Kedar

A night raga centred on Ma, with a Sa-to-Ma leap and both madhyams.

Reading the swaras

S R G M P D N are shuddha notes, r g d n are komal notes, and M^ is tivra Ma. ↑ marks the upper octave and ↓ the lower; unmarked notes are in the middle octave. — continues the previous sound, · marks an unsung position, and parentheses indicate grace notes.

Overview

Kedar's signature is the bold Sa-to-Ma leap (S M) that opens the raga, and its play between the two madhyams. Ma is the pivot of the whole raga; Re is omitted and Ga is weak or omitted in the ascent, while Ni enters lightly in the upper ascent. The M P D P M weaving and the M^ P touch give Kedar its distinctive, slightly playful gravity.

Notes and identity

Field	Value
Thaat	Kalyan
Swaras used	both madhyams (shuddha Ma primary, `M^` tivra as a touch); Re omitted and Ga weak/omitted in ascent; Ni is present (light) in the upper ascent
Jati	Audav/Shadav–Sampurna — Re omitted in ascent; Ga weak or omitted (audav if Ga is dropped, shadav if lightly admitted); Ni is present in ascent.
Vadi	Ma (M)
Samvadi	Sa (S)
Aroha	S M, M P, D P N S↑ (audav candidate — Re & Ga out of the ascent, Ni present; a shadav reading admits a light Ga)
Avaroha	S↑ N D P M^ P D P M, M G (touch) M R S
Time	Night

Grammar & signature

S M opening leap; M P D P M; the tivra-Ma touch in M^ P D P M.
Ma-centred throughout; a straight scalar filling of the ascent can erase the characteristic phrasing. Specific Ga touches and Ni variants must be distinguished from a generic scale.

Pakad / chalan (illustrative)

These phrases illustrate the treatment described on this page. Phrase shape and emphasis can differ between teachers.

S M, M P D P M, M^ P D P M, M R S
The bold Sa→Ma opening leap and the weaving M P D P M — with the tivra-Ma touch M^ P — are the signatures; Ma is the pivot.

Phrase examples

Belongs: S M, M P D P M, D P N S↑, M^ P D P M.
Avoid / careful: do not replace characteristic leaps with a generic scale; listen to the phrasing of Ga touches and the treatment of Ni.
Common learner errors: treating every Ga touch as wrong; making the Sa→Ma leap a stepwise run.

Allied ragas & differentiation

Bihag — also Bilawal/Kalyan-adjacent with both madhyams, but a different centre and phrasing; Kedar / Bihag and Kedar / Kamod are good differentiations.

Related music

Talas: Teental, vilambit Ektal. Form: Khayal.
Ragas: Bihag, Yaman (Kalyan family). Concepts: tivra swar — see Tivra.