Raag Deepak - Lost In Comfort



This raag has been intriguing me since the time I heard stories associating this raag with the musical maestro Tansen developing fever after King Akbar compelled him to sing it.

Ghulam Ali rendering Raag Deepak

Here is a link where you can listen to Ghulam Ali singing a composition in Deepak.

The story says that after much coercion from Akbar, Tansen agreed to sing in Deepak. While he was halfway through his singing in the court, Tansen felt febrile, followed by profuse sweating and perceived high temperature in the atmosphere. He grew increasingly restless and ran out of the court due to intolerable heat that the Raag generated. Fortunately, the women at his residence started singing in Raag Malhar. Singing in Raag Malhar brought the rain and relieved Tansen of his discomfort.

It is said that after several incidents of the extinguished court lamps having lit by the powerful rendition in Raag Deepak and the potential of the Raag to generate extreme energy in the atmosphere around the singer and listener, this Raag had to be abandoned. I could not find any film song composed in this Raag. There are videos on YouTube showing few classical music exponents singing in Raag Deepak.

I have been listening to some rare compositions in Deepak over past couple of days, and the energy that it generates is immense. It is a masculine Raag with vigor and vitality. It weighs against Raag Sri,  Yaman and the like which are more feminine and bear a devotional feeling. Deepak is intense and uplifting. After 45 minutes of listening to a composition in Deepak, I find my mind craving for more of it. It is a rare gem among several forgotten Raags of Hindustani classical music.

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