Raag Poorbi is a melodic framework (raag) in South Asian classical music. It belongs to the Poorvi thaat. Traditionally performed during the 15:00-17:59. It evokes a sad mood. The vadi (dominant note) is Gandhar and the samvadi is Nikhad. Stream 6 renditions of Raag Poorbi on Saarey Music.
Raag Poorbi was so dear to Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia that he would not feel well without hearing it, even for a single day. One day, Hazrat Nizamuddin passed through a market and saw something he liked but didn’t have the money to buy. The shopkeeper, knowing the saint's deep affection for Raag Poorbi, proposed that the Raag itself be held as collateral. It was agreed that Nizamuddin Aulia would abstain from hearing Raag Poorbi until the payment was made.
When Hazrat Amir Khusro—his devoted disciple—heard of this, he immediately went and paid the shopkeeper to "free" Raag Poorbi. He then returned to Nizamuddin Aulia and had the Raag performed once again, restoring joy and health to the saint.
How to recognize Raag Poorbi
Identify the parent scale. Raag Poorbi belongs to the Poorvi thaat — listening for the characteristic note pattern narrows the field.
Listen for the vadi. The dominant note is Gandhar, with the samvadi Nikhad supporting it. Emphasized in phrases and pauses, especially in the alap.
Note the time of performance. Raag Poorbi is traditionally performed during the 15:00-17:59.
Feel the mood. Raag Poorbi evokes a sad rasa — one of the clearest cues.
Raag Poorbi is a melodic framework in South Asian classical music belonging to the Poorvi thaat, traditionally performed during 15:00-17:59. It evokes a sad mood. Raag Poorbi was so dear to Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia that he would not feel well without hearing it, even for a single day. One day, Hazrat Nizamuddin passed through a market and saw something he liked but didn’t have the money to buy. The shopkeeper, knowing the saint's deep affection for Raag Poorbi, proposed that the Raag itself be held as collateral. It was agreed that Nizamuddin Aulia would abstain from hearing Raag Poorbi until the payment was made.
When Hazrat Amir Khusro—his devoted disciple—heard of this, he immediately went and paid the shopkeeper to "free" Raag Poorbi. He then returned to Nizamuddin Aulia and had the Raag performed once again, restoring joy and health to the saint.
Raag Poorbi is traditionally performed during 15:00-17:59. In South Asian classical music, each raag is associated with a specific time of day or night, believed to enhance its emotional impact and resonate with the natural rhythms of that period.
For the most authentic experience, listen to Raag Poorbi during 15:00-17:59. South Asian classical music theory holds that each raag resonates most powerfully at its designated time, aligning with the listener's emotional and physiological state during that period. However, great performances of Raag Poorbi can be appreciated at any time.
Raag Poorbi evokes a sad mood. In South Asian classical music, each raag is associated with a specific emotional quality (rasa) that the performer seeks to communicate through melodic phrases and ornamentations. The sad character of Raag Poorbi is expressed through its particular combination of notes, emphasis patterns, and characteristic phrases (pakad).
Raag Poorbi belongs to the Poorvi thaat. A thaat is a parent scale in South Asian classical music from which raags are derived. The Poorvi thaat provides the foundational note set that Poorbi elaborates upon with its specific ascending and descending patterns.
The vadi (most important note) of Raag Poorbi is Gandhar and the samvadi (second most important note) is Nikhad. The vadi and samvadi are the two dominant notes around which the raag's melodic phrases revolve, giving it its distinctive character.
