Dhani is Bhimpalasi’s little cousin. A beautiful little ambit and the color of the unripe green-brown husks of young rice (dhaan). Pt. Ramashreya Jha ‘Ramrang’–my favorite contemporary composer–uses both the raag and it’s name with facility, to create this gorgeous gem of a bandish–Laa de laa de chunar piya Dhani rang ki. I’ve rounded this off with a Tarana of mine that starts off along the lines of the famous bandish in Punjabi ‘Saade naal ve miya’.
Bandish/ Addha Teental/ Pt. Ramashreya Jha ‘Ramrang’
ला दे ला दे चुनर पिया धानी रंग की, मनभावनी हुलसावनी नवरससनी गुणखानी
ला दे चुनर मोरे मीत पियरवा, पहिर लागूं तोरे गरवा, ‘रामरंग’ अंगिया सुहावनी
(O beloved, bring me a stole the color of Dhani, so I can match it with my golden yellow blouse. Bring me this most pleasing chunar that I can wear and embrace you with.)
Photo: Picture post card beauty of Spring in the Santa Monica range. The hills are sprayed with yellow-green, and the short flat trails are hopping with bunnies.