Kalyan or Kalyani, originally called Yaman, is a melakarta rāga (parent musical scale) in the Carnatic music of South India, and is also an important raga in Hindustani (North Indian) music.
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In South Indian weddings this is a very prominently played rāga. The word kalyani means she who causes auspicious things.
It is the 65th melakarta rāga under the Katapayadi sankhya. It is also called Mechakalyani (Sanskrit: मेचकल्याणि). The notes for Kalyani are S R2 G3 M2 P D2 N3.
Kalyani is slightly difficult to elaborate on in raaga alapna due to its similarity with Sankarabharanam with the only difference of the Madyamam (Ma). One should not remain too long on panchamam (pa) or alternate between shadyam and panchamam too frequently. Also, one must stress the characteristic madhyama very frequently or risk confusion with other raagas. Rishabham and Daivatam are also very key to this raagam and also aren't stressed very much in Sankarabharanam. Kalyani is a very beautiful raaga, and is prominently known among the public.
It is the 5th ragam in the 11th chakra Rudra. The mnemonic name is Rudra-Ma. The mnemonic phrase is sa ri gu mi pa dhi nu.[1] Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):
(Chathusruthi Rishabam, Anthara Gandharam, Prati Madhyamam, Chathusruthi Dhaivatham, Kakali Nishatham)
It is a Sampoorna raga in Carnatic music, that is to say, has all the seven notes: Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni. It is the prati madhyamam equivalent of Dheerasankarabharanam, which is the 29th melakarta.
Kalyani has many janya rāgams (derived scales) associated with it, of which Hameer kalyani, Mohanakalyani, Saranga, Sunadavinodini and Yamuna kalyani are very popular. See List of Janya Rāgams for full list of rāgams associated with Kalyani.
Nearly every significant Carnatic composer (including the Trinity of Carnatic music) has composed several pieces in the Kalyāni rāgam. Kalyāni is also considered one of the "major" rāgams of Carnatic music along with Sankarabharanam, Todi and Kharaharapriya (the set of "major" rāgams is an informal grouping of the most popular rāgams used for elaboration and exploration, and which often form the centerpiece of a Carnatic music concert in the form of a rāgam thānam pallavi (RTP) or a krithi). See next section for further information on relationships between these rāgams.
Here is a short list of well known compositions in Kalyani.
The Tamil movie Sindhu Bhairavi has a track called Kalaivaniye that is set in the Kalyani rāgam and sung without an avarohaṇam. The Bharathiar composition Veenai Adi Nee Enakku from the movie Ezhavathu Manithan is also set in the Kalyani rāgam. The Telugu movie Sankarabharanam has a Shloka "Maanikya Veenaam Upalalayanthi" set in this rāgam.
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of Kalyani.
Kalyani's notes when shifted using Graha bedham, yields 5 other major Melakarta rāgams, namely, Hanumatodi, Sankarabharanam, Natabhairavi, Kharaharapriya and Harikambhoji. For further details and an illustration of Graha bedham of this rāgam refer Related rāgams section in Sankarabharanam page.
Arohana S R G M+ P D N S'
Avarohana S' N D P M+ G R S
Vadi is Ga, Samvadi Ni.
Kalyan has no specific phrases or particular features, many musicians avoid Sa and Pa in ascend or treat them very weakly. You often hear N0 R G M+ D N S' in ascent and S' N G M+ G R S in descend[2]).
Sa is avoided in beginning the ascend such as N0 R G M+ P D N S'
There is some discussion whether Yaman and Kalyan really just are different names for the same raga, or that these are actually 2 ragas. Joep Bor says "Kalyan (today usually referred to as Yaman)".[3] Kaufmann[4] says that Yaman and Kalyan are just different names, but insists that rāga Yaman-kalyan is different as there natural Ma is occasionally inserted between two Ga, like Ga Ma Ga Re Sa, while in all other instances tivra Ma (Ma+ is used (as in Kalyan). S. Bagchee[5] agrees with Kaufmann. Bor : If natural Ma is occasionally added in a concluding figure leading to Sa, the raga is known as Yaman-Kalyan[3]
Kalyan is mixed with several ragas:
Thaat: Kalyan is type raga of Kalyan thaat. In thaat Kalyan, all notes are shuddha (natural) except teevra (sharp) Ma.
Yaman is regarded one of the grandest and most fundamental rāgas in Hindustani music. It is one of the first rāgas taught to students.
Kalyan should be performed during the first quarter of the night.
Kalyan is described by Meshakarna(1570) as "lord in white garments and pearl necklace on a splendid lion-throne, under a royal umbrella, fanned with whisk, chewing betel"[3]
A song text is:
Hey friend, without my lover
I don't find peace
At any moment of the day;
Since my lover went away
I spend my nights counting the starts
[3]
Yaman is not an ancient rāga. It is first mentioned in the literature in the late 16th century, by which time it was very popular: The Sahasras contains 45 dhrupad song-texts for Kalyan and five for Iman-Kalyan. According to Venkatamakhin(1620), Kalyan was a favourite melody to the Arabs, and Pundarika included Yaman among his 'Persian' Ragas.[3]
list partly from Moutal (1991)
Bor, Joep (1997), The Raga Guide, Charlottesville,Virginia: Nimbus Records
Kaufmann, Walter (1968), The Ragas of North India, Calcutta: Oxford and IBH Publishing Company.
Bagchee, Sandeep (1998), Nād, Understanding Rāga Music, Mumbai: Eshwar (Business Publications Inc.).
Bhatt, Balvantray (1964–1974), Bhāvaranga, Varanasi: Motilal Barnasidas.
Gandharva, Kumar (1965), Anūparāgavilāsa, Bombay: Mauj Prakashan.
Patwardhan, Vinayak Rao (1961–74), Rāga Vijñāna, Poona: Sangeet Gaurav Granthamala.
Srivastava, Harichandra (1973–79), Rāga Paricaya, Allahabad: SangeetSadan Prakashan.
Telang, Gokulanand; Bhartendu, Banwari Lal (1962), Sangīta Rāga Aṣṭachāpa, Hathras: Sangeet Karyalaya.
Thakar, Vasant Vaman, Sangīta Rāga Darśana, Prayag: Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal Prakashan.
Rao, B. Subba (1964–66), Raganidhi, Madras: Music Academy.
Examples of Kalyan:
Examples of Yaman-Kalyan:
Examples of Shuddha Kalyan:
Moutal, Patrick (1991), Hindustāni Rāga-s Index, New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt Ltd, ISBN 81-215-0525-7.
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