An ancient raga named after Kedarnath (Lord Shiva), its melody has a unique character wherein the meandering flow of straight notes in purvaang and uttarang (lower and upper tetrachords) are finely hinged on a beautiful meend (glide) – as if it were portraying the balance between attachment and detachment; or better still – between taandav (power) and laasya (grace).
Thhaat (parent scale)
Kalyan
Jaati:
Audav-Shaadav (5-notes in ascent, 6-notes in descent)
Vaadi:
Madhyam (M)
Samvaadi:
Shadja (S)
Swaras:
Omits two notes in ascent and one note in descent, employes both Madhyams (M and m); rest shuddh swaras
Aaroh (ascent):
S M, M P, D P, N D S’ (Western Notes: C F, F G, A G, B A C)
Avaroh (descent):
S’ N D P, m P D-P-M, G M RS (Western Notes: C B A G, F# G A G F, E F D C)
Key phrases:
S R N.S M, M P, m P D-P-M, R S, S M, M P, P D P S’, N S’M’M’R’S’, S’N D P,m P D n D P, m P D-P-M, G M R S
Time:
Evening
Kedaar, Hameer and Kaamod are very close to each other, and all the three ragas apply both the Madhyams (M and m). In the ascending order, it drops Rishabh (R) and Gandhaar (G), two successive notes, in an unconventional manner and fleetingly touches Gandhaar (G) in descent due to the overpowering, meend-laden presence of both the Madhyams. For aesthetic beauty, it also occasionally uses Komal Nishaad (n) as a vivaadi (dissonant) swara.
Bibliography
1. Bhatkhande V.N. (1919-1937) ‘Kramik Pustak Malika Vol 1-6’
2. The Oxford Encyclopaedia of the Music of India
3. The Raga-ness of the Ragas by Deepak Raja
4. Abhinav Geetanjali by Pandit Ramashreya Jha ‘Ramrang’
Links
1. Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (vocal)
2. Pandit Pannalal Ghosh (flute)
3. Pandit Buddhadev Dasgupta (sarod)
4. Ustad Amjad Ali Khan (sarod)
5. Vidushi Malvika Kanan (vocal)
Manjiri Asanare-Kelkar (khayal vocal) performs Raag Kedar, accompanied by Devashree Nawghare (tanpura) in 2019.
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