Khamas''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications''Raganidhi'' by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras or Kamās/ Khamās /Khamāch/ Khamāj / Kamāchi (கமாச்) (ఖమాస్/కమాచి) is a

rāga A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradition, and as ...

m in

Carnatic music Carnatic music, known as or in the Dravidian languages, South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, an ...

(musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is a ''

janya ''Janya'' is a term meaning "derive". In Carnatic (South Indian) music a ''janya raga'' is one derived from one of the 72 ''melakarta'' ragas (fundamental melodic structures). ''Janya'' ragas are classified into various types based on a varie ...

'' rāgam (derived scale) from the 28th ''

melakarta Mēḷakartā is a collection of fundamental musical scales ( ragas) in Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). ''Mēḷakartā'' ragas are parent ragas (hence known as ''janaka'' ragas) from which other ragas may be generated. A ''melak ...

'' scale ''

Harikambhoji Harikambhoji (pronounced harikāmbhōji) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 28th ''Melakarta'' rāgam (parent scale) in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system. One of the first scales employed b ...

''. It is a ''janya'' scale, as it does not have all the seven ''

swara Svara or swara (Devanagari: स्वर, generally pronounced as ''swar'') is a Sanskrit word that connotes simultaneously a breath, a vowel, the sound of a musical note corresponding to its name, and the successive steps of the octave or '' ...

s'' (musical notes) in the ascending scale. It is a scale that evokes ''Shringara rasa''. It is suitable for ''javali'' type compositions.

Structure and Lakshana

''Khamas'' is an asymmetric rāgam that does not contain ''rishabham'' in the ascending scale. It is a ''vakra-shadava-sampurna'' rāgam (''vakra-shadava'', meaning 6 notes in ascending scale with zig-zag moves). Its ' structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows: * : * : The notes used in this scale are ''shadjam, antara gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, panchamam, chathusruthi dhaivatam'' and ''kaisiki nishadham'' in ascending scale, with ''chathusruthi rishabham'' included in descending scale. For the details of the notations and terms, see ''swaras'' in Carnatic music.

Alternate versions

Originally, ''Khamas'' was an ''upanga raga'' (uses only the notes in the parent scale). Later with the usage in ''javalis'' and other later compositions, the ''bhashanga'' type of ''Khamas'' came into use (using notes external to the scale). ''Kakali nishadam'' (N3) is introduced as ''anya swara'' (external note) occasionally. According to

Muthuswami Dikshitar Muthuswami Dikshitar (Mudduswamy Dikshitar)(, 24 March 1776 – 21 October 1835), mononymously Dikshitar, was a South Indian poet, singer and veena player, and a legendary composer of Indian classical music, who is considered one of the musical ...

school of music, ''Khamas'' is a ''

sampurna raga In Indian classical music, Sampūrṇa rāgas (संपूर्ण, Sanskrit for 'complete', also spelt as ''sampoorna'') have all seven ''swaras'' in their scale. In general, the swaras in the ''Arohana'' and ''Avarohana'' strictly follow the a ...

'' with no zig-zag notes (no ''vakra'' usage). Khamāj (खमाज) of Hindustani Music closely resembles Khamas raga. The Hindi film song ‘Tere Mere Milan Ki’ from the movie Abhimaan is based on Khamaj.Hindustani music's equivalent of Khamas Raga
/ref>

Popular compositions

There are many compositions set to ''Khamas'' rāgam. Here are some popular ''

kritis ''Kriti'' (Sanskrit: कृति, ''kṛti'') is a format of musical composition typical to Carnatic music. ''Kritis'' form the mental backbone of any typical Carnatic music concert and is the longer format of Carnatic song. "Kriti" also means C ...

'' composed in this ragam. *''Mate malaya-dhvaja pandya-sanjate'' by Muthiah Bhagavatar *''Santana-gopala krishnam'', ''shadanane sakalam arpayami'' and ''Sarasa Dala Nayana'' by

*''Sujana jeevana'' and ''Seethapathe'' composed by

Tyagaraja Thyagaraja (Telugu: త్యాగరాజ) (4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Thyāgayya and in full as Kakarla Thyagabrahmam, was a composer and vocalist of Carnatic music, a form of Indian classical music. Tyagaraja and his ...

*''Dooru Maduvarene'', ''Mooruthiyanu niliso'' By

Purandara Dasa Purandara Dasa (IAST: Purandara dāsa) ( 1470 – 1565) was a Haridasa philosopher and a follower of Madhwacharya 's Dwaitha philosophy -saint from present-day Karnataka, India. He was a composer, singer and one of the chief founding-prop ...

*''Maatada Baradeno'' By Bangalore Nagarathnamma *''Rama jogi mandu'', ''Ivela Nannu brovara'' and ''Rama rara'' by

Bhadrachala Ramadasu Kancharla Gopanna ( te, కంచర్ల గోపన్న) ( – 1688), popularly known as Bhakta Ramadasu or Bhadrachala Ramadasu ( te, భద్రాచల రామదాసు), was a 17th-century devotee of the Hindu god Rama, a sain ...

*''Entaninne'' by Subbarama Dikshitar *'' Broche vaarevaru ra'' and ''Intha paraakaelanayya'' by

Mysore Vasudevachar Mysore Vasudevacharya (28 May 1865 – 17 May 1961) was an Indian musician and composer of Carnatic music compositions who belonged to the direct line of Thyagaraja's disciples. Vasudevachar's compositions (numbering over 200) were mostly in Telu ...

, whose use of N3 in his compositions in this raga is particularly noteworthy. *''Idathu padam thookki'' and ''Rama nama amrutha'' by

Papanasam Sivan Paapanaasam Raamayya Sivan (26 September 1890 – 1 October 1973) was an Indian composer of Carnatic music and a singer. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1971. He was also a film score composer in Kannada cinema ...

*''

Tham Tham Tham - Thillana Tham is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Carl Tham (born 1939), Swedish politician *Hilary Tham (1946–2005), Malaysian-born American poet *Jason Tham, Indian dancer, choreographer and actor *Jennifer Tham (born 1962), Singapor ...

'' by

Patnam Subramania Iyer Patnam Subramania Iyer (1845 – July 31, 1902) was a composer and singer of Carnatic music. Subramaniya Iyer followed the traditions of the great composer Tyagaraja. He has left behind almost one hundred compositions. Subramaniya Iyer was bor ...

*''Dholayam chala Dholayam chala'' by

Annamacharya Tallapaka Annamacharya (Telugu : తాళ్ళపాక అన్నమాచార్య) ( IAST: taḷḷapāka annamācārya; 22 May 1408 – 4 April 1503), also popularly known as Annamayya, was a 15th-century Hindu saint and the ea ...

*''Upendram ashrayami santatam'' by

ya *''Shambho mahadeva chandrachuda'' by Parameswara Bhagavatar *''Saraswati sarasa-vani sarasija-bhavunikki-rani'' by Varadadasar *''Sarasa-sama-mukha'', ''palaya mamayi bho shrikanthesha'' by Swathi Tirunal *''Jayati jayati bharata-mata'' by Mayuram Vishvanatha shastri

Film Compositions

Language:
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

Notes

References

{{Janya, state=collapsed Janya ragas