History & Origins
Megh (cloud) is one of the oldest monsoon ragas in the Hindustani tradition. Its pentatonic structure (Sa Re Ma Pa Ni: omitting Ga and Dha) gives it a stark, elemental quality appropriate to the drama of the monsoon. The raga predates the Malhar family of monsoon ragas that would later develop around it, and it retains a simplicity and antiquity that the more complex Malhars have evolved beyond.
The Notes of Raga Megh
Raga Megh is a Audava-Audava raga, meaning it uses audava-audava notes. The ascending and descending movements of the raga are defined below. In Indian classical notation, lowercase letters indicate flattened (komal) notes, and t superscript indicates a sharpened (tivra) note.
The Characteristic Phrase (Pakad)
The pakad is the signature melodic gesture of a raga: the phrase that immediately identifies it to an experienced listener. For Raga Megh, the pakad is:
Performance
Megh is performed during the monsoon season regardless of the time of day: it is one of the few ragas whose seasonal association overrides its time association. The omission of Ga and Dha creates a particular bareness that suits the imagery of clouds, rain, and the stripped-down world of the monsoon. The movement from Re to Ma and back is the raga's characteristic gesture.
Spiritual Significance
In Indian classical poetry, rain is the great symbol of reunion: it breaks the drought of separation, brings the beloved home, fulfils the longing that the dry season has made unbearable. Megh carries all of this: its shringara is the specific shringara of reunion, and its karuna is the specific karuna of having waited too long. Mirabai's devotional songs about waiting for Krishna are frequently set in Megh.
Notable Performers
- Pandit Kumar Gandharva
- Ustad Vilayat Khan
- Gangubai Hangal
- Hariprasad Chaurasia
Famous Compositions
- Monsoon barahmasa compositions
- Various thumri and semi-classical pieces