Musical Anatomy
Thaat
Marwa
Jati
Audav-Shadav
Time
Late Night
Vadi
Ga
Samvadi
Ni
Nature
Romantic, intense, night
Arohana (Ascent)
Sa re Ga Ma* Ni Ṡa▲Avarohana (Descent)
Ṡa▲ Ni Dha Ma* Ga re SaPakad (Characteristic Phrase)
Ga Ma* Pa Ni Sa, Ni Pa Ma* 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.
"Aap ki nazron ne samjha pyaar ke kaabil mujhe"
"Chhukar mere man ko, kiya tune kya ishaara"
"Tum na jaane kis jahaan mein kho gaye"
"Rafta rafta woh hamaari hast-o-bood pe chha gaye"
Sohni · 8 compositions
Sohni is named after the legendary heroine Sohni of the Sohni-Mahiwal love story. It has an intensely romantic character.
Legend & Lore
Sohni takes its name from the tragic heroine of the Punjabi folk legend Sohni-Mahiwal, in which a young woman swims nightly across a treacherous river to meet her beloved, ultimately drowning when her jealous sister-in-law replaces her earthen pot with an unfired one.
The raga captures that feverish, nocturnal yearning with an aching intensity that has drawn singers for centuries.
Belonging to the Marwa family, it is distinguished by the complete absence of Pancham (Pa), which strips away any sense of resolution and leaves the melody suspended in longing.
The teevra Madhyam and komal Rishabh create wide, unsettled leaps that evoke the turbulent river of the legend.
Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Ustad Amir Khan are among the most celebrated interpreters of this raga.
Knowledge Deep-Dive
Test Your Knowledge
1. Which note is conspicuously absent in Raga Sohni, making it a pancham-varjit raga?
2. Sohni is performed at what time of day and is associated with which primary rasa?
3. The name and emotional character of Raga Sohni are drawn from which source?
Discover More Songs in Sohni
Discover More Songs in Sohni
Many Hindi film songs blend multiple raags across their mukhda and antara. When searching, you may discover songs primarily in other raags that share Sohni's emotional palette — that's intentional cross-raag composition by the music director.