Kalyanavasantam

Kalyanavasantam (also written as kalyanavasantham) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is a janya rāgam (derived scale) from the 21st melakarta scale Keeravani. It is a janya scale, as it does not have all the seven swaras (musical notes) in the ascending scale. It is a combination of the pentatonic scale Chandrakauns of Hindusthani music and the sampurna raga scale Keeravani.^[1][2]

Structure and Lakshana

Ascending scale with shadjam at C, which is same as Chandrakauns scale

Descending scale with shadjam at C, which is same as Keeravani scale

Kalyanavasantam is an asymmetric rāgam that does not contain rishabham or panchamam in the ascending scale. It is an audava-sampurna rāgam (or owdava rāgam, meaning pentatonic ascending scale).^[1][2] Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows:

• ārohaṇa : S G2 M1 D1 N3 S
• avarohaṇa : S N3 D1 P M1 G2 R2 S

The notes used in this scale are shadjam, sadharana gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, shuddha dhaivatham and kakali nishadham in ascending scale, with panchamam and chathusruthi rishabham included in descending scale. For the details of the notations and terms, see swaras in Carnatic music.

Popular compositions

There are a few compositions set to Kalyanavasantam rāgam. Here are some popular kritis composed in Kalyanavasantam.

• Nadaloludai and Kanulu takani composed by Tyagaraja
• "Saagarasuthaam Aaradhyaye" composed by Kalyani Varadarajan
• Innudaya Baarade composed by Purandara Dasa

Related rāgams

This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.

Scale similarities

• Chandrakauns has a symmetric pentatonic scale, with the notes same as the ascending scale of Kalyanavasantham. Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S G2 M1 D1 N3 S : S N3 D1 M1 G2 S

References

1. Ragas in Carnatic music by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications
2. Raganidhi by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras