Bilaval

Thaat	Bilaval
Type	Sampurna (7 by 7 )
Arohana	Sa Re Ga ma, Ga Pa, Ni Dha Ni Sa'
Avarohana	Sa' Ni Dha, Pa, ma Ga, ma Re Sa
Pakad	Ga Re, Ga Pa Dha Pa, ma Ga, ma Re Sa Ga Re Ga Pa, Dha Ni Sa' Sa' Ni Dha Pa, ma Ga Ma Re Sa
Vadi	Dha
Samavadi	Ga
Synonym	Bilawal
Equivalent	Sankarabharanam Ionian mode

Bilaval or Bilawal (IAST: Bilāval) is a raga and the basis for the eponymous thaat (musical mode) in Hindustani classical music. Raga Bilaval is named after Veraval, Gujarat.^[1]

Bilaval has been the standard for North Indian music since the early 19th century. Its tonal relationships are comparable to the Western music C major scale. Bilaval appears in the Ragamala as a ragini of Bhairav but today it is the head of the Bilaval thaat. The Ragamala names Bilaval as a Putra (son) of Bhairav but no relationship between these two ragas are made today. Bilaval is a morning raga that is intended to be sung with a feeling of deep devotion and repose and is often performed during the hot months.^{[citation needed]} The Bilaval is equivalent to the Carnatic raga melakarta, Sankarabharanam, as well as the Western Ionian mode (major scale), and contains the notes S R G M P D N S'. The pitches of Bilaval thaat are all shuddha (natural). Flat (komal) or sharp (tivra) pitches always occur regarding the interval pattern in Bilaval thaat.

Bilaval raga is in the Sikh tradition of northern India and is part of the Sikh holy scripture Granth, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.^[2] Every raga has a set of strict rules that govern the number of notes that can be used, which notes can be used, and their interplay that must be adhered to for the composition of a tune. Bilaval is the thirty-fourth raga to appear in the series of sixty compositions in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. The composition in this raga appears on 64 pages from page numbers 795 to 859.

Arohana/Arohi: Sa, Re, Ga, ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa'

Avrohana/Avarahi: Sa' Ni Dha, Pa, ma Ga, Ma, Re Sa

Vadi: Dha

Samavadi: Ga

1. Ga Re, Ga Ma Dha Pa, Ma Ga, Ma Re Sa
2. Ga Pa Ni Dha Ni Sa
3. Ga Re Ga Pa, Ni Dha Ni Sa
4. Sa Ni Dha Pa Ga Ma Re Sa
5. Ga Re Ga Pa Dha Ni Dha Ni Sa

Morning: First pahar of the day (4-7 AM)

• Bor, Joep (ed). Rao, Suvarnalata; der Meer, Wim van; Harvey, Jane (co-authors) The Raga Guide: A Survey of 74 Hindustani Ragas. Zenith Media, London: 1999.

• SRA on Samay and Ragas
• SRA on Ragas and Thaats