Beauty of Bowli and Bhupalam
The waft of the first filter coffee brew or the visual delights of an intricately drawn kolam at the entrance of the house do indeed herald energizing mornings, however, nothing compares to the beauty of a well-crafted Bowli ragam to ring in the day in the most auspicious way. The intervals in Bowli are some of the most interesting in Karnatik music. The suddha rishabha to antara gandhara interval that gives way to the gandhara to pancama intervals sets up an open purvanga. The uttaranga has suddha dhaivata ti sadhja leap, once again an open and free-flowing intervallic placement. I have wondered if perhaps it is because of these broad intervals between notes that Bowli holds out the promise of a morning of possibilities, freedom and hope. The descent features the kakali nishada, almost as a grace note, de-emphasised in theory. Thus Bowli is a fresh ragam heralding new beginnings. With plentiful kritis - many of which...
