Bhoopali, also known as Bhoop, Bhopali, or Bhupali, is a Hindustani classicalraga. Bhupālī, is a raag in Kalyan Thaat. It is a pentatonic scale (uses 5 notes in ascending and descending scale).[1] Most of the songs in this raga are based on Bhakti rasa. Since it uses 5 notes, belongs to the "Audav jaati" of ragas.
Karhade (2011) explains that raga Bhopali consists of just 5 notes - सा रे ग प ध (sa, re, ga, pa and dha).[3]
It does not use Ma (also called Madhyam) and Ni (also called Nishadh).[3] It is said that the absence of Ni (representative of physical pleasure) and Ma (representative of loving) means this raga is about non-attachment.[4]
The Introduction consists of two parts – Aaroh आरोह (where the notes are simply recited on an ascending scale) and Avaroha (where the notes are simply recited on a descending order)[3]
Thereafter, with these same five notes, different combinations are made by the singer, similar to short phrases, also called "chalan".[3]
The Pakad (catchphrase that often helps in identifying a raga) is:
S R G R S D1 S R G
or:
S R G R S D1 S R G P G D P G R S
or:
G R P G G R S R D1 S
or:
G R S D1 S R G R P G D P G R S
or:
G R P G S R D1 S
Some chalans (elaborations of the pakad) are:
S R G R S D1 S R G
S R G R S D1 P1
P1 D1 S R G R G
S R P G
G R S R G P
G P D P D D S’
P G P D P D S’ R’ G’ R’ G’
G’ R’ S’ D P G R S
Note: Normally written swaras (individual notes) indicate the middle octave. A swara immediately followed by 1 indicates the mandra saptak (lower octave) and ' indicates the taar saptak (higher octave).
A few movements in Bhopali are important to note. There is typically a slide when descending between Sa and Dha, as well as between Pa and Ga. These slides parallel each other and can be used to create a symmetry about how the Swaras are developed. Also, many performers will bring out the Kalyan flavor of Bhopali by using abhasi of the notes Shuddha Ni and Tivra Ma. That is to say, these notes are only vaguely suggested in passing ornaments, not actually sung for long enough for the Swara to become a clear part of the Raga. Some examples would be:
(N1)D1 S
P(m)P(m) D P
where the notes in parentheses are connected by slides or sung as meend.
^Menon, R.R. (1973). Discovering Indian Music. Somaiya Publications. p. 50. Retrieved 26 May 2021. Some prefer the first Raga to be pentatonic in scale. Let us take for an example, the pentatonic Bhoopali. Its notes are: SA RI GA PA DHA SA up and down the scale.
^Pathak Yajurvedi, Dr. Sarita. "Lecture – Raag Bhopali (Edusat)". www.youtube.com. Bharti College, University of Delhi. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
^Alain, Daniélou (2014). The Rāgas of Northern Indian music. Daniélou, Alain. (2014 ed.). New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal. ISBN978-81-215-0225-2. OCLC39028809.
