Udayaravichandrika

Udayaravichandrika is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is an audava rāgam (or owdava rāgam, meaning pentatonic scale ), and is also known as Shuddha Dhanyasi (pronounced shuddha dhanyāsi). It is a janya rāgam (derived scale), as it does not have all the seven swaras (musical notes). The equivalent of Udayaravichandrika in Hindustani music is Dhani.[1][2]

Structure and Lakshana

Udayaravichandrika scale with shadjam at C

Udayaravichandrika is a symmetric rāgam that does not contain rishabham or dhaivatam. It is a pentatonic scale (audava-audava rāgam in Carnatic music classification - audava meaning 'of 5'). Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):

The notes used in this scale sadharana gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, panchamam and kaisiki nishadham. Udayaravichandrika is considered a janya rāgam of Kharaharapriya, the 22nd melakarta rāgam,[2] though it can be derived from other melakarta rāgams, Hanumatodi, Natabhairavi or Natakapriya, by dropping both rishabham and dhaivatam.

Popular compositions

Here are some popular kritis composed in Udayaravichandrika.

Related rāgams

This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.

Graha bhedam

Udayaravichandrika's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields 4 other major pentatonic rāgams, namely, Mohanam, Hindolam, Madhyamavathi and Shuddha Saveri. Graha bhedam is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the shadjam to the next note in the rāgam. See Graha bhedam on Mohanam for more details and illustration of this concept.

Scale similarities

References

  1. ↑ Ragas in Carnatic music by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Raganidhi by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras