Bowli

Bowli is a Carnatic raga (also spelled as Bauli^[1] or Bhauli^[2]). This raga is a janya of the 15th Melakarta raga Mayamalavagowla. This raga is known to be a morning raga.

Structure and Lakshana

Ascending scale with C as Shadjam (tonic note)

Descending scale has one extra note N3

This ragam is an asymmetric scale and is classified as an audava-shadava ragam (five notes in the ascending scale and six notes in the descending scale).^[1][2]

• ārohaṇa: S R1 G3 P D1 S
• avarohaṇa: S N3 D1 P G3 R1 S

The notes in this scale are 'shuddha rishabham, antara gandharam, panchamam and shuddha dhaivatam in arohana and additional kakali nishadham in avarohanam.

Select compositions

Kritis

• Melukovayya in Jhampa talam composed by Tyagaraja, an utsava sampradaya kriti is well known in this raga.
• Tappulanniyu in Rupakam composed by Muthiah Bhagavatar
• Karunanidhiye thaye in Misra Chapu composed by Papanasam Sivan ^[3]

Related rāgams

This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.

Scale similarities

• Revagupti is a rāgam which has a symmetrical scale matching the ascending scale of Bowli (nishadham is entirely omitted). Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S R1 G3 P D1 S : S D1 P G3 R1 S

References

1. Ragas in Carnatic music by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications
2. Raganidhi by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras
3. https://anuradhamahesh.wordpress.com/carnatic-raga-appreciation/13-bowli-the-meditative-morning-raga/