Gourimanohari
Also known as: Gaurimanohari, Gowrimanohari, Gowri Manohari, Gauri Manohari, Gowri Velavali (Dikshitar school), Gourivelavali, Veda-Ma (mnemonic)
Melakarta raga — 23
Practise Gourimanohari →Gourimanohari is the 23rd melakarta (Veda chakra), a sampurna sarva-swara-gamaka rakti raga whose name means "Gauri (Parvati) who steals the heart." It is serene, graceful and subtly evocative, evoking both bhakti (devotion) and sringara (romance) and often described as a sarvakaalika (all-time) raga that induces calm and well-being. Notable compositions include Tyagaraja's "Guruleka Etuvanti," Papanasam Sivan's "Gowrimanohara," Balamuralikrishna's "Smarare," and the film song "Paattum Naane" from Thiruvilayadal; its Hindustani counterpart is Patdeep and its Western analogue the melodic minor.
Gamaka
| Swara | Style | Hold allowed | Oscillation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | steady | yes | — | Shadjam is the fixed tonic and a graha swara; rendered plain and flat as the raga's anchor and a resting point. |
| R | kampita | yes | — | Chatushruti rishabham is a jeeva/nyasa swara carried with a rakti oscillation and heavily emphasized in improvisation, though it can settle as a landing note. |
| g | kampita | yes | — | Sadharana gandharam is a defining rakti swara rendered both with an oscillating gamaka and plainly, giving the raga much of its colour. |
| m | steady | yes | — | Shuddha madhyamam is largely plain and can be held, but figures in the descending pratyahata phrase (PM) that characterises the avarohana. |
| P | steady | yes | — | Panchamam is a fixed note serving as jeeva, nyasa and graha swara; rendered plain and used as a major resting point. |
| D | kampita | yes | — | Chatushruti dhaivatham is a graha swara that takes gamaka in the descending pratyahata movements (ND, DP). |
| N | kampita | yes | — | Kakali nishadam is a jeeva swara rendered with gamaka in phrases such as SN and ND rather than as a flat leading tone. |
Common pitfalls
- Blurring its identity with neighbouring ragas: the ascending/first half resembles Keeravani while the descending/second half resembles Shankarabharanam, so learners must lean on signature phrases (e.g. PDNRNDPG, RGMPDNSRGR) to keep it distinct.
- Rendering the sadharana gandharam (g) as a single fixed shade only, whereas in this raga it must alternate between an oscillated gamaka and a plain rendering.
- Overusing the phrase RPGR-N, which can make the raga slip toward the flavour of Kapi if not handled carefully.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gourimanohari — Corroborated the arohana/avarohana (S R2 G2 M1 P D2 N3 S), the seven swaras, melakarta #23 / Veda chakra, alias Gaurimanohari and Gowri Velavali (Dikshitar school), Hindustani equivalent Patdeep, Western melodic-minor equivalence, and key compositions.
- https://anuradhamahesh.wordpress.com/carnatic-raga-appreciation/20-gowrimanohari-the-raga-that-steals-your-heart/ — Corroborated the scale and character; source of jeeva swaras R and P, nyasa swaras R and P, graha swaras S/P/D, the 'sarva swara gamaka vaika rakthi raga' and pratyahata gamaka (SN ND DP PM) descriptions, rasa (bhakti/sringara), sarvakaalika nature, etymology, and compositions.
- http://music-raagaa.blogspot.com/2012/02/gourimanohari-23rd-melakarta-ragam.html — Independently corroborated the arohana/avarohana, the seven swaras, sampurna status, melakarta #23 with mnemonic Veda-Ma, and janya ragas.
- https://www.musicaloud.com/2013/06/07/identity-of-a-raga-part-5-gowri-manohari/ — Corroborated that gandharam is rendered both with gamaka and plainly, N (kakali) and higher R as jeeva swaras with R emphasized in improvisation, signature phrases (PDNRNDPG, RGMPDNSRGR), the Keeravani/Shankarabharanam resemblance pitfall, the Kapi-like RPGR-N phrase, and the simple/subtly-evocative character rendered in medium and fast paces.
Related ragas
Ragas that share Gourimanohari's family, scale, or swaras: Kapi · Anandabhairavi · Arabhi · Bhairavi · Bilahari · Dharmavati.