Varali or Varaali (pronounced varāḷi) is a

rāga 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 ...

m in

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 classified either as the 39th mela kartha raga or as 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 ...

'' rāgam (derived scale) of the 39th ''

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 ...

'' scale ''

Jhalavarali Jhalavarali (pronounced , meaning ''A moon with the sun's heat''), is a ragam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 39th ''Melakarta'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is ...

''. Even though it is a mela kartha, the scale is most often rendered with a ''vakra'' scale (zig-zag notes) in the ascending scale.''Raganidhi'' by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras It is a '' vivadi rāgam''. It is the 4th in the list of 5 ''Ghana'' rāgams ('' Nata (raga)'', '' Gaula'', ''

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 ...

'' and '' Shree ragam'' being the others).''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications In olden times, this rāgam was called ''Varati'', and is said to be more than 1300 years old.Summary of the Raganubhava session on Varali on 13 February 2000
/ref> It is with this name that it is referred in old musical texts like '' Sangita Makarandha'' and ''

Sangita Ratnakara The ''Sangita-Ratnakara'', संगीतरत्नाकर, (IAST: Saṃgītaratnākara), literally "Ocean of Music ", is one of the most important musicological texts from India. Composed by Sharngadeva, Śārṅgadeva (शार्ङ� ...

''.

Structure and Lakshana

''Varali'' is an asymmetric rāgam due to the ''vakra prayoga'' in ascending scale. It is a ''vakra-sampurna-sampurna'' rāgam (''sampurna'' meaning containing all 7 notes). Its ''ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa'' structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows: * ārohaṇa : * avarohaṇa : The notes used in this scale are ''shadjam, shuddha rishabham, shuddha gandharam, prati madhyamam, panchamam, shuddha dhaivatam'' and ''kakali nishadham''. The ''madhyamam'' used is said to be slightly higher than the ''prati madhyamam'', and is also called as ''chyuta panchama madhyamam'' (also referred as ''Varali madhyamam''). For the details of the notations and terms, see ''swaras'' in Carnatic music. Some also believe that it can be sung as S R1 G1, and this phrase also appears in many compositions, Kanakanaruchira being one of the most popular.

Belief

It is believed that Varali, when taught directly by a teacher to a student, will strain their relationship or could cause ill effects to one or the other. The ragam is said to be learnt by listening and self-learning.

Popular compositions

There are many compositions set to ''Varali'' rāgam. Many compositions in praise of Lord

Ganesha Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...

are set to this raga. Here are some popular ''

kritis A ''kriti'' () is a form of musical composition in the Carnatic music literature. The Sanskrit common noun ''Kriti'' means 'creation' or 'work'. A kriti forms the mental backbone of any typical Carnatic music concert and is the longer format o ...

'' composed in this ragam. *The fourth ''

Pancharatna Kriti The ''Pancharatna kritis'' (transliterated as ''Pañcaratna kṛti'') (Sanskrit: ''pancha'' "five" + ''ratna'' "gems") are a set of five ''kritis'' (songs) in Carnatic classical music, composed by the 18th-century Indian composer Tyagaraja. The ...

'' ''Kanakana ruchira'' composed by

Tyagaraja 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 ...

, the fourth of the 5 gems *''Eti Janmam Idi, Karuna Elagante, Sri Rama Sri Rama Jitha Rama, Dharanu Nee Saridaivamu, Indukemi, Noremi Sri Rama,Pahi Paramaathma, Pahi Ramaa Ramana, Vaddayunde, Bhavasannutha, Marakathamani and Ne Pogadakunte'' by Tyagaraja *''Mamava Meenakshi, Lambodaraya Namaste and Sheshachala Nayakam'' by

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 ...

*''Karunajudavamma and Kamakshi Bangaru'' by

Shyama Shastri Syama Sastri ( 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 Muthuswami Dikshi ...

*''Intha prodayye'' and ''Valapudacha'' by

Kshetrayya Kshetrayya (–1680) was a prolific Telugu poet. He lived in the area of Andhra Pradesh in South India. He composed a number of ''padams'' and ''keertanas'', the prevalent formats of his time. He is credited with more than 4000 compositions, ...

padam *''Ka Vaa Vaa'' and ''Dikku Verilai'' 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 a ...

*''Valayunniha'', a Malayalam Padam and M''amava Padmanabha'' by Maharaja

Swathi Thirunal Sri Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma III (16 April 1813 – 26 December 1846) was the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Travancore. He was a great musician and composer who has to his credit over 400 classical compositions in both Carnatic and Hindustani st ...

*''Ille Vaikuntha namma Srilakshmi'' 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 ...

*''Idhigo Bhadradri'' by

Bhadrachala Ramadasu Kancharla Gopanna () ( – 1688), popularly known as Bhakta Ramadasu or Bhadrachala Ramadasu (), was a 17th-century devotee of the Hindu god Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of ...

* Aazhi Mazhai Kanna by

Andal Andal (ISO 15919: Āṇḍāḷ), also known as Godhai, Nachiyar, and Godha Devi, is the only female Alvars, Alvar. (Orthodoxy posits the number of Alvars as ten, though there are other references that include Andal and Madhurakavi Alvar, ...

tuned by

Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar (19 May 1890 – 23 January 1967), popularly known as ''Ariyakudi'', was a Carnatic music vocalist, born in Ariyakudi, a town in the present-day Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu. Ariyakudi developed a unique style of ...

Notes

References

{{Janya, state=collapsed Janya ragas