Indian classical music is often described as a river with many tributaries—ancient, slow-moving, and profoundly deep. While popular ragas such as Yaman, Bhairav, and Bhimpalasi continue to flow vibrantly through concert halls and classrooms, there exists another, quieter stream: rare ragas. These are melodic entities that survive in fragments—preserved in old manuscripts, guarded within specific gharanas, or remembered through the voices of a few devoted maestros.
This blog is an exploration of those rare ragas across major gharanas of Hindustani classical music, with occasional reflections from the Carnatic tradition. It is not merely a catalog, but a creative meditation on why these ragas exist, why they fade, and why they matter.
The Idea of “Rarity” in Raga Tradition
A raga becomes rare not because it lacks beauty, but because of historical, pedagogical, and aesthetic reasons. Some ragas are structurally complex, making them difficult to teach. Others require precise microtonal handling or emotional maturity that discourages frequent performance. In many cases, the decline of court patronage and oral transmission led to the gradual disappearance of certain melodic frameworks.
Each gharana—essentially a lineage-based aesthetic philosophy—chose to nurture some ragas while letting others remain dormant. Thus, rarity is often contextual, shaped by stylistic preference rather than intrinsic musical worth.
Dhrupad Gharanas: The Ancient Keepers of Rare Ragas
Dhrupad is the oldest surviving form of Hindustani classical music, and its gharanas are repositories of some of the most archaic ragas.
Raga Lalit Pancham
Almost extinct outside Dhrupad, this raga omits the traditional Pancham in ascent while treating it obliquely in descent. Its somber, twilight mood demands extraordinary breath control and long alaps. It survives largely through Dagar-style interpretation.
Raga Shuddha Basant
Distinct from Basant, this raga uses both Madhyams in a highly restrained manner. Its meditative character aligns with Dhrupad’s spiritual aesthetics, but its slow unfolding makes it unsuitable for modern concert expectations.
Raga Bibhas (Dhrupad Ang)
Unlike its Khayal counterpart, this Bibhas avoids romantic flourish and instead emphasizes austere, ritualistic movement—making it rare even among knowledgeable listeners.
Gwalior Gharana: Precision and Forgotten Grammar
Often called the cradle of Khayal, the Gwalior gharana values clarity, balance, and raga purity. Ironically, this very discipline has preserved some highly unusual ragas.
Raga Jogiya Asavari
A pre-dawn raga that blends Jogiya and Asavari, this form requires disciplined use of komal swaras without slipping into folk idioms. Today, it is almost absent from mainstream concerts.
Raga Dev Gandhar
Mentioned in ancient treatises, this raga features a vakra movement and subtle oscillations. Its ambiguity makes it intellectually fascinating but pedagogically demanding.
Raga Andholika
Characterized by its oscillating treatment of Gandhar, Andholika is fragile in emotional texture—too gentle for dramatic exposition, yet too complex for casual performance.
Agra Gharana: Power, Rhythm, and Rare Hybrids
The Agra gharana’s robust voice production and rhythmic vitality give life to rare ragas that might otherwise feel abstract.
Raga Samant Sarang
A midday raga combining multiple Sarang angas, Samant Sarang demands forceful yet controlled taans. Its rhythmic bias aligns with Agra aesthetics but intimidates less rhythm-oriented singers.
Raga Kedar Bahar
A hybrid rarely attempted today, this raga merges the gravitas of Kedar with the lightness of Bahar—requiring a delicate stylistic balance that few vocalists master.
Raga Malgunji (Agra Ang)
While Malgunji is not obscure per se, the Agra interpretation—with its bold bol-baant and nom-tom influences—is now seldom heard.
Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana: The Kingdom of Rare Ragas
If rarity had a capital city, it would belong to the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana. Known for its intellectual rigor and complex raga architecture, this lineage has preserved dozens of uncommon ragas.
Raga Nat Kamod
A sophisticated blend of Nat and Kamod, this raga avoids obvious phrases of either parent. Its identity emerges only through meticulous phrasing.
Raga Basanti Kedar
An asymmetrical raga that shifts emotional color between ascent and descent, Basanti Kedar resists quick comprehension—rewarding only the most attentive listener.
Raga Kaunsi Kanada
Neither purely Kanada nor fully Kaunsi, this raga lives in a liminal emotional space—brooding, introspective, and structurally elusive.
Raga Gunji Kanada
Almost exclusive to this gharana, Gunji Kanada weaves delicate komal swaras into a dark, introspective tapestry that unfolds slowly and demands deep raga knowledge.
Kirana Gharana: Subtlety and Vanishing Shades
The Kirana gharana is known for its emphasis on swara purity and slow development. Many of its rare ragas suffer in modern times due to shrinking attention spans.
Raga Lalita Gauri
A sunrise raga with a contemplative mood, Lalita Gauri requires elongated phrases and precise intonation—qualities increasingly rare in fast-paced performances.
Raga Shuddha Kalyan
Often overshadowed by Yaman, Shuddha Kalyan’s restrained use of tivra Madhyam gives it a quiet dignity that modern audiences may misinterpret as simplicity.
Raga Shyam Kalyan
A twilight raga hovering between brightness and melancholy, Shyam Kalyan is emotionally subtle and thus infrequently programmed.
Patiala and Other Gharanas: Ornamentation and Lost Elegance
The Patiala gharana, celebrated for its layakari and intricate taans, once explored rare ragas that allowed virtuosic display.
Raga Bageshri Bahar
A seasonal hybrid that demands both emotive depth and technical brilliance, this raga is now rarely attempted due to its stylistic complexity.
Raga Tilak Kamod (Old Patiala Ang)
Heavier and more introspective than modern renditions, this version emphasized bol-taans over speed—an approach now fading.
Carnatic Reflections: Rare Ragas in the Southern Tradition
Though structured differently, Carnatic music also hosts rare ragas like Gamakakriya, Salagabhairavi (archaic form), and Andolika. Their decline mirrors that of Hindustani rare ragas—complex grammar, limited pedagogical transmission, and changing audience tastes.
Why Rare Ragas Matter
Rare ragas are not museum artifacts; they are alternate emotional languages. Each offers a distinct way of experiencing time, mood, and silence. Their disappearance narrows the expressive vocabulary of Indian classical music.
Preserving them does not mean forcing them into every concert. It means teaching them, documenting them, and allowing them space to breathe—slowly, patiently, and respectfully.
Not all ragas arrive with thunder. Some enter the musical space quietly—like half-remembered dreams, like verses spoken under one’s breath. These are the rare ragas of Indian classical music: elusive, demanding, and often misunderstood. They live at the margins of concert culture, not because they lack rasa, but because they require patience, depth, and an unhurried listener.
Indian classical music has never been a closed system. Alongside ancient ragas codified in treatises, there exists a parallel tradition of creative raga-making—where visionary artists shaped new melodic identities, extended old grammars, or resurrected forgotten forms. This article weaves together both strands: rare ragas preserved by gharanas and rare ragas created or crystallized by great musicians.
What emerges is a portrait of Indian classical music not as a museum, but as a living, breathing continuum of imagination.
Rarity as an Aesthetic Choice
A raga becomes rare for many reasons. Some are too subtle for hurried concerts. Some are structurally complex, resisting quick comprehension. Others are inseparably tied to a single aesthetic vision—flourishing briefly under one master before receding into silence.
In many cases, rarity is chosen, not accidental. Certain gharanas deliberately cultivated difficult ragas as a form of aesthetic discipline. Likewise, many great artists created ragas not for popularity, but to articulate a very specific inner mood—sometimes performable only by the creator themselves.
Dhrupad: The Ancient Breath of Rare Ragas
Dhrupad, with its ritualistic gravity and slow temporal arc, safeguards some of the oldest and rarest ragas in Hindustani music.
Rare Dhrupad-Centric Ragas
- Lalit Pancham
- Shuddha Basant
- Bibhas (Dhrupad ang)
- Pancham Kedar
- Malti Basant
- Gauri Dhanashri
- Saurashtra
- Ahir Lalit
- Jogiya Pancham
- Bhairav Bahar (archaic)
These ragas unfold like sculptures carved in sound. Their long alaps resist the modern expectation of instant gratification, which explains their gradual disappearance from mainstream platforms.
Gwalior Gharana: Grammar and Ghost Ragas
As the earliest Khayal gharana, Gwalior once commanded a vast raga repertoire—much of which is rarely heard today.
Rare Gwalior-Associated Ragas
11. Jogiya Asavari
12. Dev Gandhar
13. Andholika
14. Gandhari
15. Jaitashree
16. Bhavmati
17. Bhoop Nat
18. Shuddha Sarang (older ang)
These ragas privilege proportion, clarity, and restraint. They do not shout their identity; they reveal it gradually, demanding an informed ear.
Agra Gharana: Weight, Rhythm, and Forgotten Majesty
The Agra gharana’s powerful voice culture and rhythmic imagination gave life to rare, virile ragas.
Rare Agra Ang Ragas
19. Samant Sarang
20. Kedar Bahar
21. Malgunji (Agra ang)
22. Prabhavati
23. Adambari Kedar
24. Naat Bihag (older form)
These ragas thrive on authority and rhythmic tension—qualities that fewer modern performers are willing to cultivate deeply.
Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana: The Architecture of Complexity
If rarity had a philosophical homeland, it would be Jaipur-Atrauli. This gharana elevated raga-making to an intellectual art form.
Rare and Signature Jaipur-Atrauli Ragas
25. Nat Kamod
26. Basanti Kedar
27. Kaunsi Kanada
28. Gunji Kanada
29. Devshree
30. Patdeepaki
31. Saraswati Kedar
32. Lachari Todi
33. Bihad Bhairav
34. Jaldhar Kedar
35. Sampurna Malkauns
Many of these ragas were refined or systematized under the aesthetic vision of Ustad Alladiya Khan, whose imagination permanently expanded the raga universe.
Kirana Gharana: Silence Between the Notes
Kirana’s obsession with swara purity nurtured ragas that breathe slowly and quietly.
Rare Kirana-Associated Ragas
36. Lalita Gauri
37. Shuddha Kalyan
38. Shyam Kalyan
39. Prabhat Bhairav
40. Jait Kalyan
41. Jogiya Kalyan
These ragas often fail in rushed concerts—not because they are weak, but because they demand contemplative listening.
Creative Raga-Making: When Great Artists Became Composers of Sound
Indian classical music has always allowed space for innovation, provided it respects raga aesthetics. Several modern ragas—now part of the concert lexicon—were born from individual genius.
Ragas Created or Crystallized by Great Masters
- Chandni Kedar – Created by Pandit Ravi Shankar, evoking moonlight through delicate swara treatment
- Hemant – Popularized and formalized by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, carrying autumnal gravity
- Madhukauns – Associated with Pandit Kumar Gandharva, introspective and haunting
- Jogkauns – A powerful fusion shaped by Ustad Amir Khan
- Sohni Bhatiyar – Developed by Pandit Jasraj
- Nand Kalyan – Systematized by Ustad Vilayat Khan
- Salagavarali (Hindustani adaptation) – Experimented with by Pandit Nikhil Banerjee
- Ahir Lalit (modern ang) – Reinterpreted by Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar
- Shivkauns – Created by Pandit Shivkumar Sharma
- Mishra Shivranjani – Expanded concert form shaped by multiple 20th-century vocalists
- Charukeshi (Hindustani ang) – Popularized through creative adaptation by North Indian artists
These ragas reflect a crucial truth: raga creation is not rebellion—it is responsibility. Each of these artists internalized tradition so deeply that innovation emerged organically.
Carnatic Echoes: A Shared Destiny
Carnatic music mirrors this phenomenon through rare ragas such as Gamakakriya, Andolika, and archaic Salagabhairavi—some revived through the imagination of composer-performers. The parallel decline of rare ragas in both systems reveals a shared cultural challenge.
Why Rare and Created Ragas Matter Today
Rare ragas—and newly created ones—serve three vital functions:
- They expand emotional vocabulary, expressing shades unavailable in common ragas
- They preserve intellectual diversity within the raga system
- They affirm creativity as continuity, not rupture
Without them, Indian classical music risks becoming a closed loop of repetition.
Coda: The Courage to Listen Slowly
To perform a rare raga requires courage. To listen to one requires humility.
These ragas ask us to suspend recognition, to abandon expectation, and to meet sound on its own terms. In doing so, we participate in an act of cultural preservation—not by archiving the past, but by allowing it to resonate in the present.
In the end, rare ragas remind us of a simple truth:
music does not always seek applause—sometimes, it seeks understanding.
Raga Lineage: From Gharana to Individual Imagination
In Indian classical music, lineage (parampara) does not flow only through bloodlines or gharanas—it also flows through aesthetic inheritance. Certain artists do not merely perform ragas; they re-shape, re-contextualize, and sometimes create them. Over time, these choices harden into recognizable stylistic lineages.
This section maps artist-wise raga lineages—showing how rare and created ragas cluster around particular masters. What emerges is a genealogy of sound: ragas as descendants of artistic vision.
**Ustad Alladiya Khan
The Architect of Raga Complexity**
Ustad Alladiya Khan did not “invent” ragas casually; he engineered them. His work represents perhaps the most rigorous raga-construction project in modern Hindustani history.
Raga Lineage (Jaipur-Atrauli Core):
- Gunji Kanada
- Kaunsi Kanada
- Nat Kamod
- Basanti Kedar
- Devshree
- Patdeepaki
- Lachari Todi
- Bihad Bhairav
- Jaldhar Kedar
Aesthetic Signature:
Vakra movement, phrase-based identity, intellectual depth, resistance to improvisational shortcuts.
**Pandit Kumar Gandharva
The Poet–Rebel of Raga Thought**
Kumar Gandharva approached ragas as living ideas. Drawing inspiration from folk, medieval dhrupad, and personal introspection, he revived and reimagined rare melodic spaces.
Raga Lineage (Revived / Reimagined):
- Madhukauns
- Lagan Gandhar
- Saheli Todi
- Bhavmat Bhairav
- Ahir Bhairav (personal ang)
- Sanjh Saravali
Aesthetic Signature:
Economy of notes, emotional directness, rejection of ornamental excess, deep engagement with rarity.
**Ustad Amir Khan
The Philosopher of Slow Time**
Ustad Amir Khan reshaped the emotional pacing of Khayal and gave renewed life to several introspective ragas.
Raga Lineage (Indore Ang):
- Jogkauns
- Shahana Kanada (vilambit-focused ang)
- Marwa (expanded vilambit exposition)
- Multani (deepened nocturnal gravity)
- Chandramadhu
Aesthetic Signature:
Ultra-vilambit tempo, long melodic arcs, contemplative introspection, minimal rhythmic display.
**Pandit Bhimsen Joshi
Power, Bhava, and Raga Consolidation**
While Bhimsen Joshi is associated with popular ragas, he also crystallized certain rare or under-defined ragas into stable concert forms.
Raga Lineage (Kirana–Personal Ang):
- Hemant
- Shuddha Kalyan
- Shyam Kalyan
- Lalit Bhairav
- Jogiya (dramatic ang)
Aesthetic Signature:
Emotional intensity, powerful taans, devotional urgency, clarity of raga personality.
**Pandit Ravi Shankar
The Global Raga Innovator**
Ravi Shankar approached raga creation with structural discipline, ensuring new ragas could survive beyond the creator.
Raga Lineage (Created / Formalized):
- Chandni Kedar
- Parameshwari
- Jogeshwari
- Mohankauns
- Bairagi (modern instrumental ang)
Aesthetic Signature:
Clear aroha–avaroha logic, rhythmic adaptability, cross-cultural openness without aesthetic compromise.
**Ustad Vilayat Khan
Gayaki Ang and Emotional Intimacy**
Vilayat Khan’s contribution lies in reshaping ragas through vocal-style phrasing on sitar.
Raga Lineage (Gayaki Ang):
- Nand Kalyan
- Khamaj (vilambit instrumental ang)
- Pilu (expanded emotional palette)
- Yaman (lyrical elaboration)
Aesthetic Signature:
Meend-driven phrasing, intimacy, emotional immediacy, rejection of percussive excess.
**Pandit Jasraj
Devotion as Raga Method**
Pandit Jasraj’s raga work is inseparable from bhakti rasa. His innovations aim at emotional transcendence rather than intellectual abstraction.
Raga Lineage (Mewati Ang):
- Sohni Bhatiyar
- Ahir Bhairav (bhakti ang)
- Madhyasth Sarang
- Jog (devotional emphasis)
Aesthetic Signature:
Spiritual intensity, voice modulation, emotional surrender, seamless blend of technique and devotion.
**Pandit Shivkumar Sharma
Instrument-Led Raga Creation**
The santoor’s limitations prompted creative solutions—resulting in new raga identities.
Raga Lineage (Created / Adapted):
- Shivkauns
- Kirwani (santoor ang)
- Charukeshi (instrumental expansion)
Aesthetic Signature:
Clarity of swara, resonance-based phrasing, adaptation without dilution.
**Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar
Reclaiming the Ancient Voice**
A custodian of dhrupad’s deepest layers, Zia Mohiuddin Dagar revived archaic ragas with meditative authority.
Raga Lineage (Dhrupad Revival):
- Ahir Lalit
- Pancham Kedar
- Shuddha Basant
- Lalit Pancham
Aesthetic Signature:
Timelessness, austerity, spiritual gravitas, rejection of performative excess.
