Abheri (pronounced ābhēri) 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 ...

Carnatic 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 ...

(musical scale of South Indian classical music). It 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, also known as ''janaka'') is ''

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 ...

'', 22nd in the 72 ''Melakarta'' raga system. ''

Bhimpalasi Bhimpalasi or Bheempalasi (also known as Bhimpalas or Bheempalas) is a Hindustani classical raga. The Carnatic Music equivalent of this raga is Abheri. Raga Bhimpalasi belongs to the Kafi Thaat. Theory * Aaroha: * Avaroha: The raga has k ...

'' (or ''Bheempalas'') and ''

Dhanashree Dhanasree is a raga. It prominently appears in the Sikh tradition from northern India and is part of the Guru Granth Sahib. Raga Dhanashree appears in the Ragmala as a ragini of Malkauns and currently is a member of the Kafi thaat. It closely ...

'' of

Hindustani music Hindustani classical music is the Indian classical music, classical music of the Indian subcontinent's northern regions. It may also be called North Indian classical music or ''Uttar Bhartiya shastriya sangeet''. The term ''shastriya sangeet'' ...

sounds close to ''Abheri''.''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications''Raganidhi'' by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras

Structure and Lakshana

Abheri is an ''audava-sampoorna''

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 ...

. Its structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see '' swaras in Carnatic music'' for details on below notation and terms): * : * : The ''

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'' in this scale are ''Chathusruthi Rishabham, Sadharana Gandharam, Suddha Madhyamam, Chathusruthi Dhaivatham'' and ''Kaisiki Nishadham''. There are some differing views on swaras in the scale of Abheri. It is considered a ''Bhashanga'' raga (scale has an ''anya swara'', that is, a note which is not in the parent ''melakarta'' raga, in this case ''Kharaharapriya'' raga), with introduction of ''Suddha Dhiavatham'' (D1) in some phrases of the raga. A different view is that this raga is a ''janya'' of ''

Natabhairavi Naṭabhairavi is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 20th ''melakarta'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system. It corresponds to the Natural minor scale (alias Aeolian mode) of western mus ...

'' (which has D1, ''suddha dhaivatham'', in place of D2), with D2 being the ''anya swara'' (external note). The original Abheri had Shuddha Dhaivatam and not Chathushruthi Dhaivatham in the Avarohanam, making it a Janya of

and not

but was changed due to influences of Hindustani

into the present form. R.

Vedavalli Vidushi R. Vedavalli (born 9 November 1935) is an Indian Carnatic vocalist. Early life R. Vedavalli was born in Mannargudi, Tamil Nadu, India to Ramaswami Iyengar and Padmasani Ammal. Career R. Vedavalli's talent for music was identified earl ...

sings the version of Nagumomu with Shuddha Dhaivatam. Today only one

Muthuswami Dikshitar Muthuswami Dikshitar (Mudduswamy Dikshitar) (, 24 March 1776 – 21 October 1835), mononymously Dikshitar, was a South Indian poet, singer, veena player, and a prolific composer of Indian classical music. He was the youngest member of what is re ...

Krithi called Veenabheri and Kandha Vandharul of

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 a ...

are sung in the original. In fact, all books published before 1960 classify it as a

Janya.

Syama Sastri Syama Sastri (Telugu language, Telugu : శ్యామ శాస్త్రి; ; 26 April 1762 – 1827) or Shyama Shastri was a musician and composer of Carnatic music. He was the oldest among the Trinity of Carnatic music, Tyagaraja and Mu ...

's Ninnuvina Marigalada rendered in Reethigowla was originally composed in the old Abheri with D1. This has been rendered by

too. In the 1st half of the 20th century, Nagumomu was also sung with D1 till it changed. As of

, he has composed Panchashatpeetha Roopini in modern Abheri which he calls Devagandharam, a separate Raga. It makes sense to sing Nagumomu with D1 as

Thyagaraja Sadguru Tyagaraja Swami ( Telugu: సద్గురు త్యాగరాజ స్వామి; 4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Tyagayya, and in full as Kakarla Tyagabrahmam ( Telugu: కాకర్ల త్యాగబ ...

swami pleads to Rama to not torment him so it gives a more melancholic mood. In fact, there are 2 separate versions of Abheri which posses D1: 1. The one used by

swami has N2 in Arohanam Aro: S G2 M1 P N2 S Av: S N2 D1 P M1 G2 R2 S 2.

Dikshitar Dīkṣitars or Thillai Vazh Anthaanar are a Vedic Shaiva Brahmin servitor community of Tamil Nadu who are based mainly in the town of Chidambaram. Smartha (especially the Vadamas), Sri Vaishnava and other Brahmins in South India also carry ...

's version has no N2 in Arohanam. He also uses Vakra Prayoga S M1 G2 M1. S G2 M1 and P N2 S Prayogas are not allowed in his variant. N2 S is allowed, perhaps in a P S N2 S Prayoga. Aro: S M1 G2 M1 P S Av:S N2 D1 P M1 G2 R2 SThe Abheri conundrum. (2009, March 26). Just Thinking Out Aloud . . . https://sunson.wordpress.com/2009/03/25/the-abheri-conundrum/?source=post_page-----3e7e2d48d38e--------------------------------
/ref> This

is closer to Bageshri as for Bageshri Gandharam is sung softly. Thus a subtle difference of Gandhara makes a listener to feel this raga as Bageshri .

Popular compositions

*''Nagumomu Ganaleni'' By

*''Nanda Gopala'' by

Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi Oothukkaadu Venkata Kavi (-1765) or Oottukkaadu Venkata Subramanyar was one of the pioneering composers in Indian classical Carnatic music. He lived in South India in the present-day state of Tamil Nadu. Also known by the name Oothukkaadu V ...

*''Bhajare Re Manasa'', ''Gokula Nilaya Kripalaya'' By

Mysore Vasudevacharya Mysore Vasudevacharya (28 May 1865 – 17 May 1961) was an Indian musician and composer of Carnatic music compositions who belonged to the direct line of Thyagaraja's disciples. Vasudevachar's compositions (numbering over 200) were mostly in Telu ...

*''Kandha Muruga Varuvaye'', a Popular

Bhajan Bhajan is an Indian term for any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Dharmic religions, in any language. The term bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means ''reverence'' and originates from the root w ...

ai by

Pithukuli Murugadas Pithukuli Murugadas (25 January 1920 – 17 November 2015) was a devotional singer from Tamil Nadu, India. He was best known for his compositions on the Hindu deity Murugan. Life Pithukuli Murugadas was born as Balasubramanian in Coimb ...

*''Muraliya Nadava keli'', ''Karevaru Ba Manege'' By Vidyaprasanna Teertha in

Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...

*''Ambiga Naa Ninna Nambide'', ''Echarike Echarike'', ''Katiyalli Karavittano'' By

Purandara Dasa Purandara Dasa (IAST: Purandara Dāsa; (1470 – 1564) was a composer, singer and a Haridasa philosopher from present-day Karnataka, India. He was a follower of Madhwacharya, Madhvacharya's Dwaitha, Dvaita philosophy. He was one of the chi ...

*''Pavamana Jagada Prana'' By

Vijaya Dasa Vijaya Dasa () (c. 1682– c. 1755) was a prominent saint from the Haridasa tradition of Karnataka, India in the 18th century, and a scholar of the Dvaita philosophical tradition. Along with contemporary haridasa saints such as Gopala Dasa, ...

*'' Angaladolu Ramanadida'' - (Normally sung in Bhimplasi style) one of the greatest literary works of

Kanaka Dasa Kanaka Dasa (1509–1606) also known as Daasashreshta Kanakadasa (ದಾಸಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ಕನಕದಾಸ), was a Haridasa saint and philosopher of Dvaita Vedanta, from present-day Karnataka, India. He was a follower of Madhvacharya' ...

which tells about the Desire of little Rama *''Veral Veli'' from Sandham: Symphony Meets Classical Tamil by Composer Rajan written by

Kapilar Kapilar or Kabilar ( Tamil: கபிலர்) was the most prolific Tamil poet of the Sangam period (c. 3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE). He contributed 206 poems, or a little less than 10% of the entire Sangam-era classical corpus by 473 ...

*''Vinabheri'' By

*''Kandha Vandharul'' by

*''Eshwari Rajeshwari'' By

Muthiah Bhagavatar Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar (15 November 1877 – 30 June 1945), commonly known as Muthiah Bhagavatar, is one of Carnatic classical music's famous twentieth-century composers. He also created about 20 ''ragas''. Early life Muthiah was bo ...

Film songs

Language:
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

Language:
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

Note that the following songs are tuned in Raag

, the Hindustani equivalent of Abheri.

Language:
Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...

Album

Popular Classical Albums on this Raagam

An excellent rendition of this Raaga can be found in one of L. Shankar Albums ''Raga Aberi''. He received a Grammy Nomination for this composition.

Related rāgams

This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam. ''Abheri's'' notes when shifted using ''

Graha bhedam ''Graha Bhedam'' in Carnatic music is the process (or result of the process) of shifting the Tonic (music), Tonic note (''Śruti (music), śruti'') to another note in the rāgam and arriving at a different rāgam. Its equivalent in Hindustani cl ...

'', yields 3 other janya rāgams, namely, ''

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 ' ...

'', ''

Kedaragaula Kedaragaula (pronounced kēdāragaula) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is a ''janya'' rāgam (derived scale) from the 28th ''melakarta'' scale ''Harikambhoji'', and is sometimes spelled as Keda ...

'' and ''

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 ...

'' (if we consider the Kharaharapriya-based scale). ''Graha bhedam'' is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the ''Shadjam'' to the next note in the rāgam. In case of ''Janya'' ragams, only notes that occur in both ascending and descending scale are taken for this change. For further details and an illustration of ''Graha bhedam'' refer ''Graha bhedam'' on ''Sankarabharanam''. Abheri has close resemblance to Karnataka—devagandhari and

. Whether they are essentially same is a matter of debate among the musicologists.

Notes

References

{{Janya Janya ragas Janya ragas (kharaharapriya) Carnatic ragas