home / raagas / Behāg

Bhashanga Carnatic raaga

Behāg

A soft, romantic raaga: the sweetness of 'Suttum Vizhi Sudar' (Kandukondain Kandukondain) and Lalgudi's beloved Behag thillana.

romance, sweetness, tender love, gentle longing

Behāg is a bhashanga raaga in the Carnatic tradition.

in the raaga jeeva (life note) nyasa (resting note)
or tap any lit note to hear it

arohana / ascending

S G3 M1 P N3 D2 N3 S

avarohana / descending

S N3 D2 P M2 G3 M1 G3 R2 S

How to hear it

Life notes / jeeva
G3 and N3 (Ga = vadi, Ni = samvadi of the parent Bihag; N3 kakali nishada is prominent and is typically the note from which alapana/tanam is launched).
Resting notes / nyasa
S, G3, P, N3 (phrases resolve chiefly to S, with G3, P and N3 as sustained landing notes; R2 and D2 are never rested upon).
Signature phrases / prayoga
Pakad N3 S G3 M1 P M1 P G3 M1 G3 R2 S; ascent S G3 M1 P N3 S with top phrase N3 D2 N3 S; dual-madhyama signature (descent only, M2 taken only alongside P): P M2 G3 M1 G3; Carnatic avarohana as notated S N3 D2 P M2 G3 M1 G3 R2 S.
Ornament / gamaka
Meend (long connecting glides between notes), the hallmark carried from Hindustani Bihag; R2 and D2 occur only as fleeting meend/kampita touches, not held; the oscillating M1/M2 interplay around Panchama is itself an ornamental hallmark.

Easy to confuse with

Bihag (Hindustani)
Khamas

Listen for it

Identify a raaga →

◐ Draft: the reference facts on this page are compiled from public sources and are pending review by a musician. Corrections welcome via GitHub.