Devagandhari (pronounced devagāndhāri) is a

raga A raga ( ; , ; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. It is central to classical Indian music. Each raga consists of an array of melodic structures with musical motifs; and, fro ...

(musical scale) in Indian classical music. In

carnatic classical music Carnatic music (known as or in the Dravidian languages) is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and southern Odisha. It is o ...

, Devagandhari is a ''

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 vari ...

'' raga (derived scale), whose ''

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 derived. A ''melaka ...

'' raga (parent scale, also known as ''janaka'') is '' Shankarabharanam'', 29th in the 72 ''Melakarta'' raga system. This is not to be confused with Karnataka Devagandhari, which is a janya of

Kharaharapriya Kharaharapriya is a rāga in Carnatic music. It is the 22nd ''melakarta'' rāga (parent scale) in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāga system. It is possible that the name of the ragam was originally ''Harapriya'' but it was changed to conform to the Kat ...

similar to Abheri. It is also present in the Sikh tradition of northern

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and is part of the

Guru Granth Sahib The Guru Granth Sahib (, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the religion. The Adi Granth (), its first rendition, w ...

In Carnatic music

Structure and lakshana

Its structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see '' swaras in Carnatic music'' for details on below notation and terms): * : * : Devagandhari ragam is an ''audava-vakra-sampurna'' raga meaning, in ''

arohana Arohana, Arohanam, Aroh or Aroha, in the context of Indian classical music, is the ascending scale of notes in a raga.''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, ''Glossary'' pages, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications The pitch increases a ...

'' 5 ''

swara Swara () or svara is an Indian classical music term that connotes simultaneously a breath, a vowel, a note, the sound of a musical note corresponding to its name, and the successive steps of the octave, or ''saptanka''. More comprehensively ...

s'' come (so it is called ''audava'') and in ''

avarohana An Avarohana, Avarohanam or Avaroha, in the context of Indian classical music, is the descending scale of any raga.''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, ''Glossary'' pages, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications The notes descend in pitch ...

'' all ''swaras'' come (so ''sampurna''), and there is a "zigzag" pattern of notes (so ''vakra''). The notes used in this ragam are ''shadjam, chatushruti rishabham, antara gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, panchamam, chatushruti dhaivatam'' and ''kakili nishadam''. This ragam sometimes includes the ''kaishika nishadam'' (''anya swara'' – a note external to the scale, making this a ''bhashanga ragam''). The closest raga to this one is

Arabhi Arabhi or Aarabhi (pronounced ārabhi) is a ragam (musical scale) in Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). It is a ''Janya'' raga (derived scale), whose '' Melakarta'' raga (parent scale, also known as ''janaka'') is '' Shankarabhar ...

. Some of the things that makes Arabhi different (though both share the same ascending and descending scale, in terms of basic notation) are: * Devagandhari is sung with '' gamakas'' and ''vilambita kala prayogas'' (usages with elongated notes)''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications * Devagandhari is sung with ''deergha gandharam'' (elongated G3) * Devagandhari is a bhashanga raga, and certain prayogas use the kaishika nishadam: S N3 D N2, D P

Popular compositions

Here are some more compositions set to Devagandhari.

Film songs

Tamil

Title song

In Sikh tradition

In the

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

tradition from northern

it is part of the

. Every raga has a strict set of rules which govern the number of notes that can be used; which notes can be used; and their interplay that has to be adhered to for the composition of a tune. In the

, the Sikh holy Granth (book), there are a total of 60 ragas compositions and this raga is the twenty-first raga to appear in the series. The composition in this raga appear on a total of 10 pages from page numbers 527 to 537. Today Devagandhari is a rare, little-known, ancient raga. Its performance time is the morning hours. Historically it has had three forms; the less ornamented type is described here. In the Ragmala, Devagandhari is a ragini of Malkaunsa. Today it belongs to the Bilawal thata. Some relate this raga with Bliawal thata with asavari ang. Its mood is one of prayerful supplication presenting a heroic effect. The texts set to this raga reveal a heroic search for these qualities which lead one to the Lord. This raga was used primarily by

Guru Arjan Guru Arjan (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਅਰਜਨ, pronunciation: ; 15 April 1563 – 30 May 1606) was the fifth of the ten total Sikh Gurus. He compiled the first official edition of the Sikh scripture called the Adi Granth, which later expande ...

. Forty-Seven hymns were composed to it including three by

Guru Tegh Bahadar Guru Tegh Bahadur (Punjabi language, Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਤੇਗ਼ ਬਹਾਦਰ (Gurmukhi); ; 1 April 1621 – 11 November 1675) was the ninth of ten Sikh gurus, gurus who founded the Sikhism, Sikh religion and was the leader of Sik ...

and six by

Guru Ram Das Guru Ram Das (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਰਾਮ ਦਾਸ, pronunciation: ; 24 September 1534 – 1 September 1581), sometimes spelled as Guru Ramdas, was the fourth of the ten Sikh gurus. He was born to a family based in Lahore, who ...

. * Jaati : Audava – sampurna * Timing : second pehar * Thaat :Bilawal / Bilawal - Asavari Ang * Aroh: Sa Re Ma Pa Dha Sa * Avroh: Sa Ni Dha Pa, Ma Pa, Dha Ni Dha Pa, Ma Ga Re Sa * Pakar: Dha Ni Dha Pa, Ma Ga, Sa Re Ma, Ga Sa Re Ga Sa * Vadi: Ma * Samvadi: Sa

Notes

References

External links

GSA (The Gurmat Sangeet Academy)

Gurmat Sangeet Project

Raj Academy of Asian Music

Sikhnet: Shabad for Printing
{{Janya Janya ragas Ragas in the Guru Granth Sahib