Malahari
Janya raga of Carnatic music
title: "Malahari" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["janya-ragas"] description: "Janya raga of Carnatic music" topic_path: "general/janya-ragas" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malahari" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Janya raga of Carnatic music ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox ragam"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Malahari |
| arohanam | |
| avarohanam | |
| :: |
| name = Malahari | synonym = | image_name = | image_alt = | mela = | chakra = | type = | arohanam = | avarohanam = | jeeva = | chhaya = | nyasa = | vishesha = | equivalent = | similar = Malahari is a Carnatic raga. This raaga is a janya of the 15th Melakarta raga Mayamalavagowla. This raga is known to be a morning raga which brings out a sense of calmness. It is associated with the rainy season.
In classical carnatic training, it is often used as a raaga for beginners using geetha right after the swara-based exercises in Mayamalavagowla. Many of the Geethas in this raga have been composed by Purandara Dasa.
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Karnataka_Shuddha_Saveri_scale.svg" caption="Ascending scale with C as ''Shadjam'' (tonic note)"] ::
Structure and Lakshana
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Malahari_descending_scale.svg" caption="Descending scale has one extra note G3"] ::
This raga is an asymmetric scale and is classified as an audava-shadava raga (five notes in the ascending scale and six notes in the descending scale).
The notes in this scale are shuddha rishabha, shuddha madhyama, shuddha dhaivata in arohana and additional antara gandhara in avarohana. Since this scale does not have a nishadha, it can be derived from Gayakapriya (13th melakarta) or Vakulabharanam (14th) too, but has been traditionally associated with Mayamalavagowla (15th) as the parent.
Select compositions
[[Geetam]]s
- Shri Gananaatha in Rupaka, written by Purandara Dasa
- Kundha Gowra Gowrivara in Rupaka, written by Purandara Dasa
- Padumanaabha Paramapurusha in Triputa, written by Purandara Dasa
- Keraya Neeranu Kerege Challi in Triputa, written by Purandara Dasa
Kritis
- Vigneshwaram Bhajare in Adi tala and Pancha Matanga Mukha in Rupaka Tala composed by Muthuswami Dikshitar
- Evvarevvarivaado by Annamacharya
- Shri Mahaganapathe in Rupaka Tala composed by Muthiah Bhagavatar
- Dasasreshtam by T. N. Seshagopalan in Rupaka Tala in praise of Shri Purandara Dasa
- Sharanambitade in Adi tala by Annamacharya
- Vara Siddhi Vinayaka, a Varnam in Adi tala by Dr. Sripada Pinakapani
- Shri Raghupungava in Rupaka Tala by Gopikrishnan AJ
Related rāgas
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāga.
Scale similarities
- Karnataka Shuddha Saveri is a rāga which has a symmetrical scale matching the ascending scale of Malahari (gandhara is entirely omitted). Its ** structure is S R1 M1 P D1 S : S D1 P M1 R1 S
Notes
References
References
- ''Raganidhi'' by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras
- ''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications
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