Raga Loor Sarang (Rasiyo Bulaye, bhajan)

Raga Loor Sarang (Rasiyo Bulaye, bhajan) is a Hindustani classical bhajan performed by vocalist Kishori Amonkar. The recording features a 13-minute-14-second rendition in the raga Loor Sarang, a variant of the Sarang family known for its emotive and devotional character. Amonkar interprets the composition Rasiyo Bulaye, a traditional bhajan text often associated with the poetry of Mirabai or similar devotional traditions.

Amonkar presents the piece in her signature gayaki, blending intricate taan patterns with the lyrical phrasing of the bhajan. The performance adheres to the structural conventions of khyal-influenced bhajan renditions, incorporating alaap, jod, and jhala sections before unfolding the composed text. The recording date and original release label remain undocumented in widely accessible sources, though the work circulates in live concert archives and posthumous compilations dedicated to Amonkar’s devotional repertoire.

The composition emphasizes the shuddha ni (natural seventh) and komal re (flattened second), hallmarks of Loor Sarang that distinguish it from related ragas like Brindavani Sarang or Madhukauns. Amonkar’s treatment of the bandish (fixed composition) Rasiyo Bulaye centers on themes of divine longing, a recurrent motif in her interpretations of bhajans. Accompaniment details, if present, are not specified in available references, though her performances typically featured harmonium and tabla support in live settings.

The recording exemplifies Amonkar’s later-phase artistry, where she synthesized the rigor of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana with her personal explorations of shruti-based microtonal inflections. While the exact performance venue or session date is unverified, the track appears in anthologies celebrating her contributions to semi-classical and devotional music. No commercial album release is definitively linked to this rendition, though it aligns with her broader discography of raga-based bhajans from the 1980s and 1990s.