Kedaragowla
Also known as: Kedaragaula, Kedaragoulai, Kedara Gowlai, Kedaragowlai, Kedhara Gowla, Kedaragoula
Janya raga of melakarta 28 — shadava-shadava
Practise Kedaragowla →Kedaragowla carries a deep, contemplative, and devotional bhavam; it is a slow-tempo (vilamba kala) raga traditionally chosen for viruttams, slokams, and Kathakali invocations rather than brisk kritis, with its emotional weight centered on the oscillating, elongated rishabham.
Gamaka
| Swara | Style | Hold allowed | Oscillation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | steady | yes | — | Shadja is the tonal anchor and a nyasa (resting) point at both octaves, given a plain, unornamented hold. |
| R | kampita | yes | -45 to 45 cents | Chatusruti Rishabham is Kedaragowla's jeeva swara, sustained with a slow, deliberate oscillation that carries most of the raga's plaintive bhavam. |
| m | nokku | no | — | Shuddha Madhyamam is characteristically grazed briefly on the way from Rishabham to Panchamam rather than held, giving the phrase its evocative lift. |
| P | steady | yes | — | Panchamam serves as a steady connecting note bridging Madhyamam and the nishadhams, and is only occasionally a point of repose. |
| n | kampita | yes | -30 to 30 cents | Kaisiki Nishadham (N2) is taken with a light oscillation as a stepping stone in ascent before moving on to Kakali Nishadham. |
| N | jaru | yes | — | Kakali Nishadham (N3) is approached from N2 and often glides down toward the upper Shadja, marking cadences in the upper register. |
Common pitfalls
- Confusing Kedaragowla with the closely related Surutti (Surati) or Madhyamavati because of overlapping swara sets; the distinguishing factor is the specific moorchana/phraseology, not the note collection alone.
- Holding Shuddha Madhyamam too long instead of treating it as a brief grazing touch between Rishabham and Panchamam, which flattens the raga's characteristic glide.
- Under-ornamenting Rishabham (singing it plain/steady) instead of giving it the slow kampita it needs as the jeeva swara, which drains the raga of its bhavam.
- Rendering the raga too fast; Kedaragowla is idiomatically sung in slow tempo for viruttam and alapana, and rushing through loses its plaintive character.
- Some classical sources describe an avarohana that includes vakra touches of antara gandharam (G3) and chatusruti dhaivatam (D2) (S N2 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S); this app's simplified six-swara model (S R m P n N, using N2 and N3 instead) intentionally omits G/D, so do not insert them.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kedaragaula — Confirms janya-of-Harikambhoji classification, arohana S R2 M1 P N2 S; its avarohana includes vakra G3/D2 which the app's simplified scale (using N2+N3 instead) intentionally departs from.
- https://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=10501 — Musician/rasika discussion confirming Rishabham as the jeeva swara with a glide through to Madhyamam, and the raga's use for bhavam-laden viruttam/slokam singing in slow tempo.
- https://www.ragasurabhi.com/carnatic-music/raga/raga--kedara-gowlai.html — Independently corroborates the janya-of-Harikambhoji classification and the same arohana/avarohana structure as Wikipedia.
Parent scale
Kedaragowla is a janya (derived) raga of the melakarta Harikambhoji (melakarta 28) — it draws its swarasthanas from that parent scale.
Related ragas
Ragas that share Kedaragowla's family, scale, or swaras: Harikambhoji · Kambhoji · Mohanam · Brindavana Saranga · Kapi · Anandabhairavi.