Musical Anatomy
Thaat
Kafi
Jati
Sampoorna
Time
Morning
Vadi
Pa
Samvadi
Sa
Nature
Spring festival, folk, bright
Arohana (Ascent)
Sa Re ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Ṡa▲Avarohana (Descent)
Ṡa▲ Ni Dha Pa Ma ga Re SaPakad (Characteristic Phrase)
Re ga Ma Pa, Dha Ni SaNotation guide
Chaiti is a folk raga associated with the Chaita folk songs of spring (Chaitra month). It has an earthy, festive, romantic character.
Legend & Lore
Chaiti takes its name from Chaitra month (March-April) of the Hindu calendar — the month when the earth blooms and festivals celebrating new life fill the Gangetic plains.
The raga is rooted in the chaita folk songs traditionally sung in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar during this season, particularly within the Bhojpuri and Awadhi cultural belts where the entire community participated in seasonal singing.
These folk songs celebrate spring's joy, romantic encounters, and the awakening natural world, giving Chaiti an earthy festive energy that separates it from the formal morning ragas of the classical tradition.
Thumri and dadra forms in Chaiti were immortalized by Ustad Bismillah Khan on shehnai and by Girija Devi, whose Banaras-style renditions became the definitive standard for this endearing raga.
Knowledge Deep-Dive
Test Your Knowledge
1. Chaiti is named after which Hindu calendar month and season?
2. Which famous classical musician popularized Chaiti melodies on the shehnai?
3. What is the jati classification of Chaiti?
Discover More Songs in Chaiti
Discover More Songs in Chaiti
Many Hindi film songs blend multiple raags across their mukhda and antara. When searching, you may discover songs primarily in other raags that share Chaiti's emotional palette — that's intentional cross-raag composition by the music director.