Kalyani is a

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 ''mela ...

raga 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 a ...

(parent musical scale) in the

Carnatic music Carnatic music, known as or in the 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, and Sri Lanka. I ...

. It was called Kalyan but is now more popularly called Yaman in

Hindustani Music Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, sita ...

. Its Western equivalent is the

Lydian mode The modern Lydian mode is a seven-tone musical scale formed from a rising pattern of pitches comprising three whole tones, a semitone, two more whole tones, and a final semitone. : Because of the importance of the major scale in modern music ...

Kalyani in Carnatic music

In South Indian weddings it is a very prominently played raga. The word ''Kalyani'' means ''she who causes auspicious things''. It is the 65th

raga under the Katapayadi

sankhya ''Samkhya'' or ''Sankya'' (; Sanskrit सांख्य), IAST: ') is a dualistic school of Indian philosophy. It views reality as composed of two independent principles, '' puruṣa'' (' consciousness' or spirit); and ''prakṛti'', (natur ...

. It is also called ''Mechakalyani''. The notes for Kalyani are S R₂ G₃ M₂ P D₂ N₃. Kalyani is the first Prathi Madhyama raga that was ever discovered. It was obtained by the process of Graha Bhedam or modal shift of tonic of the ancient Shadja Grama.

Specifics on this raga

Kalyani has scope for elaborate alapana. One should not remain too long on panchamam (pa) or alternate between shadjamam and panchamam too frequently. Kalyani is prominently known among the public. It is often performed at the beginning of concerts because it is considered auspicious.

Structure and lakshana

It is the 5th ragam in the 11th chakra ''Rudra''. The mnemonic name is ''Rudra-Ma''. The mnemonic phrase is ''sa ri gu mi pa dhi (or 'di') nu''.''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications Its structure is as follows (see '' swaras in Carnatic music'' for details on below notation and terms): * : * : The notes used in this scale are ''shadjam, chatushūruti rishabam, antara gandharam, prati madhyamam, chatushruti dhaivatam, kakali nishadam''. It is a Sampurna raga in Carnatic music, that is to say, has all the seven notes: ''Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni''. It is the ''prati madhyamam'' equivalent of '' Sankarabharanam'', which is the 29th ''melakarta''. This raga is very significant to the chart, because it is sung with all higher notes.

Janya ragams

Kalyani has many

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 ...

ragams (derived scales)associated with it, of which ''Hamir Kalyani'', ''

Mohanakalyani Mohanakalyani is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is a '' janya'' rāgam (derived scale) from the 65th ''melakarta'' scale Mechakalyani. It is a ''janya'' scale, as it does not have all the seven '' ...

'', ''Saranga'', '' Sunadavinodini'' and ''Yamuna Kalyani'' are very popular. See '' List of Janya Ragams'' for full list of rāgams associated with Kalyani.

Related ragams

This section covers the theoretical aspects of Kalyani. Kalyani's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields 5 other major Melakarta ragams, namely, '' Hanumatodi'', '' Sankarabharanam'', '' Natabhairavi'', '' Kharaharapriya'' and ''

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 ...

''. For further details and an illustration of Graha bhedam of this ragam refer Related ragams section in Sankarabharanam page.

Popular compositions

Nearly every significant Carnatic composer (including the Trinity of Carnatic music) has composed several pieces in the Kalyani ragam. Kalyani is considered one of the "major" ragams of Carnatic music along with '' Sankarabharanam'', ''

Todi Todi () is a town and '' comune'' (municipality) of the province of Perugia (region of Umbria) in central Italy. It is perched on a tall two-crested hill overlooking the east bank of the river Tiber, commanding distant views in every direction. ...

'' and '' Kharaharapriya'' (the set of "major" rāgams is an informal grouping of the most popular

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 ''mela ...

ragams used for elaboration and exploration, and which often form the centerpiece of a Carnatic music concert in the form of a '' Ragam Tanam Pallavi (RTP)'' or a '' kriti''). See Related ragams section for further information on relationships between these ragams. The state anthem of

Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude o ...

, '' Kayou Shri Gowri'' is also set in this raga. Here is a short list of compositions in Kalyani. * ''Nidhi chāla sukhamā'', ''Etavunnārā'', ''Sundari nī Divya'', ''Ammā Rāvammā'', ''Sandehamu Elara'', ''Bhajana Seyave'', ''Nammi Vacchina'' and ''Vāsudēvanyani'' 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 ...

* ''Kamalāmbāṃ bhajarē'' ,''Bhajarē Re Chittha'', ''Shiva Kameshwarim Chintayeham'' 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 musica ...

* ''Kantimati Karunamrta'' by Subbarama Dikshitar * ''Himādri sutē pāhimaṃ'', ''Birāna varālichi'', and ''Talli Ninnu Nēranammi'' by Syama Sastri in Telugu * ''Adrisutavara'', ''Pankaja lōcana'', ''Pahimaṃ Śri Vāgīśvari(Navarathri second day krithi)'', ''Paripahimamayi'', ''Sarasa Suvadana'', ''Sevesyanandureswara'' by

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 4 ...

* ''Nannu brovamani cheppave'', ''Bhajare sriramam'' 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 sa ...

* ''kallu sakkare koLLiro'' (3rd Navaratna Malike), ''Kelano Hari Talano'', ''Nambi Kettavarillavo Rangayya'', ''Anjikinyatakayya'', ''Dayamado Ranga'' 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-p ...

* ''Tiliyado Ninnata'' By Kalluru Subbannacharya(Vyasa Vitthala Dasa) * ''Unnai allal'' 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 ...

* ''Sadanandame'' by Koteeswara Iyer * ''Mahatripurasundari'' by Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar * ''Tanom nom tara tillana'' by M Balamurali Krishna

Film songs

The most popular film composition set in Kalyani is "Mannavan Vandhanadi Thozhi" by K. V. Mahadevan rendered by P. Susheela," and ''Sindhanai Sei Maname'' by G. Ramanadhan.

M. S. Viswanathan Manayangath Subramanian Viswanathan (24 June 1928 – 14 July 2015), also known as M.S.V., was an Indian music director, singer and actor who predominantly worked in Tamil film industry. He was popularly known as ''Mellisai Mannar''. He compose ...

has composed numerous songs in Kalyani such as "''Isai Ketal Puvi''" from the movie ''

Thavapudhalavan ''Thavapudhalavan'' () is a 1972 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Muktha Srinivasan and produced by Muktha Ramaswamy. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan and K. R. Vijaya. It was released on 26 August 1972 and ran for 100 days to become ...

'', "''Indha Mandrathil''" from '' Policekaran Magal'', "''Maalai Sudum mananaal''" from '' Nichaya Thamboolam'', "''Kannan Vandhan''" from ''

Ramu The Ramu River is a major river in northern Papua New Guinea. The headwaters of the river are formed in the Kratke Range from where it then travels about northwest to the Bismarck Sea. Along the Ramu's course, it receives numerous tributarie ...

'', "''Azhagennum Oviyam Inge''", "''Paar Magale Paar''", "''Varuvan Vadivelan''", "''Maduraiyil Parandha Meenkodi''", "''Mugathil Mugam paarkalam''". "''Amma Endrazhaikkaatha Uyirillaye''" by Ilayaraja, "Manmadha Pournami" (P. Susheela) in Panchavankadu by G. Devarajan. The track ''Kalaivaniye'' in Sindhu Bhairavi is set in the Kalyani rāgam and sung without an avarohaṇam. The Bharathiar composition ''Veenai Adi Nee Enakku'' from the movie Ezhavathu Manithan is set in the Kalyani ragam. The Telugu movie Sankarabharanam has a

Shloka Shloka or śloka ( sa, श्लोक , from the root , Macdonell, Arthur A., ''A Sanskrit Grammar for Students'', Appendix II, p. 232 (Oxford University Press, 3rd edition, 1927). in a broader sense, according to Monier-Williams's dictionary, is ...

''"Māṇikya Upalālayanti"'' set in this ragam. "''Aa Nimishathinte''" from the Malayalam movie Chandrakantham and "''Swarganandini''" from Lankadahanam composed by

is set in Kalyani.

Tamil

Malayalam

Historical information

Yaman/Aiman is not an ancient raga. It is first mentioned in the literature in the late 16th century, by which time it was very popular: The Sahasras contains 45

dhrupad Dhrupad is a genre in Hindustani classical music from the Indian subcontinent. It is the oldest known style of major vocal styles associated with Hindustani classical music, Haveli Sangeet of Pushtimarg Sampraday and also related to the South Ind ...

song-texts for Kalyan and five for Iman-Kalyan. According to

Venkatamakhin Venkatamakhin (; ) or Venkatamakhi, was an Indian poet, musician, and musicologist of Carnatic music. He is renowned for his '' Chaturdandiprakashika'' in which he explicates the melakarta system of classifying ragas. Venkatamakhin composed g ...

(1620), Kalyan was a favourite melody to the Arabs, and Pundarika included Yaman among his 'Persian' Ragas.Bor 1997