The eight prahars

In Hindustani classical music, each raga has its time of day. The day is told in prahars: eight watches of about three hours each, four of daylight and four of night.

The link between ragas and the hours is centuries old: the Saṅgīta Makaranda, written between the seventh and eleventh centuries, warns musicians against singing a raga out of its time. In the twentieth century, Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande gave each raga its prahar by the notes it uses. Ragas of the twilights, at dawn and dusk, mostly take komal Re and Dha; in the evening’s ragas, tivra Ma is often the guiding note.

Here are the eight as Ragya keeps them, from midnight round to midnight, with their 291 ragas. Many ragas belong to more than one prahar, and 7 to all eight. Prahar plays them as the hours come, by your own clock.

12–3 am

Late night

Niśītha‑kāla / Triyāmā

निशीथकाल / त्रियामा

The middle of the night belongs to ragas with komal Ga and Ni, Darbari, Malkauns and Bageshree among them.

47 ragas

3–6 am

Pre-dawn

Uṣaḥ‑kāla / Aruṇodaya (Brahma‑muhūrta)

उषःकाल / अरुणोदय (ब्राह्ममुहूर्त)

From about 4 am the dawn twilight, sandhi prakash, begins, with ragas of komal Re such as Lalit and Vibhas.

23 ragas

6–9 am

Early morning

Prātaḥkāla / Pūrvāhna

प्रातःकाल / पूर्वान्ह

Sunrise is Bhairav’s hour: twilight ragas with komal Re and Dha and shuddha Ma, as in Bhairav itself and Ramkali.

51 ragas

9 am–12 pm

Morning

Sāṅgava‑kāla

साङ्गवकाल

After the twilight come ragas with shuddha Re, Ga and Dha, such as Bilawal and Alhaiya Bilawal, then those with komal Ga: the Todis and Asavari.

44 ragas

12–3 pm

Afternoon

Madhyāhna / Madhyāhnikā‑kāla

मध्यान्ह / मध्यान्हिककाल

Midday is the hour of the Sarangs: Brindavani Sarang is prescribed for noon.

48 ragas

3–6 pm

Late afternoon

Aparāhna

अपराह्न

From about 4 pm the evening twilight begins, with ragas of komal Re and tivra Ma such as Marwa, Shree and Puriya Dhanashree.

51 ragas

6–9 pm

Evening

Sāyaṃkāla / Sandhyā‑kāla

सायंकाल / संध्याकाल

After dusk come ragas with shuddha Re and Dha; the evening’s take tivra Ma, as Yaman does.

84 ragas

9 pm–12 am

Night

Pradoṣa‑kāla

प्रदोषकाल

Ragas with shuddha Re and Dha, such as Bihag and Hameer, carry on into the night; nearer midnight come those with komal Ga and Ni.

124 ragas