देशि

Raag Deshi is a complete scale with all 7 notes in both ascent and descent raga in Hindustani classical music belonging to the Khamaj thaat. This raag embodies the Romance/Beauty (श्रृंगार) rasa, creating an atmosphere of romantic, playful emotion. It is traditionally performed during evening hours. The raag offers rich melodic possibilities through its characteristic phrases and ornamentations, making it a rewarding subject for both khayal and instrumental performance.

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

Raag Deshi (also spelled Desh or Desi) is one of the most widely loved raags of the Khamaj thaat in Hindustani classical music. The name literally means 'of the land' or 'national,' and the raag has ancient roots in the deshi sangeet traditions that developed outside the formal marg (courtly/Vedic) streams. It is mentioned in medieval music texts and has been cultivated across all major gharanas — Kirana, Jaipur-Atrauli, Agra, and Gwalior. Its scale uses all seven shuddha notes in ascent, while the descent introduces komal Ni (Nishad) and omits Ga and Dha, giving it a characteristically asymmetric, flowing quality. The andolan (oscillation) on komal Ni is considered the raag's soul. The vadi (primary note) is Ma (Madhyam) and samvadi is Sa; this emphasis on the subdominant gives the raag warmth and an earthy, romantic character. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Ustad Amir Khan, and Pandit Jasraj have all left major recordings in Deshi. It is performed at evening (sandhya kaal), typically in light-classical and semi-classical forms such as thumri and dadra as well as full khayal. In instrumental tradition, Ravi Shankar and Vilayat Khan rendered memorable Desh-family performances.