Raaga Lakshana - Bilahari

•  Bilahari is a janya rāgam (derived scale) from the 29th melakarta scale Sankarabharanam
• Bilahari is an asymmetric rāgam that does not contain madhyamam or nishādham in the ascending scale. It is an audava-sampurna rāgam (or owdava rāgam, meaning pentatonic ascending scale).
• Moorchana of Bilahari is:
• S R₂ G₃ P D₂ Ṡ
• Ṡ N₃ D₂ P M₁ G₃ R₂ S
• The notes used in this scale are
• shadjam
• chathusruthi rishabham
• anthara gandharam
• panchamam
• chathusruthi dhaivatham in ascending scale, with
• kakali nishadham and shuddha madhyamam included in descending scale.
• This rāgam also uses kaishiki nishadham (N2) as an external note (anya swara) in the descending scale. Hence it is considered a bhashanga rāgam, a scale with notes external to the parent scale.
• There are many compositions set to Bilahari rāgam.
• Raara Venugopabala - Swarajathi
• Sharanu Janakana By Purandhara Dasa
• Na jeevadhara - Tyagaraja
• Dorakuna ituvanti - Tyagaraja
• Kanukontini - Tyagaraja
• Paridaanamicchithe - Patnam Subramania Iyer
• Sri Chamundeshwari - Mysore Vasudevacharya
• This raaga's Aarohana and Avarohana, when sung in viloma krama (reverse order), results in Garudadhvani raaga.
• This is the favorite raaga of Naadaswara vidwans.
• Bilahari raaga evokes veera rasa. Hence, it is used to bring cheer in a person who is melancholic and depressed.
• It evokes joy, courage and enthusiasm in the heart of listener.
• The most auspicious time to sing this raaga is morning (6 am to 10 am).
• The equivalent of Bilahari in Hindustani music is Alaiya Bilaval.