Ahir Bhairav is a raag of the first prahar of the day, and one of the gentlest. Its lower half is Bhairav's, Sa komal-Re Ga Ma; its upper half is Kafi's, Pa Dha komal-Ni Sa. Where Bhairav is grave, Ahir Bhairav is tender: the morning seen kindly. Bhatkhande placed it in Bhairav thaat, for its komal Re.
Hear it
How it moves
Ma is its vadi and Sa its samvadi. Its pakad begins below Sa, on mandra Dha and komal Ni, and climbs gently to komal Re and home:
In the upper half, shuddh Dha and komal Ni give it Kafi's soft brightness:
Unlike Bhairav, it doesn't swing its komal Re in andolan: the swara is approached gently and allowed to rest.
Its hour
Ahir Bhairav belongs to the first prahar of the day, from 6 to 9 in the morning, with Bhairav and Bhairavi.
On the bansuri
- S
- R
- G
- M
- P
- D
- N
- S
- Ahir Bhairav is a favourite of bansuri players: its phrases lie well on the flute, and its mood suits the instrument's breath.
- Tune komal Re close above Sa, and keep shuddh Dha clearly above Pa: the two halves of the raag must each sound like themselves.
- Its phrases dip below Sa to mandra Dha and komal Ni: practise them as long notes so the low swaras speak softly.
Look-alikes
Bhairav shares its lower half, but has komal Dha and shuddh Ni above, and swings its komal Re and Dha:
Kafi shares its upper half, but has shuddh Re and komal Ga below:
Practise it
- Long notes on Ma and Sa.
- The aaroh and avaroh, slowly, minding the change of colour between the halves.
- Paltas in its swaras, in threes.
- The pakad and the phrases.
All ten alankars in Ahir Bhairav, to hear in your Sa →
Meend starts it with Aaroh–Avaroh, Pakad, Paltas in Ahir Bhairav, Aalap and Bandish, 27 minutes a day, and listens as you play: each swara of the notation lit as it is played, the time kept, a lotus grown petal by petal.
Listen
Ahir Bhairav opens Call of the Valley (1967), the album in which Shivkumar Sharma, Brijbhushan Kabra and Hariprasad Chaurasia brought Hindustani music to listeners far beyond it.
Questions
What is Ahir Bhairav?
A morning raag that joins Bhairav's lower half, with komal Re, to Kafi's upper half, with shuddh Dha and komal Ni.
Which thaat is Ahir Bhairav in?
Bhairav, by Bhatkhande's placing, for its komal Re; its swaras belong to no single one of the ten.
When is Ahir Bhairav played?
In the first prahar of the day, from 6 to 9 in the morning.