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Shankara is a raga in Hindustani classical music.

Origin [link]

The raga emerges from Bilawal thaat.

Technical description [link]

The raga is of audav-shadav nature, i.e, it has five swaras (notes) in the arohana (ascent) and six in the avarohana (descent). All the swaras are used are shudhha swaras, no komal swara is used. It is an Uttaranga pradhan raga, with the higher notes on the saptak (octave) being used more frequently.

Arohana: Sa Ga Pa Ni Dha Sa.

Avarohana: Sa Ni Dha Pa, Ga Pa Ga Re Sa.

Pakad: Sa Ni Pa Ga Pa, Re Ga Re Sa.

The vadi swara is Ga, and the samvadi is Ni. The rishabh (Re) is very weak, but yet significant in the way it supplements the gandhar (Ga). The raga is light, long khayals are usually not sung in this raga, rather lighter genres like thumris are explored in the raga.

Samai (time) [link]

This proper time to sing this raga is supposed to be late night.

See also [link]

• Rag Shankara, Rag Mala in Jogia