Durga (raga)

Durga is a raga in Hindustani Classical music. It shares some features with ''Shuddha Saveri'' of Carnatic music (such as the note positions), but is significantly different from it in terms of the ''sanchara''s of the raga.

Unless mentioned otherwise, notes refer to the concept of notes in Indian classical music, called ‘swara’ in Hindustani.
Durga raga evokes the sringara rasa – romantic love.

Technical description

Notes and features

# All swaras used are suddha
# Gandhar and Nishad are not used.

Example composition

''R m P D; P D m; m P D D m; D m P D S'; D D S' S' D D m; m P D; m R, D S;''
Here m is ''Shuddha Madhyam'', M is '' Madhyam'' but this is not used in Durga at all.

Samay (time)

Second Prahar of night : 9:00 p.m. to midnight ()

Comparable to

Malhar

Durga has the same notes as Malhar, another popular raag and one of old pedigree. The aural experience of both are significantly different. Technically, they are made apart by the use of rishabh (Re). Durga is also readily distinguished by its salient use of the phrase ''Sa Re Dha Sa''

1) Common phrase ''Re Pa'', distinguished by the use of Re

Both Durga and Malhar have the ''Re Pa'' pairing ('), however, the ''Re Pa'' cohort in Malhar involves a repetition of ''Re'' twice or thrice. More importantly the ''Re'' has a ''kaṇ'' of shuddha madhyam. (''ma'')
* Malhar: ''Ma Re Re Re aPa''
* Durga: Ma Pa Dha Sa’ Re Dha Pa Dha Ma Re Pa.
Here, in Malhar, the transition between Re to Pa, the Re has a ''kaṇ'' of ma, and is not independently pronounced. The ma is shown stuck to Re in square brackets.
Stylistically, the duplication of ‘Re’ is also noted.

2) Different phrases

Also present in the pakad of the raag, ''Sa Re, Dha Sa'' is the quintessential phrase of Durga, which is not present in Malhar. (''dha'' denotes ''dhaivat'' (''dha'') of the lower octave i.e. ''mandra saptak'')

Jaldhar Kedar

Jaldhar Kedar is a variant of, the major raag Kedar, and a part of the ''raagang'' of its namesake.

Film songs

Bollywood songs

#Geet gaya pattharo ne - Geet Gaya Patharon Ne (1964)
#Chanda re mori patiya le ja - ''Banjaarin''
#Vrindavan ka Krishna Kanhaiya - ''Miss Mary''
#Hum intezaar karenge – ''Bahu Begam''
#Be Nazaara - '' Mom''
#Hoga Tumse Pyara Kaun - ''Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai''

Language:

Tamil

Note that the following songs are composed in Shuddha Saveri, the equivalent of raga Durga in Carnatic music.

References

External links

More details about raga Durga

Durga
ITC Sangeet Research Academy

{{Rāgas as per Performance Time

Hindustani ragas