History & Origins
Sohini takes its name from the famous Punjabi folk tale of Sohni and Mahiwal: a love story of extraordinary devotion and tragic end. The raga belongs to the Marwa thaat and is one of the later-night ragas of that family, performed after 9 PM. It shares the sharp Ma and komal Re of the Marwa group but has its own distinctive character, particularly in the emphasis on Dha as vadi.
The Notes of Raga Sohini
Raga Sohini is a Shadava-Shadava raga, meaning it uses shadava-shadava 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 Sohini, the pakad is:
Performance
Sohini's omission of Pa gives it the characteristic searching quality of the Pa-less ragas: always reaching, never settling on the most stable interval. Combined with the Marwa family's sharp Ma and komal Re, this creates an atmosphere of intense longing. The raga requires a musician willing to inhabit complete emotional vulnerability; its beauty comes from its openness rather than its complexity.
Spiritual Significance
In the Sufi tradition, Sohni is an allegory for the soul's love of the divine: the river that must be crossed, the distance that must be overcome, the love that is strong enough to attempt the impossible. Its karuna is the karuna of love as total commitment; its shringara is the specific beauty of longing that knows no limit.
Notable Performers
- Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan
- Pandit Bhimsen Joshi
- Kishori Amonkar
- Mallikarjun Mansur
Famous Compositions
- Thumri compositions in the Sohini tradition
- Khayal bandishes of the Patiala gharana