarnalata; der Meer, Wim van; Harvey, Jane (co-authors) The Raga Guide: A Survey of 74 Hindustani Ragas. Zenith Media, London: 1999.

External links

• SRA on Samay and Ragas
• SRA on Ragas and Thaats
• Rajan Parrikar on Ragas
• Film Songs in Bilaskhani Todi