Janya raga · parent: 28. Harikambhoji

Kambhoji

◐ Confidence: medium Last verified: 12 Oct 2026

Scale

Derived from the printed scale: shadava in the ascent and sampurna in the descent (6 notes up, 7 down); varjya: N in the ascent; none in the descent; vakra (zigzag) in the descent; bhashanga (borrows N3, outside its parent).

Beginner's explanation

Kambhoji is a janya raga : it is derived from the melakarta Harikambhoji (number 28), which means it takes its notes from that parent's scale. It also uses a note from outside the parent (N3), which makes it a Bhashanga raga: that note is an foreign note to the parent scale.

Going up, its notes are S R2 G3 M1 P D2 S'; coming down, S' N2 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S N3, P, D2, S. Its ascent uses 6 different notes and its descent 7. Notes of the parent that it leaves out are Varjya : N going up, none coming down. The path is Vakra (zigzag) coming down: some notes are visited out of straight order.

If Sa is C on a keyboard, the notes it uses fall on C, D, E, F, G, A, B♭, B. This only shows where the notes sit: a raga is more than its notes, and its ornaments and phrases are not shown here.

A bit deeper

Its parent. Kambhoji is placed under Harikambhoji (melakarta 28) by karnatik.com, the source for this page's parent. It uses all of the parent's notes.

A borrowed note. Kambhoji uses N3 although its parent has a different N. In theory this is what makes a raga bhashanga. No single melakarta holds all of its notes, so its parent is the one it is felt to grow from, by convention.

Same notes, different raga. Begada uses exactly the same set of notes as Kambhoji but differs in the path, the ornaments or the phrases.

Why start here? How likely you are to meet it

●○○ (rating 1 of 3: 1 = met very often)

Rating 1 of 3 (editorial, a rough guide to how often you are likely to meet this raga): karnatik.com's tally of compositions per raga (based on a list of 38,000 songs) gives it 1119, one of the most-composed ragas. A 1 means met very often and 3 means met rarely. It says nothing about how hard the raga is to sing, which depends on its ornaments and is not rated here. The tally counts songs by raga name and dates from 2011.

Characteristic features

Key notes, characteristic phrases and ornaments are not recorded here yet: they could not be confirmed from two sources, and this site leaves them out rather than guess.

Where the notes sit

Related ragas

• 28. Harikambhoji
• Begada

Compare with another raga

Notable compositions (titles only)

Songs listed for this raga on karnatik.com by composers covered on this site. Lists are community-compiled, so a missing song does not mean it does not exist. Talas are as the source names them; no lyrics are reproduced.

Gopalakrishna Bharati

• Tiruvadi Sharanam Adi·Tamil

Muthuswami Dikshitar

• Gopalakrsnaya Namaste Adi·Sanskrit
• Kailasa Nathena Chapu·Sanskrit
• Kamalambikayai Kanakamshukayai Khanda Ata·Sanskrit
• Kashi Vishveshvara Ata·Sanskrit
• Maragatavallim Adi·Sanskrit
• Marakatavallim Manasa Adi·Sanskrit
• Samba Sadashivaya Adi·Sanskrit
• Shri Subrahmanyaya Tisra Eka·Sanskrit
• Shri Valmika Lingam Khanda Ata·Sanskrit

Papanasam Sivan

• Adum Deivam Tamil
• Anandame Paramanandame Tamil
• Bhuvana Pati Adi·Tamil
• Jaya Bherikai Adi·Tamil
• Kadir Kama Tamil
• Kana Kan Kodi Adi·Tamil
• Kanakkan Koti Tamil
• Kuncita Padam Tamil
• Niye Sharan Tamil
• Padap-pada Tamil
• Pavana Tanaya Tamil
• Shikkal Meviya Tamil
• Shri Shailapatiye Tamil
• Undenru Nambu Tamil

Purandara Dasa

• Acaravillada Kannada
• Adi Varahana Adi·Kannada
• Akatakata Nissara Kannada
• Anganeyarella Adi·Kannada
• Arena Maduvaru Kannada
• Aru Badukidarayya Kannada
• Aru Badukidarenu Ata·Kannada
• Avanavanu Kaiva Rupaka·Kannada
• Badukidenu Kannada
• Baride Ni Adi·Kannada
• Beda Manave Adi·Kannada
• Bhrastadaru Kannada
• Binnahake Bayillavayya Kannada
• Dambhaka Bhaktige Kannada
• Dasanentaguvenu Kannada
• Dehaveke Ata·Kannada
• Eke Murkhanadyo Chapu·Kannada
• Ekenna I Kannada
• Endendu Ninna Triputa·Kannada
• Endu Ninna Adi·Kannada
• Endu Nodidaru Kannada
• Enembenobba Kannada
• Enendarenu Ninenna Chapu·Kannada
• Enu Maruladyamma Kannada
• Enu Meccidele Kannada
• Enu Vratavenu Ata·Kannada
• Estadaru Munna Kannada
• Ganga Tirada Ata·Kannada
• Garuva Vyatako Kannada
• Hanumanta Ni Balu Kannada
• Hari Caranavemba Kannada
• Hari Dinadali Adi·Kannada
• Hari Hararu Samarendu Kannada
• Hari Nama Ata·Kannada
• Hari Smarisi Kannada
• Hariyadhika Kannada
• Hennigiccaisuvare Kannada
• Huva Taruvara Kannada
• I Pariya Kannada
• I Siriya Nambi Kannada
• Ibbarhendara Ata·Kannada
• Idakolli Kannada
• Idu Bhagyavidu Kannada
• Iga Madelo Kannada
• Indriyangala Kannada
• Indu Shruti Kannada
• Irabeku Haridasara Ata·Kannada
• Istu Papava Kannada
• Jenu Bandide Adi·Kannada
• Kaliyugada Mahimeyu Kannada
• Kanakadasana Rupaka·Kannada
• Kendake Orale Kannada
• Kettu Nentara Kannada
• Kolalanudutta Banda Adi·Kannada
• Krsna Namava Kannada
• Krsnamurti Kanna Triputa·Kannada
• Kudi Kondada Ata·Kannada
• Madhvarayara Devarcaneya Kannada
• Mana Bhangava Kannada
• Mana Hina Ata·Kannada
• Mandamadiyo Kannada
• Mareyadale Manadalli Kannada
• Mareyadiru Shrihariya Kannada
• Matige Barada Kannada
• Meccadiru I Bhagya Kannada
• Mukhyaprana Enna Kannada
• Muttidagira Kannada
• Na Munde Kannada
• Narasimha Mantravondiralu Kannada
• Neccadiru Bekku Adi·Kannada
• Ninna Olumege Kannada
• Ninyaru Pelanna Adi·Kannada
• Nityavalla Anitya Chapu·Kannada
• Nodu Nodu Nodu Adi·Kannada
• Pati Bhakuti Chapu·Kannada
• Purva Janmadali Kannada
• Rama Embuva Kannada
• Rama Nama Ratna Ata·Kannada
• Ranga Banda Adi·Kannada
• Sadhu Janara Chapu·Kannada
• Samsaravembanda Kannada
• Shaktanadare Kannada
• Sittu Madidarunte Kannada
• Sthalavillavayya Ata·Kannada
• Sulabha Pujeya Kannada
• Summaniru Summaniru Kannada
• Ta Padedu Kannada
• Tangig-helida Kannada
• Turukkaru Karedare Kannada
• Ubbadiru Kannada
• Varusa Karanavalla Ata·Kannada
• Vidhatru Devategalu Kannada
• Yake Nirayanade Kannada
• Yaretta Podarenu Kannada
• Yaru Ariyaro Adi·Kannada

Swati Tirunal

• Caru Pankaja Adi
• Innu Mama Jhampa
• Intamodiyalara P Chapu
• Karanam Vina Chapu
• Manasi Karuna
• Nama Sudhamayi Adi
• Padasanati Munijana Chapu
• Panca Banan
• Pannagendra Sayana
• Purna Candranana Adi
• Rasa Vilasa Adi
• Sarasa Mrdupada Pv Adi
• Sarasija Nabha Ninnu Ata
• Sharadindu Samamukha Chapu

Syama Sastri

• Devi Nidu Pada Adi

Tyagaraja

• Elara Shri Rupaka·Telugu
• Ma Janaki Desadi·Telugu
• Mahita Pravrddha Telugu
• Margamu Telupave Jhampa·Telugu
• Mari Mari Ninne Adi·Telugu
• Shri Raghuvara Adi·Telugu

How this was checked

• Partly agree: Scale of Kambhoji: ascent S R2 G3 M1 P D2 S'; descent S' N2 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S N3, P, D2, S. Sources: Royal Carpet: Carnatic Ragas; List of Janya ragas. The two sources differ; see Variations & debates.
• Sources agree: Kambhoji is a janya of melakarta number 28, Harikambhoji. Sources: Royal Carpet: Carnatic Ragas; Royal Carpet: Introduction to Carnatic Raga (the melakarta ragas). Parent per karnatik.com. The raga borrows N3 from outside the parent, which is what bhashanga means; Wikipedia's table also names the foreign note.