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Bhatiyar is a dawn raga, fabled to have been written two millennia ago by Raja Bhartruhari, the semi-mythical King of Ujjain (although historical evidence for this is scant). It uses the notes of Marwa thaat [SrGMPDNS], and is defined by its vakra [zigzag] phraseology, with no defined vadi or samvadi [king and queen notes]. Re and Ni are only played occasionally in aroha [ascent], and its melodies can have shades of Raag Mand. Sitarist-scholar Deepak Raja notes that “the raga’s centre of melodic gravity is in the mid-octave region, but tilting towards the upper tetrachord”. Some consider it to have an anxious, foreboding character, but the raga’s subtleties can produce many moods for different listeners. Recorded by Darbar in 2015, on location in India
