Sohni


Sohini is a raga in Hindustani classical music in the Marwa thaat. Alternate transliterations include Sohani and Sohini. Like Bahar, it is a small raga, with not much space for elaboration. It emotes the feel of longing, of passive sensuousness.

Technical Description

The raga is of audav-shadav nature, i.e., it has five swaras in the arohana and six in the avarohana. Rishabh is komal and Madhyam is Tivra,, while all other swaras are shuddha. Pancham is not used.
Arohana: Sa Ga Ma# Dha Ni Sa.
Avarohana: Sa Ni Dha, Ga Ma# Dha Ga Ma# Ga Re Sa.
Pakad: 1. Sa Ni Dha, Ga Ma# Dha Ga Ma# Ga. 2. Sa Ni Dha, Ni Dha Ga Ma#, Ga Ma#, Ga Re Sa.
The vadi swara is Dha, and samvadi is Ga.
The rishabh is weak, but Gandhar is strong, unlike Marwa. It is an Uttaranga pradhan raga, with the higher notes on the saptak being used more frequently.

Samay (Time)

Raga Sohini is associated with very late night / pre-dawn, the last or eighth period of day, roughly from 3-6AM.
: 4th Prahar of the Night : Sandhi-Prakash Raag

Further information

It is somewhat similar to Marwa and Puriya ragas in the same thaat, and also to Basant in the Poorvi thaat.