Raga Hemavati

Raga Hemavati is a khayal performance by Hindustani classical vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. The track appears as the second composition on Swaradhiraj Vol. 2, a studio album released on CD by Navras Records in 1999. The recording spans 9 minutes and 44 seconds and showcases Joshi’s interpretation of the raga within the khayal tradition.

The album Swaradhiraj Vol. 2 forms part of a series that compiles Joshi’s renditions of classical ragas. The label Navras Records produced the release, though specific details about accompanying artists, recording sessions, or additional production personnel remain undocumented in available sources. The tracklist and liner notes of the album focus on Joshi’s vocal performances, with Raga Hemavati positioned as a central piece.

Raga Hemavati belongs to the Dhrupad Anga style, characterized by its meditative and elaborate alaap sections. Joshi employs the raga’s traditional swara structure, rooted in the Shadava-Sampurna jat (hexatonic ascending, heptatonic descending). The performance adheres to the vilambit (slow) and drut (fast) tempo conventions, with Joshi’s improvisations emphasizing the raga’s emotional depth. The recording captures his use of gamak (ornamentation) and meend (glissando), techniques integral to his Kirana gharana training.

No live performance context or alternate versions of this specific recording are confirmed. The album’s release in 1999 coincided with Joshi’s established career, following his receipt of the Bharat Ratna in 2008. Swaradhiraj Vol. 2 remains a reference for students and enthusiasts of the Kirana gharana, particularly for its documentation of Joshi’s mature stylistic approach to lesser-performed ragas like Hemavati.