बहुरुपि

Raag Bahurupi is a complete scale with all 7 notes in both ascent and descent raga in the Carnatic classical music tradition.. With its Sampurna-Sampurna jati structure, this raag creates a distinctive tonal landscape. The predominant rasa is Peace/Tranquility (शांत), making it suitable for compositions that evoke peaceful, meditative emotions. It is traditionally performed during evening hours, and its melodic contour offers rich possibilities for alapana, kalpanaswaram, and creative improvisation.

As part of the rich tapestry of Indian classical music, Raag Bahurupi represents the deep connection between melodic structure and emotional expression that defines the Carnatic tradition.

Raag Bahurupi ('of many forms', from bahu = many, rupa = form/appearance) carries one of the most philosophically resonant names in the Carnatic janya catalog. The word 'bahurupi' is a well-known epithet of both Vishnu (who assumes ten avatars and countless forms) and Shiva (who manifests as Rudra, Bhairava, Mahakala, and other forms). In the performing arts, a 'bahurupi' is also a traditional street performer who changes costumes and characters repeatedly. The raag's name may thus signal melodic versatility — a scale capable of evoking many moods or taking on many ornamental guises. In Carnatic music, ragas named after divine epithets were often cultivated in temples and in the Tanjavur and Mysore court traditions. Bahurupi's exact parentage (melakarta) and arohana-avarohana have not been confirmed in the principal digitized lakshana texts. Its sampurna-sampurna jati is noted, but performing tradition is undocumented.