| The Bifurcated Minor: A Comparative Analysis of Kīravāṇi in Carnatic and Kirwani in Hindustani Musical Traditions |
| This research article presents a comparative musicological examination of Raga Kīravāṇi (21st Melakarta
in the South Indian Carnatic system) and its North Indian counterpart, Raga Kirwani, in the Hindustani
classical tradition. While both traditions share an identical structural scale equivalent to the Western
Harmonic Minor (S - R2 - G2 - M1 - P - D1 - N3 - \dot{S}), their architectural execution, phrasing
trajectories (sancharas / chalan), and microtonal ornamentations (gamakas / andolan) diverge
fundamentally. This paper argues that Carnatic Kīravāṇi acts as an integrated, structurally rigid heptatonic
scale anchored by heavy, oscillatory kampita gamakas on the Gandhara and Dhaivata, yielding an
interiorized Karuna (pathos) and Bhakti (devotional) Rasa. Conversely, Hindustani Kirwani functions as a
highly fluid, melody-driven framework where the Gandhara and Dhaivata are frequently rendered as
stationary (achal) notes or gentle, linear glides (meend), invoking a more romantic, expressive, and
cinematic aesthetic (Shringar Rasa). Through notation-based case studies of seminal compositions—
specifically tracking the evolution from traditional South Indian kritis to North Indian gat frameworks—
this study establishes a comprehensive framework for understanding how identical scalar materials are
transformed by separate performance cultures. |
| Author: Ms Bhavana U
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Submitted on : 04-Jun-2026
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Arts : India/ Music/ Carnatic Classical Music |
| Journal ID : 0031-101-0349
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| Views: 28/ Downloads :0 |
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