Kosalam (pronounced kōsalam) is a
raga
A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradit ...
m in
Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 71st ''
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 ...
'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music and is the ''prati madhyamam'' equivalent of ''
Shoolini'', which is the 35th ''melakarta''. It is called Kusumākaram in
Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music.
[''Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar Keertanaigal'' by Vidwan A Sundaram Iyer, Pub. 1989, Music Book Publishers, Mylapore, Chennai][''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications][''Raganidhi'' by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras]
Structure and Lakshana
''Kosalam'' is the 5th rāgam in the 12th ''chakra Aditya''. The mnemonic name is ''Aditya-Ma''. The mnemonic phrase is ''sa ru gu mi pa dhi nu''.
Its ' structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see
''swaras'' in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):
*
:
*
:
(the scale's notes are ''shatsruthi rishabham, antara gandharam, prati madhyamam, chathusruthi dhaivatham, kakali nishadham'')
''Kosalam'' is a ''melakarta'' rāgam and hence, by definition, it is a
''sampoorna'' rāgam (it has all seven notes in ascending and descending scale).
''Janya'' rāgams
''Kosalam'' has a ''
janya'' rāgam (derived scale) associated with it. See
List of ''janya'' rāgams for list of rāgams associated with ''Kosalam'' and other ''melakarta'' rāgams.
Compositions
A few compositions set to ''Kosalam'' rāgam are:
*''Sri chakrapura vasini'' by
Muthiah Bhagavatar
Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar (15 November 1877 – 30 June 1945), commonly known as Muthiah Bhagavatar, is one of Carnatic classical music's famous twentieth-century composers. He also created about 20 '' ragas''.
Early life
Muthiah was bo ...
*''Idi neeku nyayama'' by
Mysore Vasudevachar
*''Ubhaya kaveri'' by
Veene Sheshanna
*''Ka Guha Shanmukha'' by
Koteeswara Iyer
*''Ō ManasĀ muktiNi ganumu'' by
Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna
Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna (6 July 1930 – 22 November 2016) was an Indian Carnatic vocalist, musician, multi-instrumentalist, playback singer, composer, and character actor. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in ...
Famous Movie song incorporating Kosalam is Sundari Kannal from Dalapathy movie in addition to Kalyani.
Related rāgams
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of ''Kosalam''.
''Kosalam's'' notes when shifted using ''
Graha bhedam
''Graha Bhedam'' in Carnatic music is the process (or result of the process) of shifting the Tonic note (''śruti'') to another note in the rāgam and arriving at a different rāgam. Its equivalent in Hindustani classical music is called a ''mur ...
'', yields 3 other ''melakarta'' rāgams, namely, ''
Keeravani'', ''
Hemavati'' and ''
Vakulabharanam''. ''Graha bhedam'' is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the ''shadjam'' to the next note in the rāgam. For further details and an illustration refer ''
Graha bhedam on Keeravani''.
Notes
References
{{Janya, state=collapsed
Melakarta ragas