What is Raag Kirvai

People who love music, are usually happier. Listening to music gives peace and joy to the mind, listening to music inspires a person to do something better in life. Ragas do heal when rendered properly, at the right pitch (saptak), with the true vaadis and samvaadis brought forth, and at the correct prahar (time).The samavadi or samvadi is the second-most prominent note of a raga in Indian classical music. The primary note of the raga is the vadi; the vadi and samavadi are in most cases a fourth or fifth apart. Hindustani and Carnatic classical musical considers a Raga as depicting a specific mood. An appropriate mood must be evoked in the listener’s mind before initiating musical treatment.

Kirwani is a musical scale in Hindustani classical music. It is an Indian raga especially suited for instrumental music. The scale is the same as the harmonic minor in western music. There are shades of Pilu in Kirwani. This raga is said to have been borrowed from the Carnatic music raga Keeravani. Pilu or Peelu or Piloo is a raga of Hindustani classical music. Raga Pilu is a light raga commonly used to express joy, devotion, happiness and love. It is mostly used in light-classical forms, like the Khayal, of north Indian classical style.

Kirwani is known for its haunting and melancholic mood, characterized using specific notes and melodic phrases. It typically employs the notes Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Dha, and Ni, with some variations depending on the musical context and artist interpretation.

Raag Kirvai promotes meditation at mental and physical level. The reason it’s so popular is the melodious nature of the scale; it is identical to the harmonic minor scale of western music. In overseas settings, playing Kirwani is a safe bet, as the melody resonates with the audience. where a lot of sparsh/kampan (touching and shivering)etc can be used to evoke the emotion of pathos.

Raag Kirwani is a popular Raag that has been used as the basis for many Bollywood songs. The equivalent scale in Western music is commonly known as the Harmonic Minor scale. The intervals in this scale after the Tonic note are Major 2nd, Minor 3rd, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th, Minor 6th and Major 7th. It’s a night raga – 2nd Prahar of the Night (9PM to 12AM).

Music directors from the South like Illayaraja and AR Rahman have used Kirwani in their music. Similarly, composers of Hindi songs such as O.P.Nayyar, shankar-Jaikishan, R.D.Burman, Laxmikant-Pyarelala also have used Raag Kirwani for some of their beautiful compositions. I love some Hindi movies songs in Raag Kirwani, I list them here below: