Om Jai Jagdish Hare is the aarti nearly every North Indian household sings, written by Shraddha Ram Phillauri in the 1870s and long in the public domain. It is also one of the most natural first bhajans on harmonium: the whole opening line sits on Sa, dips one key below it, and comes back — you learn bellows control and the geography around Sa in a single phrase.
The aarti in sargam, line by line
Sa is on C. Ṇ is the Ni one octave below Sa — the white key immediately to the left of where you start. Each ▶ plays just that line; turn on 🐢 Slow while learning.
S S | S S S Ṇ | S ROm jai Jagdish HareR G M | P P D P M | G M RSwami jai Jagdish HareThe same notes as Western keys
| Line | Keys | Sargam |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C C · C C C B↓ · C D | S S · S S S Ṇ · S R |
| 2 | D E F · G G A G F · E F D | R G M · P P D P M · G M R |
B↓ is the B just below your starting C. Every note is a white key — the aarti needs no komal or tivra at all, which is exactly why it teaches so well.
हिंदी में — सरगम
| सा सा · सा सा सा ऩि · सा रे | ॐ जय जगदीश हरे |
| रे ग म · प प ध प म · ग म रे | स्वामी जय जगदीश हरे |
Playing it like an aarti, not an exercise
- Turn the drone on first. Set it to Sa (C here). The melody circles Sa constantly, and against the drone every return home lands with the weight the aarti is supposed to have. On the web harmonium the drone switch is on the left of the control bar.
- Learn the Sa–Ṇ–Sa dip by ear. The one distinctive move in line 1 is the dip to the lower Ni. Play S Ṇ S slowly until the dip-and-return feels like one gesture.
- Let line 2 breathe at the top. P P D P M is the emotional peak — most singers slow slightly through it. The 🐢 button holds the whole line at practice speed until the shape is in your fingers.
- Repeat is the point. An aarti loops. When line 2 ends on R, line 1 starts again on S right next door — practise the join, not just the lines.
Common questions
What are the harmonium notes for Om Jai Jagdish Hare?
With Sa on C: line 1 is S S · S S S Ṇ · S R, line 2 is R G M · P P D P M · G M R. All white keys; Ṇ is the lower-octave Ni.
Why do published versions of this aarti differ?
Because it lives in oral tradition — different families and regions sing slightly different lines, and notation sites transcribe different renditions. That is also why we cross-check several sources and publish only what they agree on.
What drone note should I set?
Your Sa — C if you follow this notation as written. If you sing along and C sits wrong for your voice, move Sa (and the drone with it); the sargam stays identical.
Where to go next
- All song notes — every song we publish, each with a follow-along player.
- Happy Birthday — the other universal first song, four lines with one black key.
- The harmonium notes chart — what Ṇ, komal and tivra mean, and where every note sits.
- The beginner guide — bellows, drone, and your first five-minute practice.