#18-Dwimadhyama Panchama Varja Ragas

S. Kalyanaraman (2 June 1930 – 9 January 1994), popularly known as SKR, was a legendary vocalist in the Carnatic tradition. Hailing from a famed musical family, where his great-grandfather was Komal Muthu Bhagavathar and his grand uncle was the celebrated vocalist Madirimangalam Natesa Iyer, S.Kalyanaraman became one of the foremost disciples of G. N. Balasubramaniam and established himself as an original musician in his own right. Kalyanaraman’s influence undeniably bore the GNB mudra.

Later Sri. Kalyanaraman ventured deeper into the scales and came up with the fascinating 36 dwi madhyama panchama varja ragams!  This scheme of Mela is actually mentioned earler in the Ashtotharasata (108) mela scheme. In this scheme the regular 72 melas are expanded to 108 (72+36), by including the possible 36 vikritha panchama melas, ie, melakarthas taking both the madhyamas and without the panchama, the prathi madhyama being sung in place of panchama.

For example the scale of Mayamalavagowla is

Sa ri1 ga3 ma1 pa dha1 ni3 sa
Sa ni3 dha1 pa ma1 ga3 ri3 sa

and Mayashree will be ;

Sa ri1  ga3  ma1 ma2 dha1  ni3  sa
Sa ni3  dha1  ma2 ma1 ga3  ri1  sa

Here the Panchama is replaced by Madhyama. The name of the mela can be easily found out by looking at the first word. All these ragas have the suffix “Sri”. Like wise the scale for all the 36 ragas can be easily derived.

Nomenclature Given by Tanjavur S. Kalyanaraman is as follows :

1) Kanakangi – Kanagasri
2) Rathnangi – Rathnasri
3) Ganamurthy – Ganasri
4) Vanaspathy – Vanasri
5) Manavathi – Manasri
6) Thanarupi – Thanasri
7) Senavati – Sunadhasri
8) Hanuma Thodi – Hanumasri
9) Dhenuka – Dhensri
10) Natakapriya – Natakasri
11) Kokilapriya – Kokilasri
12) Roopavathi – Roopasri
13) Gayakapriya – Gayakasri
14) Vakulabharanam – Vakulasri
15) Mayamalavagowla – Mayasri
16) Chakravakam – Chakrasri
17) Suryakantham – Suryasri
18) Hatakambari – Hatasri
19) Jhankaradhwani – Jhankarasri
20) Natabhairavi – Natasri
21) Kiravani – Kiranasri
22) Kharaharapriya – Kharasri
23) Gowrimanohari – Gowrisri
24) VarunaPriya – Varunasri
25) Mararanjani – Marasri
26) Charukesi – Charusri
27) Sarasangi – Sarasri
28) Harikamboji – Harisri
29) Dheerasankarabharanam – Dheerasri
30) Naganandhani – Nagasri
31) Yagapriya – Yagasri
32) Raghavardhani – Raghasri
33) Gangeyabooshani – Gangasri
34) Vaghadheeswari – Vaghasri
35) Sulini – Sulasri
36)Chalanata – Chalasri

If the visitors can identify any songs in these ragas please share the  same.