Bihag

Bihag is another Bilawal-thaat raga, alongside Alhaiya Bilawal and Durga already covered here, but its character is warmer and more overtly romantic — a night raga rather than a morning one. Its ascent is audav (five notes: Sa, Ga, Ma, Pa, Ni), skipping Re and Dha entirely; Dha barely survives into the descent either, appearing only as a fleeting meend touch between Ni and Pa rather than a note performers actually rest on, which is why sources differ on whether the descent is best called sampurna or a slightly reduced six-note shadav. The raga's other well-known feature is a brief, ornamental use of tivra Ma in the phrase Pa–tivra Ma–Ga–Ma–Ga, even though shuddha Ma otherwise carries the raga throughout. Alaps and taans conventionally open from Ni rather than Sa, giving Bihag a distinctive, upward-leaning feel from its very first phrase.