Raag Todi | Pandit Bhimsen Joshi

Raag Todi | Pandit Bhimsen Joshi
Miyan ki Todi, often simply referred to as Todi or Darbari Todi (IAST: Toḍi), is a Hindustani classical raga which gave its name to the Todi thaat, one of the ten types of classical music according to the musicologist Bhatkhande. Ragas from the Todi raganga (class of ragas) include Todi (a.k.a. Miyan ki Todi) itself, Bilaskhani Todi, Gujari Todi (also called Gurjari Todi), Desi Todi, Hussaini Todi, Asavari Todi (more commonly known as Komal Rishabh Asavari), and Bahaduri Todi.
The equivalent raga in Carnatic music is Shubhapantuvarali. But in Todi, the pancham is omitted in the Arohana, whereas Shubhapanthuvarali uses the panchamam in both the arohana and avarohana. The Carnatic Melakarta Hanumatodi is the equivalent of Bhairavi thaat, but the Hindustani Bhairavi raga is the equivalent of Carnatic Sindhu Bhairavi. Carnatic Todi does not have any similarity with Hindustani Todi (Miyan ki Todi) raga. Though the Swarasthana orders of Carnatic Thodi are similar to Hindustani Bhairavi thaat, but when the Carnatic Todi is sung it has no similarity with Hindustani Todi, Bhairavi, or Carnatic Sindhu Bhairavi.
Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi (4 February 1922 - 24 January 2011), also known by the honorific prefix Pandit, was one of the greatest Indian vocalists from Karnataka, in the Hindustani classical tradition. He is known for the khayal form of singing, as well as for his popular renditions of devotional music (bhajans and abhangs). Joshi belongs to the Kirana gharana tradition of Hindustani Classical Music. He is noted for his concerts, and between 1964 and 1982 Joshi toured Afghanistan, Italy, France, Canada and USA. He was the first musician from India whose concerts were advertised through posters in New York City.[1][2] Joshi was instrumental in organising the Sawai Gandharva Music Festival annually, as homage to his guru, Sawai Gandharva.
In 1998, he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, the highest honour conferred by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama. Subsequently, he received the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in 2009.
Bhimsen Joshi was born on 4 February 1922 in a Kannada Deshastha Madhva Brahmin family to Gururajrao Joshi and Godavaribai at Gadag in Dharwad district that was then in the Bombay Presidency of British India. His father, Gururaj Joshi, was a school teacher. Bhimsen was the eldest among 16 siblings. He lost his mother at a young age.
As a child, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was fascinated with music and musical instruments like the harmonium and tanpura and would often follow processions accompanied by music bands. This exercise often tired him and he would curl up somewhere and sleep, forcing his parents to go to the police after efforts to trace him failed. Fed up, his father Gururajacharya Joshi came up with the solution, writing "son of teacher Joshi" on Bhimsen Joshi's shirts. This worked and those who found the boy sleeping would safely deposit him back to his house.