Raag Bihagबिहाग
Sourced · not yet reviewed by a musician
Kalyan thaat · Audav-Sampurna · Early night
- Sunset
- Early night
- Night
Swaras and phrases
Outlined: vadiVadiThe leading swara in a named raag teaching description. It helps explain note emphasis within that interpretation.Source: N2 §§2.2.6–2.2.9, pp. 17–18.More in the glossary Ga · samvadiSamvadiThe swara ranked next to vadi in a named teaching account. The pair helps describe the raag’s note hierarchy.Source: N2 §§2.2.6–2.2.9, pp. 17–18.More in the glossary Ni
Tap a lit note to hear it · Synthesized for study — not a recording
- ArohaArohaA raag’s ascending note movement in a teaching outline. It is read alongside descending movement and characteristic phrases.Source: N2 §§2.2.3–2.2.4, pp. 16–17; §2.3 answer 1, p. 19; glossary entries 2–3, p. 20 (correcting the apparent ‘Avroha’ typo in §2.2.3).More in the glossary
- Sa Ga Ma Pa Ni Sa'
Source: IGNOU OMU-001 +5
- IGNOU OMU-001, §1.3 b) Bihag, Aroh; printed p.6
- Artium Academy, Raag Bihag page, aroha
- Darbar, Bihaag/Behaag - Darbar, aroha
- Shankar Mahadevan Academy, Raga Bihag: The Sweet Romantic Night Raga Guide, aroha
- AGK Sangeet, Raag Bihag | AGK Sangeet, aroha
- Ragakosh, Raga Bihag - Learn Thaat, Jaati, Time, Vadi, Samvadi, Aroh, Avroh, Pakad - Powered by Ragakosh, aroha
- 6 of 6 sources agree
- AvarohaAvarohaA raag’s descending note movement in a teaching outline. It may use notes or turns differently from the ascent.Source: N2 §§2.2.3–2.2.4, pp. 16–17; §2.3 answer 1, p. 19; glossary entries 2–3, p. 20 (correcting the apparent ‘Avroha’ typo in §2.2.3).More in the glossary
- Sa' Ni Dha Pa Ma♯ Pa Ga Ma Ga Re Sa
Source: IGNOU OMU-001 +3
- IGNOU OMU-001, §1.3 b) Bihag, Avroh; printed p.7
- AGK Sangeet, Raag Bihag | AGK Sangeet, avaroha
- Darbar, Bihaag/Behaag - Darbar, avaroha
- Ragakosh, Raga Bihag - Learn Thaat, Jaati, Time, Vadi, Samvadi, Aroh, Avroh, Pakad - Powered by Ragakosh, avaroha
- 4 of 6 sources agree
- PakadPakadA characteristic note phrase that helps identify a raag. A pakad is a useful cue to identity, rather than a substitute for learning the raag’s wider movement.Source: N2 §2.2.5, p. 17.More in the glossary
- Ni Sa / Ga Re Sa; Sa / Ma Ga -; Ga Ma Pa Ga Ma Ga -; Pa \ Ma♯ Ga Ma Pa Ma Ga -; Pa - Dha \ Ga Ma Ga -
Source: AUTRIM
- AUTRIM, Bihag page, characteristic phrases
- 5 versions in 5 sources
About Bihag
In Bihag, Ga and Ni are strong, while Re and Dha are weak and left out going up. Both forms of Ma occur, but tivra MaTivraThe raised form of Ma relative to shuddha Ma in Hindustani teaching. The other swaras do not have a tivra form in this system.Source: N1 §1.7, pp. 4–5. and 1 moreMore in the glossary is weak and appears only in oblique descending turns with shuddhaShuddhaThe unmodified form of a swara in Hindustani teaching. Re, Ga, Ma, Dha and Ni can also have specified altered forms.Source: N1 §1.7, pp. 4–5. and 1 moreMore in the glossary Ma.
Curriculum: Pracheen Kala Kendra's vocal syllabus prescribes it at Bhushan I.
Source: PKK
- PKK, printed p.3, list of prescribed raags
How it moves
AUTRIM says Re and Dha are left out of the ascent.
Source: AUTRIM
- AUTRIM, Bihag page, opening description
AUTRIM says tivra MaTivraThe raised form of Ma relative to shuddha Ma in Hindustani teaching. The other swaras do not have a tivra form in this system.Source: N1 §1.7, pp. 4–5. and 1 moreMore in the glossary appears only in winding descending phrases, together with shuddhaShuddhaThe unmodified form of a swara in Hindustani teaching. Re, Ga, Ma, Dha and Ni can also have specified altered forms.Source: N1 §1.7, pp. 4–5. and 1 moreMore in the glossary Ma.
Source: AUTRIM
- AUTRIM, Bihag page, opening description
Learner focus
Keep Re and Dha light, bring out Ga and Ni, and use tivra MaTivraThe raised form of Ma relative to shuddha Ma in Hindustani teaching. The other swaras do not have a tivra form in this system.Source: N1 §1.7, pp. 4–5. and 1 moreMore in the glossary only in descending turns.
Source: AUTRIM
- AUTRIM, Bihag page, opening description
Caution
Older interpretations almost avoid tivra MaTivraThe raised form of Ma relative to shuddha Ma in Hindustani teaching. The other swaras do not have a tivra form in this system.Source: N1 §1.7, pp. 4–5. and 1 moreMore in the glossary. Newer ones use it lightly, and only in winding descending phrases.
Source: AUTRIM
- AUTRIM, Bihag page, opening description
Study prompts
Short exercises that restate what the cited sources say.
- Sing an ascent that leaves out Re and Dha.
- Sing Pa, glide down to Ma(tivra), then sing Ga Ma Pa Ma Ga and hold the Ga.
- Sing Ga Ma Pa Ga Ma Ga and hold the final Ga.
Based on: IGNOU OMU-001 +6
- IGNOU OMU-001, §1.3 b) Bihag, Aroh; printed p.6
- Artium Academy, Raag Bihag page, aroha
- Darbar, Bihaag/Behaag - Darbar, aroha
- Shankar Mahadevan Academy, Raga Bihag: The Sweet Romantic Night Raga Guide, aroha
- AGK Sangeet, Raag Bihag | AGK Sangeet, aroha
- Ragakosh, Raga Bihag - Learn Thaat, Jaati, Time, Vadi, Samvadi, Aroh, Avroh, Pakad - Powered by Ragakosh, aroha
- AUTRIM, Bihag page, characteristic phrases
Variants
- Older interpretations nearly avoid tivra MaTivraThe raised form of Ma relative to shuddha Ma in Hindustani teaching. The other swaras do not have a tivra form in this system.Source: N1 §1.7, pp. 4–5. and 1 moreMore in the glossary; newer interpretations use it weakly in oblique descent.
Source: AUTRIM
- AUTRIM, Bihag page, opening description
How the sources vote
Each field shows the version most independent sources agree on. One publisher counts once.
- ThaatSources split 4–4
- Jati5 of 6 sources agree
- Time4 of 7 sources agree
- Aroha6 of 6 sources agree
- Avaroha4 of 6 sources agree
- Pakad5 versions in 5 sources
- VadiAll 6 sources agree
- SamvadiAll 6 sources agree
Sources differ
Notes where the cited sources describe the raagRaagA recognisable arrangement of notes and musical behaviour that guides melody. A raag’s identity involves how notes are used, not just a list of pitches.Source: N2 §2.1, pp. 14–15; §2.2.1, p. 15. and 1 moreMore in the glossary differently. Field-by-field versions and their sources are under How the sources vote.
- Swaras. The sources state this differently.
- AUTRIM, Bihag page, tone material
- Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Ma(tivra), Pa, Dha, Ni
- IGNOU OMU-001, §1.3 b) Bihag; printed p.6
- Sa, Re, Ga, Ma(tivra), Pa, Dha, Ni
Similar raags named by the sources
- Maru Bihag: Same tone material, different ascent/descent; sharp Ma and Re dominate Maru Bihag.
Source: AUTRIM
- AUTRIM, Bihag page, description
Not stated in our sources yet
The sources we cite do not state: other names. RagaPedia leaves these blank rather than guess.
Film songs
Film songs where a checked source names Bihag. Each song shows whether a musician has reviewed it yet.
BandishesBandishA composed piece that anchors raag development. Its melody, words and rhythmic setting provide material for elaboration.Source: RR14 §5.2, PDF pp. 6–7, respective subheadings.More in the glossary on archive recordings
- “Sunder hon gayee birakh bhanu ke bilok aayee bairan ko baadhoo”
Stated in Raga Records' own notes, which are one source family; not independently confirmed or reviewed. This bandishBandishA composed piece that anchors raag development. Its melody, words and rhythmic setting provide material for elaboration.Source: RR14 §5.2, PDF pp. 6–7, respective subheadings.More in the glossary is in this raagRaagA recognisable arrangement of notes and musical behaviour that guides melody. A raag’s identity involves how notes are used, not just a list of pitches.Source: N2 §2.1, pp. 14–15; §2.2.1, p. 15. and 1 moreMore in the glossary; it is not a rule for every bandishBandishA composed piece that anchors raag development. Its melody, words and rhythmic setting provide material for elaboration.Source: RR14 §5.2, PDF pp. 6–7, respective subheadings.More in the glossary. Label: “Bihag”.
Archive recordings
Read the imported recording notes and view artwork in Ragapedia. Programme labels come from Raga Records and await independent musical review. Recovered audio is available in the listening collection. Complete CD audio remains pending.
RAGA-208 · CD
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt — Pittsburgh, 1989
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (guitar);Sukhvindar Singh (tabla)
Bihag
Alap, jor, jhalla and gats
RAGA-221 · 2 CDs
Senior Dagar Brothers — Calcutta, June 1955
Nasir Moinuddin Dagar (vocal);Nasir Aminuddin Dagar (vocal);Purushottam Das (pakhawaj)
Bihag
Alap and dhrupad
Study BihagTaalTaalA recurring cycle of counted units that organises rhythm. The cycle gives a framework for compositions and rhythmic elaboration.Source: N3 §§3.1–3.3.1, pp. 21–22.More in the glossary: Chautal
RAGA-223 · CD
Wasifuddin Dagar — New York, 2000
Wasifuddin Dagar (vocal);Mohan Shyam Sharma (pakhawaj)
Bihag
Alap, jor and chautal
Study BihagTaalTaalA recurring cycle of counted units that organises rhythm. The cycle gives a framework for compositions and rhythmic elaboration.Source: N3 §§3.1–3.3.1, pp. 21–22.More in the glossary: Chautal
Stories
Short accounts from the cited sources, paraphrased. Each line says whether it is documented, a named person's account, or uncertain.
Bihag on guitar
Raga Records documents Vishwa Mohan Bhatt playing Bihag on guitar in Pittsburgh in 1989. The release lists an alapAlapAn exploration that unfolds a raag’s melodic character. Alap commonly introduces notes and phrases without a fixed taal accompaniment.Source: RR14 §5.2, PDF pp. 6–7, respective subheadings.More in the glossary, jor and jhalla for solo guitar, then slow and fast tintal with Sukhvindar Singh on tabla.
Documented · Source: Raga-208: musician credits, LIVE PITTSBURGH 1989 and BIHAG track list
Sources for this profile
ThaatThaatA seven-note parent scale used to group Hindustani raags in Bhatkhande’s classification. A thaat is a classification aid rather than a complete raag to perform.Source: N2 §2.1, pp. 14–15; §2.2.1, p. 15. and 1 moreMore in the glossary, jatiJatiA classification of a raag by its note counts in ascent and descent. Audav means five, shadav six and sampurna seven; the two directions can have different counts.Source: N2 §2.2.2, p. 16.More in the glossary, time, vadiVadiThe leading swara in a named raag teaching description. It helps explain note emphasis within that interpretation.Source: N2 §§2.2.6–2.2.9, pp. 17–18.More in the glossary, samvadiSamvadiThe swara ranked next to vadi in a named teaching account. The pair helps describe the raag’s note hierarchy.Source: N2 §§2.2.6–2.2.9, pp. 17–18.More in the glossary, arohaArohaA raag’s ascending note movement in a teaching outline. It is read alongside descending movement and characteristic phrases.Source: N2 §§2.2.3–2.2.4, pp. 16–17; §2.3 answer 1, p. 19; glossary entries 2–3, p. 20 (correcting the apparent ‘Avroha’ typo in §2.2.3).More in the glossary, avarohaAvarohaA raag’s descending note movement in a teaching outline. It may use notes or turns differently from the ascent.Source: N2 §§2.2.3–2.2.4, pp. 16–17; §2.3 answer 1, p. 19; glossary entries 2–3, p. 20 (correcting the apparent ‘Avroha’ typo in §2.2.3).More in the glossary and pakadPakadA characteristic note phrase that helps identify a raag. A pakad is a useful cue to identity, rather than a substitute for learning the raag’s wider movement.Source: N2 §2.2.5, p. 17.More in the glossary show the version the most independent publishers print; the sources page lists every version and who prints it. Other facts follow the source cited beside them. No musician has reviewed this profile yet.
- Bihag: raag profileMusic in Motion: AUTRIM (NCPA and University of Amsterdam) · cited as AUTRIMRaag profile written by Suvarnalata Rao with Wim van der Meer. Accessed 7 October 2026. Located by line in the saved page text; paraphrased.
- OMU-001 Introduction to Hindustani Music, Block 3 Applied Theory, Unit 1 RagaIndira Gandhi National Open University (eGyanKosh) · cited as IGNOU OMU-001University self-learning material. All rights reserved: cited by locator and paraphrased, never reproduced. Accessed 7 October 2026.
- Raag BihagArtium Academy · cited as Artium AcademyA private music academy's raag page. Its terms reserve reproduction, so it is cited and paraphrased only. Accessed 7 October 2026.
- Raag Bihag | AGK SangeetAGK Sangeet · cited as AGK SangeetPublic raag page; robots permits /raag/ (B-ROBOTS-AGKSANGEET.txt). No terms link was present in the page navigation/footer or sitemap. Copyright remains with the publisher; short factual field transcriptions and cited normalization only. Full fetched HTML/text is private audit evidence and must not ship. Accessed 17 October 2026.
- Bihaag/Behaag - DarbarDarbar · cited as DarbarPublic Raga Explorer text; /raga/ is allowed by B-ROBOTS-DARBAR.txt. Terms reviewed in B-TERMS-DARBAR.txt: proprietary content, no open license claimed. Only cited factual fields are normalized; saved HTML/text is private audit evidence, not licensed for republication. No paid video accessed. Accessed 17 October 2026.
- Raga Bihag: The Sweet Romantic Night Raga GuideShankar Mahadevan Academy · cited as Shankar Mahadevan AcademyRobots allows public raga pages (B-ROBOTS-SHANKAR.txt). Terms reviewed in B-TERMS-SHANKAR.txt: copying/downloading is limited to personal non-commercial use, no open license. This is a local study audit with short factual transcriptions and citations; do not publish the fetched page text, exercises, or course materials. No login/course content accessed. Accessed 17 October 2026.
- Music and Dance Knowledge / Information: Hindustani raag profilesDivya Music · cited as Divya MusicMusic school's raag notes. No open licence: cited and paraphrased only. Accessed 7 October 2026.
- Raga Bihag - Learn Thaat, Jaati, Time, Vadi, Samvadi, Aroh, Avroh, Pakad - Powered by RagakoshRagakosh · cited as RagakoshRobots checked (B-ROBOTS-RAGAKOSH.txt): explanatory content-signal comments only, no disallow rule or AI-input prohibition printed. No terms link found in public navigation/help, and /terms returned 404 (B-TERMS-RAGAKOSH.txt). Only visibly public factual text is used. Playback requires Pro and was not accessed; no login or account was used. HTML/text is private audit evidence; no open license claimed. Accessed 17 October 2026.
- MAMUD4.1 Research and Contemporary Music, Musicologists, §5.4 THAAT SYSTEMSri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam · cited as SPMVVUniversity course material listing raags under each thaat (printed pp.41–42). All rights reserved: cited by locator and paraphrased, never reproduced. Accessed 7 October 2026.
- Vocal Music syllabus: Prarambhik to BhushanPracheen Kala Kendra · cited as PKKOfficial examination syllabus. It shows the year a raag is prescribed, not how the raag is sung. Accessed 7 October 2026. Located by printed page.