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{{Short description|Hindustani raga}}
{{other uses}}
{{Infobox raga
| name = Miyan Ki Malhar
| image_name = Sud-malaar.png
| image_alt = Sudh Malaar Ragamala painting
| thaat = [[Kafi (thaat)|Kafi]]
| type = * This raga's Jati is Shadhav – Shadhav.
* This raga has a Vakra form, i.e. this raga is a Vakra raga (meaning that the svaras of a raga are not completely in a particularly straightforward manner).
* This raga is a Gambhir Prakruti raga (meaning that is played slow with patience and which is played in a serious tone/note).
| time = any time in monsoon, otherwise in the 2nd Prahar of the Night.
| season = [[Monsoon]]
| arohana = N S m R P n D N S'
| avarohana = S' n P m P g(m touch) g(m touch) m R S
| vadi = [[Panchama|Pa]]
| samavadi = [[Shadja (Sa)|Sa]]
| pakad = N S m R P g m R S m R P n D N S' S' n D n P m P g g m R S
| chalan = N S m R P g m R S m R P n D N S' S' n D n P m P g g m R S
| synonym = Miyan Ki Malhar, Miyan Malhar, Tansen Ki Malhar
| equivalent =
| similar = [[Bahar (raga)|Bahar]]
}}

'''Raag Malhar''', is an ancient raga with many variations, one variation known as '''Miyan Ki Malhar''' or '''Tansen Ki Malhar''', was popularized by Sangeet Samrat [[Tansen]]. Malhar is a [[raga|Hindustani classical raga]].<ref>''Bhavan's Journal'' v.26:14-26 (1980). Page 27.</ref> Malhar is associated with torrential rains.<ref>{{cite book |title=Music Aesthetics |author=Manorma Sharma |publisher=APH Publishing |year=2007 |isbn=978-81-313-0032-9 |page=113}}</ref>

Besides the basic Shuddha Malhar, which was the original Malhar, several Malhar variations or related ragas use the Malhar signature phrase S (m)R (m)R P, including Miyan ki Malhar, [[Megh Malhar]], Ramdasi Malhar, [[Gaud Malhar]], Sur Malhar, Nat Malhar, Dhulia Malhar  and Meera ki Malhar. The [[Malhar (family of ragas)|Malhar Family]] is based on this signature phrase, where many such other ragas are created and are categorized under this family. This phrase, although it might seem similar and equivalent, is different from the swara phraseology employed in Raga [[Brindavani Sarang]].

It can be determined that raga Miyan ki Malhar is a mixture of ragas [[Brindavani Sarang]], raga [[Kafi]] and raga [[Durga (raga)|Durga]].This raga has a ''Vakra'' form (meaning that the swaras of a raga are not completely arranged in a particularly straightforward manner), and is classified as a Gambhir Prakruti raga (meaning that it is played slow with patience, and it is played in a serious tone/note).

== Legend ==
According to legend, Malhar is so powerful that when sung, it can induce rainfall.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tankha |first1=Rajkumari Sharma |title=An evening of Malhar raags |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2019/aug/05/an-evening-of-malhar-raags-2014287.html |website=The New Indian Express |access-date=7 June 2021}}</ref>

Many written accounts describe the Raga Malhar. [[Tansen]], [[Baiju Bawra]], Baba Ramdas, Nayak Charju, Miyan Bakhshu, Tanta rang, Tantras Khan, [[Bilas Khan]] (son of [[Tansen]]), Hammer Sen, Surat Sen, and [[Meera]] Bai are some of those said to be capable of starting rains using various kinds of Raga Malhar.<ref name="darshan2000">{{cite book |last=Banerjee |first=Dr. Geeta |title=Raag Malhar Darshan |year=2000 |publisher=SAWF |url=http://www.parrikar.org/essays/book-review-malhar-darshan/ |access-date=2013-12-13 |archive-date=2013-12-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213030315/http://www.parrikar.org/essays/book-review-malhar-darshan/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] emperor [[Akbar]] once asked his court musician Miyan [[Tansen]] to sing "Raga Deepak", the raga of Light/Fire, which caused all the lamps in the courtyard to light up and Tansen's body to become so hot that he had to sit in the nearby river to cool himself. However, the river began to boil, and it became apparent that Tansen would soon boil to death. So he set out to find someone who could sing Raga Malhar to cure him. In due course, he reached [[Vadnagar]], a town in [[Gujarat]]. There he came across two sisters named [[Tana and Riri]], whom he asked for help, to which they agreed. The moment they started singing the Raga Malhar, rains came down in torrents, which helped cool Tansen's body.<ref>{{cite book |title=Indian Music |author=Chaitanya Deva |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=1995 |isbn=978-81-224-0730-3 |page=18}}</ref>

The many variations of Raga Malhar have been categorised chronologically<ref name="darshan2000" /> by era – ''prachina'' (before the 15th century), ''madhyakalina'' (15th – 18th century) and ''arvachina'' (19th century and beyond). Ragas Shuddha Malhar, Megh Malhar and Gaud Malhar belong to the first period.
"Miyan Ki Malhar", also known as Gayand Malahar as both nishads (shudh and komal) swing around the dhaivat like a (gayand) elephant swinging his head.

== Prominent Bandishes composed in Raga Malhar ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
|}
{| class="wikitable"
!S.No
!Bandish Name or Bandish Initials
!Composer/Creator
!Taal
!Malahar Type
|-
|1
|Tu hi Ek Hai Aneko mei Roop tere aur naam Suhana<ref>{{Cite book|last=Mathur|first=Dr Neeta|title=Shastriya Sangeet Ke Bahuayami Stambh|publisher=Kanishka Publishers, New Delhi|location=New Delhi}}</ref>
|[[Gokulotsavji Maharaj|Pandit Gokulotsav Ji Maharaj]]
|TeenTaal
|Miyan Ki Malhar (Gayand Malhar)
|-
|2
|Jare Kare Badara Umada Ghumad Ghan Ghor
जारे कारे बदरा उमड़ घुमड़ घन घोर<ref>{{Cite book|last=Mathur|first=Dr.Neeta|title=Shashtriya Sangeet Ke Surya Acharya Pandit Dr Gokulotsavji Maharaj.|year=2011 |publisher=Radha Publishers|isbn=978-81-7487-765-9}}</ref>
|[[Gokulotsavji Maharaj|Pandit Gokulotsav Ji Maharaj]]
|BrahmaTaal (cycle of 28 beats)
|Miyan Ki Malhar (Gayand Malhar)
|}

== In popular culture ==
In [[Bankim Chandra Chatterjee]]'s [[Bengali language]] novel ''[[Anandamath]]'' (1882), a band of [[yogi]]s sing ''[[Vande mataram]]'' in Raga Desh.<ref name="soas_raga">[http://www.soas.ac.uk/southasianstudies/keywords/file24811.pdf Raga] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114182849/http://www.soas.ac.uk/southasianstudies/keywords/file24811.pdf |date=2012-11-14 }}. Centre of South Asian Studies,
School of Oriental and African Studies, [[University of London]].</ref>

In [[Satyajit Ray]]'s film ''[[Jalsaghar]]'', Raga Malhar is used to link the powers of nature and the hero's internal conflict.<ref name="soas_raga" />

The song ''Thumbi Thullal'' from the movie ''[[Cobra (2022 film)|Cobra]]'' is based on this raag. It is composed by [[A. R. Rahman]] and sung by [[Shreya Ghoshal]] & [[Nakul Abhyankar]].

The song Garaj Garaj from Web Series [[Bandish Bandits]] is based on this Raag, composed by Trio [[Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy|Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy]] and sung by Farid Hasan & Mohammed Aman

== Historical information ==
There is a legend stating that [[Tansen]]'s physical agony after singing Raga Deepak (Poorvi Thaat) was pacified with listening to Raga "Megh Malhar" rendered by [[Tana and Riri]].

== Film songs ==
=== Tamil ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Song
! Movie
! Composer
! Singer
|-
| "Muthukkalo Kangal"
| [[Nenjirukkum Varai (1967 film)|Nenjirukkum Varai]]
| [[M.S.Viswanathan]]
| [[T. M. Soundararajan]], [[P. Susheela]]
|-
| "Velli Malarae"
| [[Jodi (1999 film)|Jodi]]
| rowspan=2|[[A. R. Rahman]]
| [[S. P. Balasubrahmanyam]], [[Mahalakshmi Iyer]]
|-
| "Thumbi Thullal" (Abheri traces also)
| ''[[Cobra (2022 film)|Cobra]]''
| [[Nakul Abhyankar]], [[Shreya Ghoshal]]
|-
| "Ennai Konja Konja"
| [[Aathi]]
| [[Vidyasagar (composer)|Vidyasagar]]
| [[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]], [[Sujatha Mohan]]
|}

==See also==
* [[Malhar (family of ragas)]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Sikh Ragas}}
{{Rāgas as per Performance Time}}

[[Category:Hindustani ragas]]
[[Category:Ragas in the Guru Granth Sahib]]

Malhar - Revision history

Indussource at 06:03, 19 November 2025