Todi is a raga that can directly penetrate the soul of the listener, with its heart wrenching melody and the depth of emotional color that it can convey. It is a vast raga, sung in the morning (between 8 – 11 am), and evokes a somber introspectiveness of this time day.

Todi is a sampurna raga, and also serves as one of the ten Thaat ragas. It contains the following swaras: Sa, Re (komal), Ga (komal), Ma (tivra), Pa, Dha (komal), Ni (shuddha). As a Thaat raga, it houses many subsidiary janya ragas and also the characteristic phraseology that binds all ragas in this family. Some ragas in the Todi family include: Multani, Bilaskhani Todi, Gurjari Todi and Bahaduri Todi.

Sohini is a night raga that allures listeners into its swift and sweeping phrases, often conveying emotions of sringaar, longing, and sensuousness.

Sohini belongs to Marwa Thaat, and has a scale bearing very close resemblance to both Marwa and Puriya. Its aroha is as follows: S G (shuddha) Me (tivra) D (shuddha) N (shuddha).  The avaroha proceeds to include komal Re as follows: S N (shuddha) D (shuddha) M (tivra) G (shuddha) R (komal) S. Its jati is therefore audav-shadav.

 

Shankara is a raga that elevates listeners to a place of divinity and bliss. It is named after the Hindu God Siva, and captures a jubilant and passionate spirit associated with the God’s temperament.

Shankara belongs to Bilawal Thaat, and contains all shuddha swaras. It is an audav-shadav raga with the aroha and avarohana as follows: S G P N D S; S N (D) P G P G (R) S. It should be noted that the swaras in parentheses are grazed in the meend connecting the two swaras, and this particular timing and meend is very characteristic of Shankara.

Puriya Dhanashri is a raga to be sung at sunset, which sets the serene mood of dawn. It can convey feelings ranging from meditativeness and regality to sringar and bhakti.

Puriya Dhanashri is a sampurna raga that belongs to Purvi Thaat. It consists of the notes Sa, Re (komal), Ga (shuddha), Ma (tivra), Pa, Dha (komal), Ni (shuddha) in both the aroha and avaroha. Pancham is the vadi or focal swara of the raga, although Gandhar and Nishad are also important points of development. Samavadi is Nishad. Some of the key phrases include: N R G, M R G P, P D M, P G, M R G, G M D M G, M G R S.  Although it shares many common phrases with its parent raga, Purvi, there are certain distinguishing  features of Puriya Dhanashri that need to be remembered so that the two ragas don’t cross into each other’s territory.