Raaga Based Song Of The Day #58

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Naina neer bahaye….
Raag Bhatiyar, Tal Kaherava

I am giving you a new raag today that I haven’t so far given you. That makes it 50 raagas in 58 days.

We have completed fifty-seven days of Raaga Based Songs of the Day. Our first post in the series was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #1’ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1970 Shakti Samanta movie Pagla Kahin Ka: Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge.  It is in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava.

Our fifty-seventh post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #57 – Final Tribute To My Late Mother‘ and the song was a Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1962 A Bhimsingh movie Main Chup Rahungi starring Meena Kumari and Sunil Dutt: Tumhi ho mata pita tumhi ho. It is in Raag Bhairavi, Tal Kaherava.

This blog has a number of posts on Raaga based songs in Hindi movies titled similarly; for example: ‘The Best Raaga Based Songs in Hindi Movies – Raaga Todi‘.

In the last fifty-seven days of sharing Raaga based songs of the day, I have given you songs based on Raag Jhinjhoti, Gara, Bhimpalasi, Madhuvanti, Shivaranjani, Bihag, Pahadi, Sarang, Pilu, Bhairavi, Khammaj, Charukesi, Kalyan or Yaman, Desh, Malgunji, Kirwani, Kedar, Bageshri, Megh Malhar, Bhupali, Ahir Bhairav, Malkaush, Mand, Adana, Kafi, Rageshri, Jaunpuri, Tilang, Janasammohini, Chayanat, Shuddha Kalyan, Gaur Sarang, Jogiya, Asavari, Maru Bihag, Durga, Lalit, Puria Dhanashri, Bhinna Sahdja, Sohani, Multani, Patdeep, Jaijaiwanti, Tilak Kamod, Hemant, Basant Mukhari, Gujri Todi, Kalavati, Hamir and Bhtiyar. The only five raagas that have been repeated so far are Pahadi, the raaga of my home place in the Himalayas, Maru Bihag, Raag Kirwani, Jhinjhoti and Bhairavi. That makes a total of 50 raagas so far.

Today, I give you a song sung by Sadhana Sargam on the lyrics of Sukhwinder Singh and on the composition of AR Rahman, in Raag Bhatiyar, Tal Kaherava.

However, first, lets take up the value added learning of today. Today, we shall learn about the Shruti Box.

Shruti Box is a drone instrument like Tanpura and Swarmandal. Shruti Box resembles a harmonium in shape and provides drone both in practice sessions as well as in concert. Being a drone, it is used as an accompaniment to other instruments. It was and is widely used as an accompaniment to flute. Shruti box is used to assist in tuning voice in classical singing. These days, electronic Shruti Boxes have taken over, which can be easily tuned. These are called Shruti Petti in Tamil and Telugu and Sur Peti in Hindi.

Drone used to be produced, before the advent of Harmonium, by either Tambura or Nadaswaram. After the advent of Harmonium, one could easily open the cover and adjust the stop to produce the required drone.

Later, Harmonium was modified to have a keyless instrument to produce drone and that’s exactly what Shruti Box or Sruti Box is.

As I mentioned, today’s song is composed in Raag Bhatiyar, Tal Kaherava.

Raag Bhatiyar belongs to Marwa Thaat and is a combination of Raag Marwa and Raag Mand. If you recall, on the 24th Day, I gave you a song in Raag Mand: Kesariya Baalma (Tal Dadra) (Please refer to ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #24‘). Its Jati (and by now you understand this completely) is Sampurna-Smapurna Vakra. It is normally to be sung at the fourth prahar of the night, that is, between 3 AM to 6 AM. Having Vakra swar makes it a complex raag. Its bhaav is anxiety laden as you can guage in the accompanying song that I have selected for you. The name of this old raga is said to derive from King Bhartrhari; this may well be a good example of inventive etymology. 

Three of the other songs composed in this raaga are:

• Aayo Prabhaat Sab Mil Gaao. Film – Sur Sangam
  Year – 1985
  Music Director(s) – Laxmikant Pyarelal
  Singers – Rajan Mishra / S. Janaki
• Ek Ritu Aaye Ek Ritu Jaaye. Film – Gautam Govinda
  Year – 1979
  Music Director(s) – Laxmikant Pyarelal
  Singer(s) – Kishore Kumar
• Jaya Nandalaal.. Film – Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani
  Year – 1970
  Singer(s) – Lata Mangeshkar

The song Naina neer bahaye is from the 2005 Indo-Canadian movie written and directed by Deepa Mehta called Water. She had earlier films named after two other elements, Fire in 1996 and Earth in 1998. Instead of having a film based on a novel, later, the movie story was adapted by Bapsi Sidhwa to write a novel: Water: A Novel. The movie had screenplay by Anurag Kashyap and starred Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray, John Abraham, and Sarala Kariyawasam in pivotal roles and Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Waheeda Rehman, Raghuvir Yadav, and Vinay Pathak in supporting roles.

Salman Rushdie had this to say about the film: “Un film magnifique”. The film is set in the year 1938, nine years before India’s independence and “parallels the plight of widowed women in India under Hindu fundamentalism to that of India under British colonialism”.

The song was penned by Sukhwinder Singh and composed by AR Rahman in this complex raag. As you can see, it has been superbly done by the maestro. It was sung by Sadhana Sargam.

Please enjoy in Raag Bhatiyar, Tal Kaherava: Naina neer bahaye….

We have intended to learn about Raaga based music whilst we entertain ourselves with Raaga based songs. So, lets, once again, take stock of our collective learning so far:

1. On the first day we learnt about the Raaga system devised by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, which is the prevalent system in Hindustani Classical Music and based on ten Thaats.
2. On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
3. On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
4. On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
5. On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
6. On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
7. On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
8. On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
9. On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
10. On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
11. On the eleventh day, we learnt about why Bhairavi is the first raag to be taught to beginners and also why it is the last in a performance.
12. On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
13. On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
14. On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
15. On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
16. On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
17. On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
18. On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
19. On the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.
20. On the twentieth day, we learnt about the Kafi Thaat.
21. On the twenty-first day, we learnt a little more in detail about the classification of Raagas.
22. On the twenty-second day, we learnt the essential differences between Bhairavi and Bhairav.
23. On the twenty-third day, we learnt a little more in detail about the Jati or Jaati of a raaga.
24. On the twenty-fourth day, we learnt details of Thaat Bilawal, the most basic thaat in the Bhatkhande’s system of raagas.
25. On the twenty-fifth day, we learnt about Tintal.
26. On the twenty-sixth day, we learnt in detail about the Raaga – Samay linkage.
27. On the twenty-seventh day, we learnt about Lehar.
28. On the twenty-eighth day, we learnt about the history of the Hindustani Music.
29. On the twenty-ninth day, we learnt about Dhrupad.
30. On the thirtieth day, we learnt about Rupaktal that I was introduced to, a few months back, by my friend Anand Desai.
31. On the thirty-first day, we learnt about Khayal.
32. On the thirty-second day, we learnt about Thumri.
33. On the thirty-third day, we learnt about Tappa.
34. On the thirty-fourth day, we learnt about Tarana.
35. On the thirty-fifth day, we learnt about Tal Dipchandi (Moghali).
36. On the thirty-sixth day, we learnt about Tabla.
37. On the thirty-seventh day, we learnt about Kirtan.
38. On the thirty-eighth day, we learnt about Pakhawaj.
39. On the thirty-ninth day, we learnt about Hori.
40. On the fortieth day, we learnt about Dadra.
41. On the forty-first day, we learnt about Kajri.
42. On the forty-second day, we learnt about Chaiti.
43. On the forty-third day, we learnt about Sarangi.
44. On the forty-fourth day, we learnt about Shehnai.
45. On the forty-fifth day, we learnt about Sarod.
46. On the forty-sixth day, we learnt about Bansuri.
47. On the forty-seventh day, we learnt about Ektal and Tanpura.
48. On the forty-eighth day, we learnt about Veena.
49. On the forty-ninth day, we repeated our learning of Veena with a small excitement added.
50. On the fiftieth day, we learnt about Dilruba/Esraj.
51. On the fifty-first day, we learnt about Jaltarang.
52. On the fifty-second day we learnt about Qawwali.
53. On the fifty-third day, we learnt about Sitar.
54. On the fifty-fourth day, we learnt about Surbahar.
55. On the fifty-fifth day, we learnt about Harmonium.
56. On the fifty-sixth day, we learnt about Santoor.
57. On the fifty-seventh day, we learnt about Swarmandal.
58. And today, on the fifty-eighth day, we learnt about the Shruti Box.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!

Author: Sunbyanyname

I have done a long stint in the Indian Navy that lasted for nearly thirty seven years; I rose as far as my somewhat rebellious and irreverent nature allowed me to. On retirement, in Feb 2010, the first thing that occurred to me, and those around me, was that I Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (you will find an article with this title in this blog) and hadn't lost all my noodles and hence thought of a blog titled 'This 'n That'. I later realised that every third blog is called 'This 'n That' and changed the name to 'Sunbyanyname'. I detest treading the beaten track. This blog offers me to air 'another way' of looking at things. The idea is not just to entertain but also to bring about a change. Should you feel differently, you are free to leave your comments. You can leave comments even when you agree and want to share your own experience about the topic of the blog post. Impudent or otherwise, I have never been insousciant and I am always concerned about the betterment of community, nation and the world. I hope the visitors of this blog would be able to discern it. View all posts by Sunbyanyname