Musical Anatomy
Thaat
Kafi
Jati
Audav
Time
Night
Vadi
Re
Samvadi
Pa
Nature
Melancholic, devotional, nostalgic
Arohana (Ascent)
Sa Re ga Pa Dha Ṡa▲Avarohana (Descent)
Ṡa▲ Dha Pa ga Re SaPakad (Characteristic Phrase)
ga Re Sa, Dha Pa ga Re SaNotation guide
Notable Compositions
Raga attributions for film songs, ghazals, and semi-classical pieces are often disputed. Composers may draw from a raga without strictly adhering to it. Treat these as approximate — we show a confidence indicator on each entry.
"Neele gagan ke tale, dharti ka pyaar pale"
"Yeh jo mohabbat hai, yeh kya ho gayi"
"Tujh mein rab dikhta hai, yaara main kya karoon"
Shivranjani · 5 compositions
Shivranjani is a pentatonic raga with a distinctive melancholic, devotional quality. Widely used in film music.
Legend & Lore
Shivranjani — literally 'that which pleases Shiva' (Shiv + ranjani) — is a pentatonic night raga of the Kafi thaat whose melancholic and devotional quality has made it one of the most beloved ragas in both classical and film music.
Its scale — Sa, Re, komal Ga, Pa, Dha, omitting both Ma and Ni — gives it an unusually open, plaintive sound instantly recognisable to Indian ears.
The omission of Madhyam and Nishad leaves the melody suspended between tonic and fifth, with komal Ga providing a perpetual tinge of pathos.
The raga has been employed in countless enduring Hindi film songs of contemplation, devotion, and nostalgic longing.
Among classical exponents, Pandit Jasraj was drawn to its devotional depth, and it remains one of the most frequently encountered ragas across both concert halls and cinema.
Knowledge Deep-Dive
Test Your Knowledge
1. Which two swaras are omitted in Raga Shivranjani, creating its characteristic open, plaintive sound?
2. The name Shivranjani translates approximately to what in English?
3. Shivranjani belongs to which thaat?
Cinematic Echoes
5 Hindi film songs rooted in Shivranjani
Discover More Songs in Shivranjani
Search all major music platforms for Hindi film and classical recordings in this raag. These go well beyond the 5 indexed above.
Many Hindi film songs blend multiple raags across their mukhda and antara. When searching, you may discover songs primarily in other raags that share Shivranjani's emotional palette — that's intentional cross-raag composition by the music director.