बंदहु

Raag Bandhu 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 Bandhu represents the deep connection between melodic structure and emotional expression that defines the Carnatic tradition.

Raag Bandhu ('friend', 'kinsman', 'companion') carries one of the most intimate names in the Carnatic janya catalog. 'Bandhu' in Sanskrit encompasses both biological kinship (bandhu = relative) and the closest kind of non-familial friendship — the word appears in the Bhagavad Gita (6.5–6) where Krishna says 'bandhur atma atmanah' (the self is the friend of the self) and in Vaishnavite theology where God (particularly Vishnu/Krishna) is called the 'sakha' and 'bandhu' of the devotee. A raag named Bandhu therefore could be intended to evoke the intimate, reciprocal relationship between devotee and deity — the sakhya bhava (friendship-devotion) championed by the Vaishnava saint-poets of the Alvars and the Bhagavata tradition. This devotional register is consistent with the raag's shanta rasa classification. Bandhu's parent melakarta and arohana-avarohana are not confirmed in available lakshana sources, and the raag is not documented in modern concert settings.