Kalingada has exactly the swaras of Bhairav: Sa, komal Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, komal Dha and Ni. But where Bhairav swings its komal Re and Dha slowly and dwells in gravity, Kalingada holds them still, leans on Pa and Ga, and has a lighter, lilting, devotional mood. It belongs to the last prahar of the night, before Bhairav's dawn, and to Bhairav thaat.
Hear it
How it moves
Pa is Kalingada's vadi and Sa its samvadi.
Its hour
Kalingada belongs to the fourth prahar of the night, from 3 to 6 in the morning.
On the bansuri
- S
- R
- G
- M
- P
- D
- N
- S
- Hold komal Re and Dha still: no andolan. That stillness is what separates it from Bhairav.
- Lean on Pa and Ga: let the phrases rest there.
Look-alikes
Ahir Bhairav keeps the komal Re but raises Dha and lowers Ni:
Practise it
- Long notes on Pa and Ga.
- The aaroh and avaroh, komal Re and Dha held still.
- Paltas in its swaras, in threes.
- The pakad and the phrases.
All ten alankars in Kalingada, to hear in your Sa →
Meend starts it with Aaroh–Avaroh, Pakad, Paltas in Kalingada, Aalap and Bandish, 27 minutes a day, and listens as you play: each swara of the notation lit as it is played, the time kept, a lotus grown petal by petal.
Questions
How is Kalingada different from Bhairav?
The same swaras. Kalingada holds komal Re and Dha still and leans on Pa and Ga, at the end of the night; Bhairav swings them in andolan, at dawn.
When is Kalingada sung?
In the last prahar of the night, before dawn.