Malahari is a
Carnatic 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 ...
. This raaga is a ''janya'' of the 15th ''
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 ...
'' raga
Mayamalavagowla
Mayamalavagowla (pronounced ) is a raga of Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is classified as 15th ''melakarta'' raga under Venkatamakhin's ''melakarta'' system. Originally known as ''malavagowla'', "maya" was pref ...
. This raga is known to be a morning raga which brings out a sense of calmness.
[''Raganidhi'' by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras] It is associated with the rainy season.
[''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications]
In classical carnatic training, it is often used as a raaga for beginners using
geetha right after the
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 '' ...
-based exercises in
Mayamalavagowla
Mayamalavagowla (pronounced ) is a raga of Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is classified as 15th ''melakarta'' raga under Venkatamakhin's ''melakarta'' system. Originally known as ''malavagowla'', "maya" was pref ...
. Many of the Geetha's in this raga have been composed 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 ...
and
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 ...
.
Structure and Lakshana
![Malahari descending scale](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Malahari_descending_scale.svg)
This raga is an asymmetric scale and is classified as an ''audava-shadava'' raga (five notes in the ascending scale and six notes in the descending scale).
*
:
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:
The notes in this scale are ''shuddha rishabha, shuddha madhyama, shuddha dhaivata'' in ''arohana'' and additional ''antara gandhara'' in ''avarohana''. Since this scale does not have a ''nishadha'', it can be derived from
Gayakapriya
Gayakapriya (pronounced gāyakapriya) is a ragam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 13th '' Melakarta'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music.
It is called Geyahejjujji in Muth ...
(13th melakarta) or
Vakulabharanam
Vakulabharanam (pronounced ) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 14th ''melakarta'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Dhātivasantabhairavi''Ragas in C ...
(14th) too, but has been traditionally associated with Mayamalavagowla (15th) as the parent.
Select compositions
Geeta's
*''shri GaNanaatha'' in Rupaka, written 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 ...
*''kunda gowra gowrivara'' in Rupaka, written 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 ...
*''padumanaabha paramapurusha'' in Triputa, written 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 ...
*''kereya neeranu kerege chelli'' in Triputa, written 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 ...
Kritis
*''Panchamatanga'' in Rupaka composed by
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 ...
*''Ananta Padmanaabam'' in Rupaka composed by
Muthiah Bhagavatar
*''Kalaye Devadeva'' in Jhampa composed by Maharaja
Swathi Thirunal
( ml, സ്വാതി തിരുനാള് രാമവർമ്മ) (16 April 1813 – 26 December 1846) was the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Travancore. He is also considered as a brilliant music composer and is credited with over 40 ...
*''Melukovayya'' in Adi composed by Shahji Maharaja
Related rāga's
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāga.
Scale similarities
*
Karnataka Shuddha Saveri
Karnataka Shuddha Saveri is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is an ''audava'' rāgam (or ''owdava'' rāgam, meaning pentatonic scale). It is a ''janya'' rāgam (derived scale), as it does not have a ...
is a rāga which has a symmetrical scale matching the ascending scale of ''Malahari'' (''gandhara'' is entirely omitted). Its ' structure is S R1 M1 P D1 S : S D1 P M1 R1 S
Notes
References
{{Janya
Janya ragas