Bhairav, Kalingada, Gauri, Ramkali: A Comparative Study
This video explores four raags of the Bhairav family—Bhairav, Kalingada, Gauri, and Ramkali. Raag Bhairav is regarded as the Janak (parent) raag, while Kalingada, Gauri, and Ramkali are its close relatives or Janya raags. Although these raags share a common lineage and the same set of notes, each develops a distinct musical identity. Differences in swar emphasis, tempo, melodic movement, resting notes, and time of performance shape each raag’s mood and expression.
Bhairav, Kalingada, Gauri, Ramkali: A Comparitive Study
Time of performance
Bhairav is an early morning raag, while Kalingada is traditionally performed toward the end of the last prahar of the night. As a result, both raags are commonly heard around dawn. Ramkali is also a morning raag, but it is performed slightly later, after sunrise, between 7 AM and 10 AM. This later timing is influenced by the introduction of teevra Ma. Gauri, however, differs from the others in this group, as it is associated with dusk rather than the morning. This may be due to the presence of shades of Shree in Gauri. The time of performance plays an important role in shaping the overall mood and expression of each raag.
Movement, Ornamentation, and Mood
Although these raags belong to the same family and share the same notes, each one conveys a distinct emotional mood shaped largely by its chalan, or melodic movement, and ornamentation. Bhairav has a serious, contemplative character, which aligns with its slow tempo and the use of meend and andolan on komal Re and komal Dha. This gives the raag a sustained and meditative quality.
Kalingada, in contrast, does not use andolan and moves quickly between notes. With its playful movement and emphasis on the higher octave, it remains devotional in emotion yet sounds markedly different from Bhairav. Gauri shares some similarities with Kalingada in terms of melodic movement, but it is not as fast and is prominent in the lower octave. This conveys a mood of renunciation and surrender. Ramkali, like Bhairav, is serious and devotional in character.
While all these raags are suited for devotional compositions, differences in tempo and melodic movement create distinct shades of devotion.
Vadi, Samvadi and Nyaas swars
In Raag Bhairav, the vadi and samvadi swars are komal Dha and komal Re, respectively. In addition to these, Pa also functions as an important nyaas, or resting, note. In Kalingada, Pa and Sa serve as the vadi and samvadi swars, and Ga is also used as a nyaas swar. Gauri, while closely related to Kalingada, is poorvang pradhan. Accordingly, its vadi and samvadi are logically Sa and Pa. In Gauri, Ni is very frequently rested upon, in addition to the vadi and samvadi swars.
Ramkali shares its vadi–samvadi swars with Bhairav, namely komal Dha and komal Re, with Pa also functioning as an important nyaas swar. However, Ramkali is distinguished by its descent, where the use of komal Ni and teevra Ma in a vakra manner clearly sets it apart from Bhairav.
These differences in swar emphasis play a significant role in distinguishing raags that otherwise share the same notes.
Conclusion
Although Bhairav, Kalingada, Gauri, and Ramkali belong to the same family and share the same notes, they are clearly distinguished by differences in time of performance, ornamentation, vadi–samvadi relationships, resting notes, and characteristic phrases. These nuances are illustrated and demonstrated in the video above. While these distinctions may appear minor on the surface, they are clearly perceptible to the trained ear.