What is "niroshta"

Niroshta is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is a pentatonic scale (audava/owdava rāgam). It is a derived scale ( janya rāgam), as it does not have all the seven swaras (musical notes).

Niroshta literally means without the lips. If the lips do not meet / touch, then the notes Ma and Pa cannot be uttered. This scale does not use either note and hence the name. It is a very pleasing rāgam.