Darbari and Shuddh kallyan

Raga Darbari and raga Shuddh kallyan have nothing much in common except that both have a range of possibilities and that both are poignant ragas. If Darbari is virile, so is shudhkallyan, both are males and very heroic. They have broad chests and courage to match, but they are so different in their temper, in their psychic constitution, that one is almost not sweet (matter of speaking) and the other is sweet, although both are supposed to be meend-pradhan and gambheer ragas. Darbari is Asawari thata, and shuddhkallyan of the kallyan type. Gandhaars and dhaivats in both are vital: in Darbari an andolan on GA and DHA determines everything that there is to the essence of that raga; in Shudhkallyan you have to dwell on the DHA - especially the lower octave DHA, and rest also on the gandhar. NI (nishad) in Shuddhkallyan has to be omitted in the ascent and teevra MA is a must in the descent. Whereas Darbari takes all seven notes in both ascent & descent - ( in fact with a double reference to 'ni', because Darbari has to have ni re sa in the aroha, although ni sa in the aroha also is 'correct', so to say. But MA RE Sa is important before sthayi.) - Shuddha kallyan takes five in the ascent and seven in its descent. Interestingly- and this may be a matter of personal opinion- although DHA-GA notes are vadi - samvadi (main - subordinate) the most important note in both Darbari and Shuddkallyan are not those, but the Pancham (PA). In Shuddkallyan, the manner of application of PA prevents it from getting too much of the rouge of Jaijaiwanti, a terribly ardent raga in its psychic aspirations. (or hues of chayanat, Des, Kedar etc. Application of Pancham in Dharbari prevents it from taking on the colours of ...Jaunpuri for instance.

Why am I writing this? Michael Jackson died and almost the whole world is lamenting. Last night, both Dhabari and Shuddhkallyan came to me (of all the people!) and asked me to tell the world not to lament. "We are there, tell them!", they said.