--- url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-gb/thaat/khamaj' title: Khamaj author: name: Anonymous updated: '2026-11-01T22:56:15+00:00' type: website summary: 'Khamaj thaat is one of the ten parent scales of Hindustani music: komal Ni, the other six notes shuddha. Khamaj, Desh and Jhinjhoti are grouped here.' image: 'https://kalasudha.com/themes/custom/music_agency/assets/icon/logo.svg' published: true og: site_name: KalaSudha 'image:url': 'https://kalasudha.com/themes/custom/music_agency/assets/icon/logo.svg' 'image:secure_url': 'https://kalasudha.com/themes/custom/music_agency/assets/icon/logo.svg' 'image:type': image/svg+xml 'image:alt': KalaSudha --- Thaat (Parent Scale) One of ten thaats Komal Ni # Khamaj खमाज Komal Ni with the other six notes shuddha: the scale of Khamaj, Desh and Jhinjhoti Khamaj thaat is one of the ten parent scales of Hindustani music: komal Ni, the other six notes shuddha. Khamaj, Desh and Jhinjhoti are grouped here. Thaat scale 1. S Sa (fixed) 2. R Shuddha Re 3. G Shuddha Ga 4. M Shuddha Ma 5. P Pa (fixed) 6. D Shuddha Dha 7. n Komal Ni Green: shuddha or fixed · Blue: komal · Amber: tivra S R G M P D n Mixolydian mode 7 Ragas 4 Releases [ Explore Ragas ](#thaat-ragas) ## Ragas in Khamaj Thaat 7 ragas classified in this thaat ### [ Bangala ](/en-gb/raga/bangala) बंगला [Khamaj](/en-gb/thaat/khamaj) Pre-dawn Shadava-Sampoorna Raag Bangala: a Khamaj thaat devotional raga, performed before dawn, with shuddha Re, Ga, Ma, Pa and Dha and both forms of Ni. Vadi Ma, samvadi Sa. [ View Details ](/en-gb/raga/bangala) ### [ Desh ](/en-gb/raga/desh) देश S R M P N S' \| S' n D P D M G R G .N S [Khamaj](/en-gb/thaat/khamaj) Late night Audava-Sampoorna Raag Desh: a Khamaj thaat raga of Hindustani music, performed late at night, with both forms of Ni: shuddha going up, komal coming down. Vadi Re, samvadi Pa. [ View Details ](/en-gb/raga/desh) ### [ Gorakh Kalyan ](/en-gb/raga/gorakh-kalyan) गोरख कल्याण S R M D n D S' \| S' n D P M R S, .n .D S [Khamaj](/en-gb/thaat/khamaj) Night Audava-Shadava Raag Gorakh Kalyan: a Khamaj thaat raga of Hindustani music, performed at night, without Ga, with komal Ni and a light Pa. Vadi Ma, samvadi Sa. [ View Details ](/en-gb/raga/gorakh-kalyan) ### [ Jhinjhoti ](/en-gb/raga/jhinjhoti) झिंझोटी S R M P D S' \| S' n D P M G R G S [Khamaj](/en-gb/thaat/khamaj) Night Audava-Sampoorna Raag Jhinjhoti: a Khamaj thaat raga of Hindustani music, performed at night, with shuddha notes and komal Ni in the descent. Vadi Ga, samvadi komal Ni. [ View Details ](/en-gb/raga/jhinjhoti) ### [ Kalavati ](/en-gb/raga/kalavati) कलावती S G P D n S' \| S' n D P G S [Khamaj](/en-gb/thaat/khamaj) Late night Audava-Audava Raag Kalavati: a Khamaj thaat raga of Hindustani music, performed late at night, with Sa, Ga, Pa, Dha and komal Ni. Vadi Pa, samvadi Sa. [ View Details ](/en-gb/raga/kalavati) ### [ Khamaj ](/en-gb/raga/khamaj) खमाज S G M P D N S' \| S' n D P M G R G S, .N S G M P [Khamaj](/en-gb/thaat/khamaj) Night Shadava-Sampoorna Raag Khamaj: a Khamaj thaat raga of Hindustani music, performed at night, with shuddha Ni going up and komal Ni coming down. Vadi Ga, samvadi Ni. [ View Details ](/en-gb/raga/khamaj) #### Pagination 1 Current page [ Page 2 ](?page=1 "Go to page 2") [ Next page ](?page=1 "Go to next page") ## Janak Raga A representative raga of this thaat ### [ Khamaj ](/en-gb/raga/khamaj) खमाज S G M P D N S' \| S' n D P M G R G S, .N S G M P [Khamaj](/en-gb/thaat/khamaj) Night Shadava-Sampoorna Raag Khamaj: a Khamaj thaat raga of Hindustani music, performed at night, with shuddha Ni going up and komal Ni coming down. Vadi Ga, samvadi Ni. [ View Details ](/en-gb/raga/khamaj) ## Origins & Context **Khamaj thaat** is one of the ten parent scales (thaats) of Hindustani music, the system set out by Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, and it uses komal (flat) Ni with the other six notes shuddha: **S R G M P D n**. Raag Khamaj, the raga of the same name, has its own page, and the raga drops Re in ascent: [Raag Khamaj](/en-gb/raga/khamaj). The nearest thaat is [Bilawal thaat](/en-gb/thaat/bilawal), which keeps Ni shuddha. Kafi thaat shares the **komal Ni** and lowers Ga as well. The ragas grouped under Khamaj include **Desh**, Jhinjhoti and Ragesri, three ragas that Bhatkhande lists among the eleven best known of this thaat. The same seven notes form Harikambhoji, melakarta 28 of Carnatic music, and the Western Mixolydian mode. A thaat carries no hour of its own. In Bhatkhande's books Raag Khamaj belongs to the second watch of the night, while Desh and Jhinjhoti keep their own times, and many Khamaj ragas live in thumri and other light classical forms as much as in khayal. Hear ragas of this thaat at KalaSudha concerts and on our recordings, and learn them in courses built by their instructors with KalaSudha: see [our courses](/en-gb/courses). ## Musical Characteristics Scale and musical context of this thaat ### Swara Patterns Thaat scale S R G M P D n Avroh (Descending) n D P M G R S ### Distinctive Features Komal Ni, with the other six notes shuddha Same notes as the Western Mixolydian mode Bilawal thaat differs by one note, shuddha Ni Khamaj, Desh, Jhinjhoti and Ragesri are grouped here ## Around the World Global connections and equivalent scales Carnatic ### Harikambhoji (melakarta 28) S R G M P D n Melakarta 28 of Carnatic music takes the same seven notes, with kaisiki nishada, the lowered seventh, and P. Sambamoorthy pairs it with the Mixolydian mode. The Carnatic raga Harikambhoji and its janya Kambhoji have their own phrases and gamakas; what the two systems share is the scale. Western ### Mixolydian mode C D E F G A Bb With Sa on C the notes are the Mixolydian mode, a major scale with a lowered seventh. Only the notes match: Raag Khamaj, for one, drops Re in ascent, and each raga of the thaat keeps its own ascent, descent and emphasis. Stay close ## Keep KalaSudha close. Receive news of concerts, learning opportunities, recordings and the work taking shape at KalaSudha. - Concert news - ·Learning opportunities - ·Recordings and stories We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.