Bhairavi 2

Bhairavi 2 is a raga-based instrumental composition performed by sitarist Ustad Rais Khan and sarangi player Ustad Sultan Khan. The track appears as the fourth entry on the collaborative album Rag - Rang, released on May 1, 1995 in digital media format. The recording spans 11 minutes and 44 seconds and exemplifies the Bhairavi raga, a fundamental raga in Hindustani classical music traditionally performed in the early morning or as a concert finale.

The album Rag - Rang pairs Khan’s sitar with Sultan Khan’s sarangi, blending the instruments’ distinct timbres in a jugalbandi-style interaction. The track follows the alaap-jor-jhala structure before transitioning into a composed gat with rhythmic accompaniment. The label and production details for the release remain undocumented in available sources, though the album circulated widely in digital formats following its initial 1995 release. No lyricist or additional session musicians are credited for this track.

Ustad Rais Khan (1939–2017) belonged to the Indore gharana and was recognized for his technical precision and emotive phrasing. Ustad Sultan Khan (1940–2011), a sarangi virtuoso of the Indore gharana as well, contributed to the track’s melodic depth through his bowing techniques and microtonal inflections. The collaboration reflects the artists’ shared lineage and their roles in preserving and innovating within the Hindustani classical tradition during the late 20th century.

The composition adheres to the Bhairavi thaat, incorporating the raga’s characteristic komal re (flattened second) and komal dha (flattened sixth) notes. The improvisational sections highlight the performers’ spontaneous interplay, a hallmark of live classical recordings. While no commercial singles were extracted from Rag - Rang, Bhairavi 2 gained attention among connoisseurs for its extended development and the artists’ dynamic exchange. Further details on the recording sessions, including venue or engineering credits, are not publicly verified.