Gaurīmanōhari is the 23rd mēḷakartai in the sampūrṇa mēḷa systemii. It is the fifth raga in the fourth chakraiii (Vēda chakra). This rāga was known by the name Gaurīvēḷāvaḷi in the asampūrṇa mēḷa systemiv. The svarasv occurring in this rāga are ṣaḍja, chatuśruti riṣabha, sādhāraṇa gāndhāra, śuddha madhyama, pañcama, chatuśruti dhaivata, kākali niṣādavi. Its ārōhaṇavii and avarōhaṇaviii are
S R2 G2 M1 P D2 N3 Ṡ – Ṡ N3 D2 P M1 G2 R2 S.
In Western music notation, if C is taken as the base or tonic note, then the scale is
C D D# F G A B C – C B A G F D# D C.
It is a mūrchanakāraka mēḷaix and gives rise to Nāṭakapriya from riṣabha, Vāchaspati from madhyama, Chārukēśi from pañchama through the process of grahabhēda or modal shift of tonic. It offers ample scope for improvisation.
Madhyama, niṣāda are rāgachāyā svarasx. Riṣabha, madhyama, pañcama are nyāsa svarasxi. Sa-ma, sa-pa, ri-pa are vādi-samvādi svaras (consonant notes).
It can convey the feeling of devotion or bhakti bhāva very effectively.
Some of the signature phrases of this rāga are
Ṡ N D, P, – M D P P M G R G, – R G M G R S Ṇ, – S Ṇ G R S Ṇ Ḍ, P̣, – Ḍ Ṇ, S R, S R G M G, R, – R G M P, P M G, R S Ṇ – S R G M P D N, D, P, – M, P D N D N Ṡ N D, P, – D N, Ṡ, – Ṙ Ġ Ṁ Ġ Ṙ Ṡ N – D N Ġ Ṙ Ṡ N D, P, – M G P M D P P M G, R S Ṇ R G M G, R, – G R S Ṇ Ḍ Ṇ, S,
A few compositions in this rāga are-
Gurulēka
Tyāgarāja
Sārasa sama mṛdu
Maharāja Swāti Tirunāḷ
Gaurimanōhara
Pāpanāsam Sivan
Varalakṣmi namōstute
Mysore Vāsudēvāchārya
Bibliography
Hariharan, M. and Kuppuswamy, Gowri. 2011. Comparative Music- Fundamentals of Western Music. Nagercoil: CBH Publications
Keshavamurthy, R.R. 1964. Rāgalakṣaṇa mattu Rāgakōśa. Bengaluru: Gāna Viśārada Biḍāram Kṛṣṇappa Smāraka Saṅgīta Vidyālaya
Rajarao, Mysore L. 2003. Saṅgīta Śāstra Chandrike. Bengaluru: Karnataka Sangeetha Nritya Academy
Rao, B. Subba. 1980. Raganidhi. Madras: The Music Academy
Sambamoorthy, P. 2018 (reprint of eighth edition published in 1998). South Indian Music (Volumes 1 to 6). Chennai: The Indian Music Publishing House
Web Links
1. Jayanthi Kumaresh (veena)
2. Abhishek Raghuram (vocal)
Dr. L. Subramaniam plays Ragam Thanam Pallavi in Raga Gaurimanohari.
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