Prescribed Ragas: Notation, Chalan and Characteristic Phrases
This domain asks you to write and identify the ragas set for this level - correct thaat, jati, vadi–samvadi, aroha–avaroha, pakad, and a short chalan or gat in notation. Confirm the current board list before the exam; the ragas below are the ones most often set at this stage.
Core ragas
- Yaman - Kalyan thaat; tivra Ma; vadi Ga, samvadi Ni; sampoorna; the ascent avoids a plain Sa–Re–Ga–Re turn.
- Bhairav - Bhairav thaat; komal Re and Dha with andolan; vadi Dha, samvadi Re; sampoorna.
- Bhairavi - Bhairavi thaat; komal Re, Ga, Dha, Ni; vadi Ma, samvadi Sa; often used to close a concert.
- Malkauns - Bhairavi thaat; S g M d n, omitting Re and Pa; vadi Ma, samvadi Sa; audav–audav.
- Bihag - Bilawal thaat; both Ma; vadi Ga, samvadi Ni; sampoorna; Ni often touched only in descent.
Pakad and chalan
Pakad are the short phrases that lock a raga's identity; chalan is the fuller moving phrase used in alap and gat. Bhairav: M d P, M G r S. Malkauns: g M d n d M g, M g S. Yaman: Ni Re Ga Ma(t) Pa, Ma(t) Ga Re Sa. Quote pakad in the correct octave and direction - examiners mark octave dots.
Worked example
Given the phrase g M d n S: the notes are komal Ga, shuddha Ma, komal Dha and komal Ni, with no Re and no Pa. That combination belongs to Malkauns alone: Bhairavi thaat, audav–audav, vadi Ma, samvadi Sa, taken slowly in alap and in drut for the gat. Reasoning: the absence of Re and Pa is the fingerprint; komal Ga with shuddha Ma rules out Bhairavi.
Traps
- Writing Yaman with shuddha Ma.
- Mixing Bhairav and Bhairavi (Bhairavi also takes komal Ga and Ni).
- Slipping Pa or Re into a Malkauns phrase.
- Reversing aroha and avaroha order.