Amritavarshini

Amr̥tavarṣiṇi is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music), created in the early nineteenth century by Muthuswami Dikshitar. It is an ''audava'' rāgam (meaning pentatonic scale) in which only five of the seven '' swaras'' (musical notes) are used. It is a '' janya'' rāgam (derived scale), fairly popular in Carnatic music. There is a belief that ''Amr̥tavarṣiṇi'' causes rain ( The name of the rāgam is derived from the Sanskrit words Amrita: meaning Nectar and Varshini: meaning one who causes a shower or rain, and hence the association with rain ), and that the Carnatic composer Muthuswami Dikshitar brought rain at Ettayapuram, Tamil Nadu, India by singing his composition, ''Aanandaamrutakarshini amrutavarshini''.''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications''Rāganidhi'' by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras

Structure and Lakshana

''Amr̥tavarṣiṇi'' is a rāgam that does not contain ''rishabham'' and ''dhaivatam''. It is a symmetric pentatonic scale (''audava-audava'' ragam in Carnatic music classification). Its ' structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see ''swaras'' in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):

* :
* :

The notes used in this scale are ''shadjam, antara gandharam, prati madhyamam, panchamam'' and ''kakali nishādam'')

''Amr̥tavarṣiṇi '' is considered a ''janya'' rāgam of '' Chitrambari'', the 66th ''Melakarta'' rāgam, although it can be derived from other melakarta rāgams, such as ''Kalyani'', '' Gamanashrama'' or ''Vishwambari'', by dropping both ''rishabham'' and ''dhaivatam''. There is another scale that has the same name but is less practiced in current performances. This scale is associated with the 39th melakarta Jhalavarali.

Popular compositions

''Amr̥tavarṣiṇi'' rāgam lends itself for extensive elaboration and exploration due to the symmetric and pentatonic scale. It has many compositions in both classical music and film music. Here are some popular '' kritis'' and film music composed in ''Amr̥tavarṣiṇi''.
*''Ennai Nee Maravate'' of Dandapani Desikar
*''Sarasiruhanayane'' of Thyagaraja (usually said misattributed)
*''Sarasijaasani'' of Muthuswami Dikshitar
*''Vani Parama Kalyani'' By Vadiraja Tirtha
*''Eesabeku Iddu'' By Purandara Dasa
*''Aanandaamrutakarshini amritavarshini'' of Muthuswami Dikshitar (The most popular song sung today in Amritavarshini)
*''Aadi Varuvai Guhane'' of Punitasri
*''Siddhi Nayakena'' of M. Balamuralikrishna
*''Sthirata Nahi Nahi Re'' of Sadashiva Brahmendra
*''Aadinateppadiyo Nadanam'', anonymous
*''Sudhamayee Sudhanidi'' by Muthiah Bhagavatar

In addition to these, ''Anni Mantramuli Inde Avahinchenu'' of Annamacharya has been set to music in the ''Amr̥tavarṣiṇi''.

Film Songs

Language: Tamil

Language: Malayalam

*''Oru dalam matram'' from Jalakam, composed by M G Radhakrishnan , sung by K.J. Yesudas
*''Manam pon Manam'' from Idavelakku Sesham, composed by Raveendran, sung by K.J. Yesudas
*''Aashadham padumbol'' from Mazha, composed by Raveendran, sung by K.J. Yesudas
*''Neela lohita hitakarini'' from Kaveri, composed by Ilayaraja, sung by M. Balamuralikrishna
*''Devi ni en pon veena nadam'' from Oru Mutham Mani Mutham, composed by Raveendran, sung by K.J. Yesudas
*Anupallavi of ''Vilikkatirunnalum virunninettum'' from Ishtamanu Pakshe, composed by G. Devarajan, sung by K.J. Yesudas
*Pallavi of ''Sharatkala megham'' from Dhruvasangamam, composed by Raveendran, sung by K.J. Yesudas
*Parts of charanam in ''Kasturi Gandhikal'' from Sethubandhanam, composed by G. Devarajan, sung by Ayiroor Sadasivan
*Pallavi of ''Aadi parashakti'' from Ponnapuram Kotta, composed by G. Devarajan, sung by P.B. Sreenivas and P. Leela

Language: Kannada

*''Cheluveya andada mogake'' from Devara Gudi, composed by Rajan–Nagendra, sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
*''Naguve snehada haadu'' from Mugdha Manava, composed by Vijaya Bhaskar, sung by S.P. Balasubrahmanyam
*''Chaitrada kusumanjali'' from Anandabhairavi, composed by Ramesh Naidu, sung by S.P. Balasubrahmanyam (anupallavi and charanam include other ragas too).
*Charanam of ''Devaru beseda premada hara'' from Muttina Hara, composed by Hamsalekha, sung by M. Balamuralikrishna

Language: Telugu

*''Aanati neeyara hara'' from Swati Kiranam, composed by K.V. Mahadevan, sung by Vani Jayaram
*''Jeevana vahini'', a ragamalika from Gangotri, composed by M.M. Keeravani, sung by M.M. Keeravani, Ganga, Kalpana and Srivardhini
*''Kurisenu Virijallule'', from Gharshana (Old), composed by Ilaiyaraaja, sung by S.P. Balasunrahmanyam, Vani Jairam

Raga relationships

''Graha bhēdham''

''Amritavarshini's'' notes when shifted using ''Graha bhedam'', yields 1 popular pentatonic rāgam, Karnataka Shuddha Saveri. ''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 more details and illustration of this concept refer '' Graha bhedam on Amr̥tavarṣiṇi''.

Scale similarities

*'' Hamsadhvani'' is a rāgam which has ''chatushruti rishabham'' in place of the ''prati madhyamam''. See table below for more details
*'' Gambhiranata'' is a rāgam which has ''shuddha madhyamam'' in place of the ''prati madhyamam''. See table below for more details

See also

* List of film songs based on ragas

Notes

References

{{Janya

Janya ragas