Kaunsi Kanada doesn’t reveal itself easily. In fact, many musicians first encounter it through a neat, almost textbook line: “Malkauns in ascent, Darbari in descent.”
And while that’s technically helpful, it barely scratches the surface of what this raga really is.
Because Kaunsi Kanada is not a formula. It’s an experience you grow into.
Pt. Venkatesh Kumar sings Kaunsi Kanada
A Raga That Lives Between Worlds
At its core, Kaunsi Kanada carries two strong identities.
On one side, you have the introspective pull of Malkauns. On the other, the deep, weighty gravitas of the Kanada family, especially Darbari. But instead of switching cleanly between the two, Kaunsi Kanada lets these ideas overlap, blur, and interact.
The result is something far more layered than a simple combination.
Some musicians approach it through a Malkauns ang, which is the more widely heard form today. Others explore a Bageshri ang, though that appears less frequently in performance.Even within performances, there’s no single rigid approach.
Take the use of Pa, for instance. Some artists avoid it in ascent, keeping the Malkauns flavour intact. Others bring it in more freely, giving the raga a broader canvas. As Ustad Ali Akbar Khan once described it, Pa feels “like the moon behind clouds. It appears for a moment, and then disappears.”
Structure (But Don’t Get Too Comfortable)
If you had to map it out, it might look something like this:
- Aaroh (ascent): Sa ga Ma dha ni Sa’
- Avaroh (descent): Sa’ ni dha Pa Ma ga Re Sa
But even here, Kaunsi Kanada resists being pinned down.
Rishabh, for example, is often omitted in ascent, yet occasionally appears in phrases like Sa Re ga ma Re Sa or Re ga ma Sa, adding a subtle shift in character.
The endings of phrases and taans also tell you which side of the raga you’re leaning into:
- ga ma Re Sa brings out the Kanada ang
- ga ma ga Sa leans toward Malkauns
And then there are the phrases, the real storytellers of the raga. Movements like:
- ,ni ,ni Sa
- ,dha ,ni ,ni ,dha
- Sa ga ma
- ma Pa
- ni dha Pa ma
- ga ma ga Sa
- Pa ma ga ma Re Sa
These aren’t just note patterns. They’re emotional cues. Each one nudges the raga in a slightly different direction.
Ustad Rashid Khan songs Kaunsi Kanada
The Sound of Inner Dialogue
If you sit with Kaunsi Kanada long enough, something interesting happens.
It starts to feel less like a performance and more like a conversation; an internal one. Reflective. Almost private.
There’s a certain emotional weight to it, often described as introspective. Not dramatic sadness, but something quieter. Like holding a feeling you don’t fully express.
At the same time, it doesn’t stay in one mood. It moves. You can dwell on the past, then shift toward something more forward-looking. It’s this constant back-and-forth that gives the raga its depth.
In a way, it feels like engaging with something timeless, like revisiting a familiar idea and discovering new layers each time.
Abhishek Borkar plays Kaunsi Kanada
Why It Takes Time
Kaunsi Kanada isn’t always immediately appealing. Many listeners (and even musicians) overlook it early on.
And that makes sense.
This is not a raga that offers instant clarity. It asks for patience. For repeated listening. For a certain kind of maturity in how you hear music.
But once it clicks, it opens up in a way that few ragas do.
Pt. Vasantarao Deshpande sings Kaunsi Kanada
A Living, Breathing Form
Another reason Kaunsi Kanada remains so fascinating is its flexibility.
Different gharanas interpret it differently. Some lean more into the Kanada side, others into Malkauns. Some prefer a Darbari-style resolution, while others explore alternate endings.
There are even variants that incorporate ideas from Nayaki Kanada, especially in Jaipur-Atrauli interpretations.
So what you hear depends a lot on who you’re listening to.
And that’s kind of the point.
Ustad Sabir Khan and Ustad Dilshad Khan play Kaunsi Kanada
Final Thoughts
Kaunsi Kanada is a reminder of what makes Hindustani music so rich.
It shows how a raga isn’t just a scale or a structure. It’s a space. A way of thinking. A way of feeling.
You don’t just “understand” it.
You spend time with it.
And somewhere along the way, it starts speaking back.
Featured Artist
In this video, Akash Parekar performs a bandish in Raga Kaunsi Kanada. Kaunsi Kanada has a really unique feel to it. You can hear shades of Darbari in its depth, and a touch of Malkauns in the way it moves.
It’s a raga that grows on you slowly, and the more you listen, the more it stays with you.
Akash is accompanied beautifully on tabla by @tablajedi
Watch the performance here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWRZHYZD1BA/