Raga Asavari Todi for Omkarnath Thakur | Guru Smaran | Krishna Bhajan | "Badhaiya Lao Lao Re"

AARSHIN KARANDE, senior disciple of Mewati Gharana luminary SANDEEP RANADE "NAADRANG," offers a rendition of Raga Asavari Todi on the occasion of Pandit Omkarnath Thakur's birthday (June 24th). This bandish is a traditional composition that was performed often by Omkarnath-ji.
Raga Asavari Todi (also known "Asavari," "Asa Todi," and "Komal Rishabh Asavari Todi") is an ancient raga. A compound of ragas Asa, Saveri, and Todi (Bhairavi), this raga is regarded as fundamental in the raga canon as a source of many derivative ragas (such as Jaunpuri, Dev Gandhar, Gandhari, Khat, etc.). Asavari Todi is performed in three varieties; one where only a flat second note (komal rishabh) is used, another where only a sharp second (tivra rishabh) is used, and a third where both flat and sharp second notes are used (komal and tivra risabh). The first version with just a flat second note (komal rishabh) is the oldest and most widely employed version of this raga. This rendition features that version.
Because of the dramatic and pleading-like nature of the flat sixth note (komal dhaivat) and the release of the flat third note (komal gandhar) into the flat second note (komal rishabh), this raga lends itself well to textual themes focused on devotion and desperation. This bandish was made famous by Pt. D. V. Paluskar, a pupil-nephew of Omkarnath-ji, who released a 78 RPM recording of it in 1948 which has received widespread acclaim.
This raga and bandish are presented humbly as an offering to the genius of Pandit Omkarnath Thakur.
LYRICS:
बढ़ैया लाओ, लाओ रे, लाओ
सुघड़ घड़ पलना ।१।
रतन जड़ित सुजड़ित हिंडोलना
झूलावत जसुमात ललना ॥२॥
TRANSLATION:
The speaker says, "As Lord Krishna, the beloved baby of Yashoda, swings in his bejeweled crib, its sway is like a sacred chant that uplifts and blesses. Let it swing!"
CREDITS:
Special thanks to Sharwin Karande for production supervision. Background instruments (tanpura, tabla, swaramandal, surpeti) provided by NaadSadhana for iOS.
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