History & Origins
Pahadi is a raga with deep roots in the folk music of the Himalayan foothills: the hill songs (pahari geet) of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Kashmir. Its pentatonic ascent (omitting Ga and Ni), combined with a rich full descent, reflects its folk character while accommodating a full classical treatment. The raga entered the classical tradition from folk sources and retains its accessibility without sacrificing depth.
The Notes of Raga Pahadi
Raga Pahadi is a Audava-Sampurna raga, meaning it uses audava-sampurna 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 Pahadi, the pakad is:
Performance
Pahadi's pentatonic ascent gives it an immediate openness: the phrase Sa Re Ga Pa Dha Sa (with Ga appearing as a grace note in some versions) has a naturally singing quality that recalls mountain songs and wide spaces. The descent fills in, with Ma and other notes adding texture. A musician can take Pahadi from folk-simplicity to classical depth within a single performance, the two registers complementing each other.
Spiritual Significance
Pahadi's shringara is the love of space: the emotion of standing on a hilltop and seeing far. Its shanta is not the peace of retreat but the peace of perspective: everything looks smaller from a mountain, problems included. The raga has an unusual quality of opening rather than closing, appropriate for a music that comes from open landscapes.
Notable Performers
- Pandit Ravi Shankar
- Ustad Vilayat Khan
- Hariprasad Chaurasia
- Pandit Shivkumar Sharma
Famous Compositions
- Folk-based compositions from the hill tradition
- Film music adaptations (numerous)
- Instrumental pieces in the sitar and santoor repertoire