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In the Khamaj Orchard Rajan P. Parrikar Rajan P. Parrikar is a recognized expert on Indian Classical music and shares his knowledge freely with those interested in the subject. He has written a series of articles on Classical Indian Music which have been archived on Sawf. Click here to read Rajan's earlier articles.

Boys of a feather: Rajan P. Parrikar with his nephew Yash (Goa 2000)

Namashkar.

In the comity of Ragas, there is a certain class of denizens ordained as "kshudra prakriti ke raga" by the long arm of tradition. They are so called because their provenance lies in the folk idiom. A number of kshudra ragas are acknowledged as the mother lode of the highly structured, expansive ragas that nest at the top of the pecking order. The heavyweights are the preferred choice for formal classical treatment and they exercise their noblesse oblige through the Dhrupads and the 'big' Khayals placed in their service. The kshudra ragas, on the other hand, are mired in the native soil, and in sync with the pulse of the laity. They seduce us through the many subsidiary forms such as Thumri, Tappa, Dadra, Bhajan, Geet and so on. In general, they do not figure in elaborate Khayal or Dhrupad settings and it is in this sense only that they are deemed "kshudra" (lit. small).

Raga Khamaj is the cock of the walk of the kshudra block. Continuing with our exploration of the Hindustani Ragaspace we now enter the inviting confines of the Khamaj orchard where a special son et lumière, arranged by the the refined and cultured ladies of SAWF, awaits us. The lark includes an added attraction, From the Carnatic Gallery, a compendium of enchanting perspectives from the South authored by V.N. Muthukumar, Ram Naidu and M.V. Ramana.

Throughout the discussion, M=shuddha and m=teevra madhyam.

Raga Khamaj

< -- Pandit Kishore Kumar riding a Bong mule

Khamaj represents three separate entities: thAT, raganga and raga. The Khamaj thAT is congruent with the 28th Carnatic melakartA, Harikambhoji, with the following scale set: S R G M P D n. The sampoorNa-jAti Raga Khamaj draws upon all the notes from the parent thAT plus an additional shuddha nishAd.

The raganga kernel is encapsulated in the following tonal clusters:

G M P D n D, M P D-M-G

S" n D P D-M-G

The guiding principle in Indian music dictates that the swaras not be viewed as isolated units. The Indian term "swara" should not be confused with "note" (in the sense commonly used in the West) or a tone with a specific assigned frequency point. The idea of swara circumscribes the 'space' around a nominal note as well as its interaction with itself and its neighbours mediated through kaNs, Andolans and gamakas. This is the primary reason the essence of Indian music and the nuance of swara cannot be effectively conveyed through the written word or notation. It also explains why non-Indians (Westerners in particular) find themselves at sea upon first encountering Indian music.

The curvature and intonation of Khamaj's locus classicus, D-M-G, are vital. This arc is found in other allied ragas but only in Khamaj is its ucchAraNa fully realized. The tonal strips of the raganga outlined above direct Raga Khamaj's conduct. The rishab is varjit in Arohi sangatis. The shuddha nishAd, typically employed in upward movements, is on the whole subordinate to the komal nishAd. The gandhAr in the poorvAnga and the dhaivat in the uttarAnga are the dominant swaras. Let us explore the raga some more.

S, G M P D n D, [S"] n D, M P D-M-G
This tonal sentence elucidates the raganga. [S"] denotes a khaTkA on the tAra shaDaj. That is, a quick twirl of the type R"S"NS" or S"R"NS" .

G M P D N S"
G M P D n D, P D N S"
G M n D, P D N S"
G M D N S"
G M P N S"
Each of these tonal groups is a candidate for an uttarAnga launch.

N. Moinuddin and N. Aminuddin Dagar -- >

S, G M P D N [S"] n D, G M P DG M G, R S
Notice the langhan of the rishab in Arohi runs, the deergha bahutva role assigned to D, as well as the DG coupling, often put to good effect.

The Khamaj terrain embosoms all manner of melodic twists and turns and has been extensively mined. The kshudra prakriti ragas are permitted lattitude for play with vivAdi swaras and the main raga thus elaborated upon usually goes by the prefix "Mishra." The teevra madhyam is a prime vivAdi candidate in Khamaj, used to ornament the pancham. There are also specialized constructs involving m that lead to interesting situations such as an AvirbhAva of Raga Gara (in this form, called Pancham-se-Gara), especially in renditions of Thumri and Dadra.

P m P M G, GMPDnD GMDNS"nD P m P M G
Raga Gara may be explicitly invoked through a grAha bhedam (murchhanA) by translating the original tonic to the pancham.

It is scarcely practicable to list the myriad variations attending the Khamaj praxis. Its dhAtu is best assimilated through sustained tAleem and reflection.

< -- Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang"

We are privileged to have at hand Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" to illuminate the proceedings with a couple of didactic monologues. In the first clip, pinched off the telephone line, he discursively addresses the Khamaj domain, training his sights on its three principal members: Khamaj, Jhinjhoti and Khambavati. The discourse closes with a recitation of a famous Dadra in Pancham-se-Gara to illustrate the insertion effect of the teevra madhyam indicated earlier. The reader is encouraged to be on the qui vive for the ucchAraNa of the Khamaj arc D-M-G.

Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/jha_khamajspeak.ram

In this second monologue Jha-sahab responds to a query initiated by Raja Kale and Satyasheel Deshpande and acutely clarifies the difference in intonation and curvature of the D-M-G ucchAraNa in the Khamaj and Bilawal situations. The parley concludes with a dramatic recitation of Kabir's words to drive home an important point about the nature of shruti and the premium placed on anubhava (there is no satisfactory English equivalent of this beautiful word) in Indian tradition:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/jha_khamajspeak_add.ram

The platter put together for this presentation features several inviting and rare delicacies. The amount of material available in Khamaj is forbiddingly large but our gauge limits admission only to purveyors of the highest quality. Even the most exacting, fastidious palate ought to be sated by our selection.

We kick off with Lata Mangeshkar's rendition of Narsi Mehta's bhajan, a favourite of Mahatma Gandhi. The ennobling sentiments expressed and the tune dovetail beautifully: Vaishnava jana to -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/lata_vaishnava.ram

Rajan P. Parrikar with Pt. Kishore Kumar (Goa, 1986) -- >

Khamaj looms large in the folk music of Bengal. We adduce a composition of Rabindranath Tagore rendered by Pandit Kishore Kumar, Khalifa of the Khandwa Gharana. Rabby was an extraordinary individual, a man possessed of transcendent intellect. While his appreciation of music was deep his musical talents were rather pedestrian if Robindra Shongeet is anything to go by. At its best his is "pretty" music. On the other hand, Pt. Kishore Kumar's genius lay in music and music alone, to be sure, in his wielding of the vocal brush. Although Panditji came from Khandwa the bongs shamelessly claim him as one of their own (and fail miserably in the attempt). Even a cursory analysis of the eigenvalues of Panditji's personality matrix betrays not a sliver of bong influence or trait. Panditji loved amangshor jhol, true, but the story goes that the day he discovered the pleasures of Goan prawn curry he foreswore the sissy bong cuisine for good. Every bong should put that in a pipe and smoke it.

Panditji's voice, Rabby's bongspeak: bidhir bAndhon -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/kishore_bidhir.ram

K.L. Saigal's number from BHANWARA (1944) for master tunesmith Khemchand Prakash offers some Khamaj vistas: hum apnA unhe banA nA sake -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/klsaigal_humapna.ram

Shubha Mudgal adapts an old Thumri tune to a modern orchestral arrangement in her rustic, full-throated bAbul jiyA morA ghabarAye -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/shubhamudgal_khamaj.ram

Hindi film numbers in Khamaj are legion but this one is a personal favourite. R.D. Burman is said to have received counsel from his illustrious father S.D. Burman while developing this tune. Lata brings a keen maternal instinct and love to flower in this flawless take. From AMAR PREM (1971): baDA naTkhaT hai re -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/lata_badanatkhat.ram

< -- Govindrao Tembe with Alladiya Khan

From the Marathi stage comes this crisp composition of Govindrao Tembe for the drama MANAPAMAN, reprised in recent times by Prabhakar Karekar: yA nava navala nayanotsavA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/karekar_khamaj.ram

Next in line, a triple header from the fecund mind of Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang." The first, a Thumri in vilambit Keharwa, is seasoned with all the essential ingredients of Khamaj: nA lAge jiyarA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/jha_khamaj1.ram

Another poorab-anga Thumri, this time of a different design, in madhya-laya Teentala: jina chhuvo mori baiyyAN -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/jha_khamaj2.ram

The final item in Ramrang's suite: a bandish-ki-Thumri, in Ektala: bole amavA ki DArana -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/jha_khamaj3.ram

These three were Jha-sahab's own compositions. The Thumri technique he imbibed from his guru, Bholanath Bhatt, who was regarded in his own day as one of the great masters of that form.

Kesarbai Kerkar -- >

The famous traditional bandish-ki-Thumri, nA mAnoongi, has many votaries but it is given only to 'Aftab-e-Mousiqui' Faiyyaz Khan to take it to the nines:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/faiyyaz_khamaj.ram

Vilambit Khayal compositions in Khamaj are uncommon. More typical are Sadras, Dhamars, Horis, Dadras, Thumris, Khayalnumas and Taranas. Ulhas Kashalkar unveils a traditional Tarana (documented by Bhatkhande in his Kramik Pustaka Malika):

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/kashalkar_khamaj.ram

Kesarbai Kerkar's Hori reveals her consummate command of voice, its modulations and phirat. A vivAdi komal gandhAr is casually dropped at 1:47 into the clip: Aye Shyam mose khelana holi -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/kesarbai_khamaj.ram

< -- Begum Akhtar (l) with her disciple Shanti Hiranand

Among the most celebrated Thumri exponents of our time, Begum Akhtar plies a flavoured Khamaj: nA jA balama pardes -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/begumakhtar_khamaj.ram

This Thumri by Lakshmi Shankar, set to Deepchandi, is from a 1995 private mehfil. On the Harmonium is yours truly, Tabla support is provided by Pranesh Khan. We join in the climactic moments of the recital: aba nA bajAvo Shyam -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/ls_khamaj.ram

Nikhil Banerjee's fingers sing Khamaj in this delectable piece -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/nb_khamaj.ram

Sureshbabu Mane -- >

The richly gifted Sureshbabu Mane (1902-1953) inherited his yen for Thumri from his great father Abdul Karim Khan. Some of papa's vocal flourishes are replicated in the son, as witness this recording: piyA tirchhi nazariyA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/sureshbabu_khamaj.ram

True to form, the lifelong maverick Ramkrishnabuwa Vaze deals Khamaj in a brisk Ektala composition: piyA nahiN Aye -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/vazebuwa_khamaj.ram

By several accounts Barkat Ali Khan was a superior Thumri singer but had to content himself by playing second fiddle to his redoubtable brother, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. The same Thumri, dekhe binA bechaina, is presented by the two brothers.

Barkat Ali -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/barkatali_khamaj.ram

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/bgak_khamaj.ram

< -- Siddheswari Devi (l) with daughter Savita Devi

We ring down the curtain on Khamaj with a prized Thumri rendition by Siddheswari Devi: tumse lAgi preeta, sANwariyA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/siddheshwari_khamaj.ram

Raga Jhinjhoti

Jhinjhoti's warm, incandescent personality has earned for itself a permanent slot in the hearts of Indians. Some vidwAns view it as the principal raga of the Khamaj thAT (see for instance, Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande's commentary in his epochal Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati volumes) since its swara-set is exactly aligned with the parent thAT. The reader is encouraged to review Jha-sahab's very first clip at this point.

The distillate of the raga is encapsulated in the following tonal sentence:

D' S R M G, R G S R n' D' P' D' S

Jhinjhoti is best expressed in the mandra and madhya saptak. Typical forays are initiated from the mandra P' or D'. Jha-sahab's commentary has touched upon the chalan and points of similarity with, and departure from, the allied Ragas Khamaj and Khambavati. Here we shall content ourselves by depositing a few key phrases:

Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" -- >

P' D' S R G M G, M G R G S, R n' D'
This inchoative Arohi movement is typical. The gandhAr takes on a nyAsa bahutva role but only in the avarohi direction.

S R M P D n D, P D-M-G, R G S R n' D' S
The gandhAr is skipped (langhan alpatva) in Arohi movement. The sentence is pregnant with the Raganga Khamaj morceau, D-M-G, although its intonation differs just a shade from that plied in Raga Khamaj.

R M P D n D, P D S", S" R" n D P, D P M G, M G R G S
A sample uttarAnga-bound foray. The Andolan of n is a point of note.

It should now be obvious to even women and children that Jhinjhoti's vakra build demands special tonal construction and careful handling of swara ucchAraNa. In the hands of a master the raga exudes a magical ambience.

We begin with the soothing strains of the raga wrapped around dohAs from Tulsidas's Ramcharitamanas, in Lata's voice -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/lata_dohas.ram

< -- Bade Ghulam Ali Khan

The Jhinjhoti exemplar from the Hindi film genre - Kishore Kumar borrows a tune from an earlier era for JHUMROO (1961) and casts it into a wistful jaunt down memory lane: ko'i humdum nA rahA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/kishore_koihumdum.ram

Ramrang's exquisite composition is obscured by a fractured recording. Nonetheless we have salvaged and pieced together the outline: tana mana dhana maiN to vAruN re -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/jha_jhinjhoti.ram

Vilayat Hussain Khan (l) and Faiyyaz Khan (r) -- >

A burst of nomtom AlAp precedes this Dhamar by Agra's Vilayat Hussain Khan "Pranpiya," assisted by his son Younus Hussain Khan: hori khelata Nandlal -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/vhk_jhinjhoti.ram

The Maihar statement from its distinguished representative, Ravi Shankar -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/rs_jhinjhoti.ram

Faiyyaz Khan -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/faiyyaz_jhinjhoti.ram

From the Rampur-Sahaswan desk, a Tarana by Mushtaq Hussain Khan -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/mhk_jhinjhoti.ram

The piece de resistance: Abdul Karim Khan's monumental rendition, the abiding masterpiece that gives the rest the look of schoolboy howlers: piyA bina nAhiN -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/akk_jhinjhoti.ram

Raga Khambavati

This Khamaj affiliate draws on both Khamaj and Jhinjhoti for its genetic blueprint. A soupçon of Mand is thrown in for good measure and a special sanchAri G M->S composed as Khambavati's signature rounds off the theme. The reader is once again urged to review Jha-sahab's first clip. Let us amplify on the highlights heuristically as Jha-sahab has done in his own Volume III of Abhinava Geetanjali.

S R M P, M P D n n D, n D P D S" R" n
This tonal sentence is redolent of Jhinjhoti.

S n D P D-M-G
This is an appeal to the Khamaj raganga.

S" D n P D M P G M->S
A strand of Mand is terminated with Khambavati's signature. The molecule G M->S contains a soft meeND from M to S. With N in lieu of n the tonal construct above yields an AvirbhAva of Mand (with appropriate insertion of R), a point recorded by Pandit Bhatkhande and also remarked upon by Jha-sahab. Occasionally the shuddha nishAd is observed in uttarAnga movements en route to the tAra shaDaj: M P N, N S".

We kick off with D.V. Paluskar's classic recording of the "Daraspiya" (Mehboob Khan) composition, Ali ri maiN jAgi. The colophon can be heard in the antarA. Keep your ears tuned for the G M->S signature:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/paluskar_khambavati.ram

Another traditional favourite, sakhi mukha chandra in Jhaptala, developed beautifully by Basavraj Rajguru:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/rajguru_khambavati.ram

Vazebuwa's take on the same composition. Notice the M P N foray in the uttarAnga at 0:27 -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/vazebuwa_khambavati.ram

< -- Mamman Khan

Ramzan Khan of the Delhi Gharana sings a composition of Mamman Khan, a leading figure of that school. Mamman Khan (d. 1940) was an expert vocalist and Sarangi player and had for his students such notables as Sarangi-nawAz Bundu Khan:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/ramzankhan_khambavati.ram

Narayanrao Vyas, Vishnu Digambar Paluskar's disciple, presents a composition of his brother, Shankarrao: chalo ri Aja -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/nvyas_khambavati.ram

The Atrauli-Jaipur vocalists render a private version of Khambavati. Here, the pancham is varjya and the swaras employed are: S G M D n. The signature G M->S is retained and helps ward off Rageshree. The rishab is occasionally touched in the tAra saptak. All these points are summarized in this excerpt of Ashwini Bhide. Note that Daraspiya's composition is now co-opted to this version:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/ashwinibhide_khambavati.ram

Finally, another variation offered by the eminent Atrauli-Agra ustAd, Azmat Hussain Khan. The reader is invited to take his own measure:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/ahk_khambavati.ram

Raga Tilang

This exceedingly sweet ("karNapriya") raga is attained to by dropping R and D from Raga Khamaj. The surviving auDav contour assumes the following form:

S G M P N S"::S" n P M G S

But a mere scale does not a raga make. Tilang's highlights are summarized below:

G M P n P M G, S
G M P N S" n P G M G
Notice how avarohi movement drops M and embraces P-G in the second instance. A momentary hint of Bihag through G M P N is eradicated by subsequent construction.

G M P n P N S", P N S" G" S" N S"R"NS" n P G M G
The rishab is verboten in textbook Tilang but it is common practice to deploy it in the tAra saptak.

Like most of the ragas in this feature, Tilang springs from the folk music of the land. A Rajasthani wedding song of the Manganiars carries the germ:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/rajasthanifolk_tilang.ram

S.D. Burman's keen appreciation for this raga is established in the next two numbers. Perhaps nobody else exploited Kishore Kumar's depth and range to the degree Burmanda did. S.D. Burman came from Tripura (not bongland, mind you) and is rightly considered one of the most creative musical minds of our time. First, the song from YEH GULISTAN HUMARA (1972). The mise-en-scène has Dev Anand drooling around a succulent, luscious Sharmila Tagore (a bong, alas): gori gori gA'oN ki gori re -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/kishorelata_gorigori.ram

From SHARMILEE (1971), Kishore's sardonic kaise kaheN hum -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/kishore_kaisekahen.ram

Omkarnath Thakur -- >

Omkarnath Thakur, deft and delicate: nanadiyA kaise neera bharo -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/ot_tilang.ram

Once again, the irrepressible Vazebuwa:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/vazebuwa_tilang.ram

Laxmibai Jadhav, a contemporary of Kesarbai and an affiliate of the Baroda Darbar, was trained primarily by Atrauli-Jaipur's Haider Khan (brother of Alladiya Khan). Her Thumri in Mishra Tilang is interesting for its liberal use of the dhaivat. Also notice the beautiful chhAyA of Nand introduced around 0:15 into the clip: deejyo mori navranga chunari -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/laxmibai_tilang.ram

Sureshbabu Mane: dekho jiyA bechaina -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/sureshbabu_tilang.ram

We wrap up the Tilang round with Abdul Karim Khan. Watch out for the caress of the tAra komal gandhAr at 3:27 into the clip:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/akk_tilang.ram

Most of the remaining Khamaj derivatives addressed below have a somewhat localized compass, their performance limited to specific gharanas or performers. We will make short work of these melodies, touching upon their pertinent features.

Raga Kambhoji

In recent times this raga has come under the exclusive dominion of the Dagar clan. It has a strong resemblance to Jhinjhoti but a difference in formulation (chalan bheda) keeps the two apart. The madhyam is skipped in Arohi sangatis thus provoking a chhAyA of Kalavati. The Andolita n and Jhinjhoti prayogas cut a familiar story.

G P D, P D, D P M G, R M G
G P P D D n D, n D S", P D S" R n, D, P

The senior Dagar brothers, N. Aminuddin and N. Moinuddin, turn in a splendid performance. First the AlAp, then the Dhrupad:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/dagar_kambhoji_alap.ram

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/dagar_kambhoji_dhrupad.ram

Raga Khokar

This is primarily an Atrauli-Jaipur specialty although its altered states are found elsewhere (vide Vazebuwa's Sangeet Kala Prakash). Govindrao Tembe suggests that Khokar may be viewed as a variant of Bihagda (Kalpana Sangeet). Bihagda itself is fashioned from an interplay of Khamaj and Bihag. The attack on the komal nishAd here is pronounced and suggestive of Shukla Bilawal (also a Khamaj-infected prakAr of Bilawal).

The ineffable splendour of Kesarbai's performance is overwhelming. One instinctively senses a higher musical force at work here. The conception, execution and resolution of her tAnas as they take flight, soar and eventually swoop back into the orbit of the tAla make for a stunning spectacle. Kesarbai's artistry blew the curve, instituting for us a new touchstone for what defines the ne plus ultra. The bandish, set in Jhaptala, locates its sam on the dhaivat: mukha chandra -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/kesarbai_khokar.ram

On the heels of Kesarbai, Mallikarjun Mansur holds his own. It is a tough act to follow but Mansur's display is nothing to sneeze at. The same bandish:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/mansur_khokar.ram

Raga Champak

To the casual ear this uncommon raga will sound no different than Khambavati. However, the latter's seminal G M->S marker is absent in Champak. Another point of difference is the relatively higher importance accorded the madhyam.

Narayanrao Vyas alternates his ascent between G M P D S" and G M P D N. The komal nishAd enters via the avarohi S" R" n cluster. The keen reader is encouraged to ferret out additional points of departure from Khambavati: bana meN bajAvata bansi -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/nvyas_champak.ram

Omkarnath Thakur's version emits another flavour. There is no shuddha nishAd and the development devolves into hairsplitting with Khambavati. The cheez is set to fast-ish Jhoomra: maga jai ho -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/ot_champak.ram

< -- K. G. Ginde

Raga Deepak

This raga figures prominently in the mythos surrounding Tansen. Three types of Deepak have been traditionally acknowledged, subject to their thAT - Bilawal, Poorvi and Khamaj - affiliation.

The melodic activity of the Khamaj-thAT Deepak spans the mandra and madhya saptaks for the most part. The key phrases are:

S, R n', D' P', P'D' P'D' M', P' N', N' S

SR SR (S)N, S M G, R S

S, GMPD, M, P n D, P, PD PD M, P G R S

K.G. Ginde presents a vilambit composition of his guru, S.N. Ratanjankar: chauNka purAvo -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/ginde_deepak.ram

Raga (Khamaji) Bhatiyar

Khamaji Bhatiyar bears no kinship to the very popular Bhatiyar of the Marwa thAT. In this type, there are chhAyAs of Khambavati, Jhinjhoti and Sindhura. The Andolita komal gandhAr is clearly discerned in this recording of Bande Hussain Khan, a member of the same extended family as Faiyyaz Hussain and Ata Hussain: Mahadeva Shiva Shankara -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/bhk_khamajibhatiyar.ram

Raga Gavati

Although the swaras of this raga nominally line up with the Khamaj thAT, they do not carry the burden of the Khamaj raganga. The following chalan captures Gavati's essence:

G M P (S")n S" (P)D, P, D M P G M R n' S

S M, M P G M P n, S", P n S" (P)D, P

Gavati is also known as Bheem (some distinguish the two by adding to the latter a vivAdi komal gandhAr in the tAra saptaka). Note that this Bheem is not the same as that of the Kafi thAT. For further discussion on Bheem/Gavati the reader is referred to Ramrang's Volume 2 of Abhinava Geetanjali.

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan is said to have taught Gavati to the great Carnatic vocalist G.N. Balasubramaniam who reciprocated by teaching Raga Andolika to BGAK. The druta bandish in this BGAK recording (pAra na pAyo) is cited in Ramrang's essay. Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's unpublished Raga Gavati -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/bgak_gavati.ram

This 1960s recording of Nazakat Ali and Salamat Ali Khan is a modern classic -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/nazsal_gavati.ram

We wrap up with Jitendra Abhisheki's performance where he sings two compositions of Ramrang, the vilambit Aasa lAgi tumhare charana ki and the druta cheez humari pAra karo Sai -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/abhisheki_gavati.ram

This brings us to the end of our Khamaj excursion. We have addressed almost all of its important members. Khamaj-thAT ragas such as Des ply their own raganga and thus merit a separate feature which we hope to bring to you in the fullness of time.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to my accomplices Romesh Aeri, Ashok Ambardar, Ajit Akolkar, Ajay Nerurkar and Guri Singh. But for Anita Thakur this series of articles would not have been. She initiated the enterprise and she sustains it.

From the Carnatic Gallery by V.N. Muthukumar, Ram Naidu and M.V. Ramana

V. N. Muthukumar is currently at Princeton University.

Ram Naidu learns the Veena from Smt. Vidya Shankar. He is currently at Analogic Corporation.

M. V. Ramana is currently at the Program on Science and Global Security, Princeton University. (http://www.princeton.edu/~globsec/arms/index.shtml)

In this edition of the Carnatic Gallery, we discuss the ragas Khamas and Harikambodi. In addition to their intrinsic musical value, these two ragas illustrate how the two systems of Indian Classical Music differ in their treatments of an identical scale. We follow the standard convention in labeling the swaras [1].

We begin with the raga Khamas. It is generally accepted that the raga is an adaptation of the Hindustani raga, Khamaj. It is termed a 'desiya' raga [2] and belongs to the 28th mela, Harikambodi. The nominal Aarohana/avarohana is as follows:

S M1 G3 M1 P D3 N2 S"
S" N2 D3 P M1 G3 R2 S

< -- From left: Veena Sanmugavadivu (mother of MS), Radha (Vishwanathan), MS Subbulakshmi, Lakshmi srinivasan, Vadivambal (sister of MS) and Kamala.

Some call the raga sung in this scale as 'Shuddha Khamas', to distinguish it from the bhAshAnga version to be discussed shortly. The raga is a uttarAnga pradhAna raga and its jeeva swaras are M1 and D3. Note the vakra passage in the Arohana. The form of the raga is established by phrases such as

S M1 G3 M1, G3 M1 D3 P M1 G3 M1,
D3 N2 S" N2 D3 P M1 G3 M1, S" D3 P M1 G3 M1 etc.

In these phrases, the nyAsa swara is the M1 at the end, and it is applied as (G3)M1. The panchama can also be used as a nyAsa swara. In contrast to the Hindustani Khamaj, the tAra shaDja is always approached by the prayoga D3 N2 S". In the tAra stAyi, we commonly hear phrases such as

S" N2 D3 N2 P D3, S" R2" S", S" N2 G3" R2" S", S" G3 R2 S" N2 D3 etc.

Introducing the listener to Khamas, we first present a film song from the (Tamil) movie RAJA MUKTHI featuring M.K.Thyagaraja Bhagavathar. The composer is Papanasam Sivan, and the music director, G. Ramanathan.

M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar's Khamas in RAJA MUKTHI (1948):

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/mktbhagavathar_maanida.ram

T.R. Mahalingam (Mali) -- >

Khamas is a very popular raga for padams and jAvalis. One of the earliest available pieces of composed music in Khamas is the Tamil Padam by Seerkazhi Muthu Thandavar [3] (ca. 17th century CE), teruvil vaarano. S. Balachander plays it on the veeNA:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/sb_teruvil.ram

Khamas is taught to every student through the swarajAti sambasivayanave. Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, T. R. Mahalingam ("Mali") plays it as an opening piece in an AIR concert:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/mali_samba.ram

Through his two kritis, Thyagaraja gave a classical touch to this raga. As a definition of Khamas, we present Thyagaraja's sujana jeevana, sung by D. K. Pattammal [4]. Note how the identity of the raga is established by the very opening phrase. We also draw the attention of the listener to the phrase, S"-->P M1 G3 M1 that recurs throughout the kriti and sung delectably by DKP.

D. K. Pattammal singing Thyagaraja's sujana jeevana:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/dkp_sujana.ram

We now turn to Dikshitar's treatment of Khamas, as seen in the kriti sarasa dala nayana. In contrast to sujana jeevana, this kriti starts at the tAra stAyi. The raga mudrA is adroitly hidden in the kriti as a swarAkshara, and we leave it to the interested reader to uncover it. Note the beautiful phrase D3 N2 S" D3 N2 P D3 in the anupallavi. The musician is N. C. Vasantakokilam [5].

< -- Palani Subramania Pillai

N. C. Vasantakokilam singing Dikshitar's sarasa dala nayana:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/ncv_sarasa.ram

The two pieces above characterize the upAnga raga Khamas. However, in modern versions, the raga is considered bhAshAnga. Today, it is considered that the bhAshAnga nature emerges with the addition of N3. In this context, it is interesting to note what Subbarama Dikshitar [6] says in his Sangita Sampradaya Pradarshini. According to him, Khamas is a bhAshAnga raga, but he does not mention N3 as the bhAshAnga swara. Instead, he says, "... the swara G2 appears in the tAra stAyi prayogas such as S" R2" (G2")R2" S". This is substantiated in his own varNam, sami ninne. This varNam is not very common in today's stage and we present excerpts from a live concert of Musiri Subramania Iyer's at the Music Academy, Madras. T. Chowdiah accompanies him on the violin, Palani Subramania Pillai on the mridangam and Vilvadri Iyer on the ghaTam. Note that G2 appears as a subtle upward oscillation of R2", rather than a flat note.

Musiri singing Subbarama Dikshitar's varNam, sami ninne:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/musiri_sami.ram

A young G.N. Balasubramaniam -- >

The modern version of Khamas is punctuated by the bhAshAnga swara N3. This swara is subservient to N2 and usually occurs in phrases such as S" N3 S", S" N3 R2" S", and occasionally as P D2 N3 S". Mysore Vasudevacharya's brochevarevarura is arguably the most popular kriti today. We present a breezy presentation of this song by G. N. Balasubramaniam, excerpted from an AIR Sangeet Sammelan concert. T. Chowdiah accompanies him on the violin, Palani Subramania Pillai on the mridangam, and Umayalpuram Kothandarama Iyer on the ghaTam. A brief sketch of the raga prefaces the kriti. Note that GNB uses N3 very sparingly in the anupallavi of the kriti and refuses to be drawn into it during the swara prastAra, despite Chowdiah's insistence on PD2 N3 S". We also draw the listener's attention to the charaNam of the kriti where Palani launches into the misra nadai for a half Avartana and comes back to the chatusra, the change being effected as gracefully as only Palani can.

GNB's version of Khamas.

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/gnb_alap.ram

.followed by brochevarevarura:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/gnb_broche.ram

< -- Muthiah Bhagavathar

One of the best ways to learn the essentials of a raga is to learn a few varNams, as these pieces serve both as lakshaNA and lakshya for a raga. We are fortunate that a great modern composer chose Khamas for a very elaborate daru varNam [7]. Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar's matE malayadhwaja is a masterpiece in Khamas. The piece illustrates the use of M1 and D2, as well as the movement of swaras in the upper octave. In addition, Muthiah Bhagavathar's genius finds expression in some uncommon phrases like N2 D2 P M1 G3 P M1, N2- M1 G3 M1 D2 N2, S M1 N2 G3 M1 (swarAkshara) S" N2, M1 N2 D2 G3", N2 G3" R2" G3" and a swift glide from S" to M1. Accompanied by Kandadevi Azhagiriswami on the violin and T. K. Murthy on the mridangam, V. Nagarajan on the kanjirA and T. H. Vinakayaram on the ghaTam, M. S. Subbulakshmi opens a concert with Muthiah Bhagavathar's daru varNam, matE malayadhwaja:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/ms_mate.ram

We conclude our discussion of Khamas with two short pieces. In the first, Madurai Mani Iyer, sings Mayuram Vishwanatha Shastri's jayati jayati bharatha mata. The accompanists are Mayuram Govindaraja Pillai and Vellore Ramabhadran:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/mmi_jayati.ram

We remarked earlier that Khamas is a favorite choice for padams and jAvalis. In this final clip, we listen to Charumati Ramachandran demonstrating the influence of Hindustani music on the rendering of the jAvali janaro. As her comments are in chaste Madras Tamil [8], a translation would be superfluous.

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/charumathi_janaro.ram

< -- TVG, Alangudi Ramachandran, Madurai Mani Iyer, Vembu Iyer and C. Lakshminarayanan

We now turn to the raga Harikambodi, one of the oldest ragas known. The raga was the basic scale in the music of the sangam Tamils. The 'yazh', a stringed instrument was tuned to produce the seven swaras S R2 G3 M1 P D2 N2. The resulting scale was called 'Kodippalai' [9]. Several authors have noted that this scale seems to have existed in other cultures, e.g., the mixolydian mode, the Arabic scale 'djorka' etc. Given that this scale was the fundamental scale of the ancient Tamils, it is hardly surprising that there are several Tevaram hymns sung in this raga. We hope to provide some recordings of these in a later column.

After the Tevaram hymns, it was Thyagaraja who resurrected this raga. The nominal scale is

S R2 G3 M1 P D2 N2 S"
S" N2 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S

It is a sampoorNa raga, and is the 28th melakarthA. All the notes of this raga can be considered jeeva swaras, though, in practice, the swaras R2 and N2 acquire more significance, and are oscillated often as (G3)R2 or (D2)N2. The dhaivata is used to launch typical uttarAnga sanchAras such as D2 N2 S". Some standard phrases are

S N2_ D2_ N2_ S, S R2 S N2_ (D2_) N2_, S R2 G3-M1G3G3R2S, M1 P D2 N2

The phrase D2 N2 S is stressed repeatedly to move away from the territory of the raga's more powerful janya, Kambodi. Harikambodi is closely allied to Khamas, but as will be evident from the clips to follow, it chooses to accentuate R2 and G3 by means of karvais.

Tanjavur Sankara Iyer -- >

The above features are best illustrated in the first of our clips. We present one of the best vAggeyakArAs of our times, Tanjavur Sankara Iyer, singing his beautiful composition, muruga tirumal maruga. Note how the identity of the raga is established by the very first movements employing the phrases S R2 G3 and D2_ N2_ S. The melodic construction of each successive sangati in the pallavi and the anupallavi provides a lesson for the student on the elaboration of Harikambodi.

Tanjavur Sankara Iyer sings his own kriti, muruga tirumal maruga:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/sankaraiyer_muruga.ram

Among the modern composers, it was left to Papanasam Sivan to explore the path trodden by Thyagaraja. One of his best statements on Harikambodi is evidenced in the kriti, kamala pada malarinai, as Sanjay Subhramanyan [10] demonstrates:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/sanjay_kamala.ram

< -- TVG, Alathur Brothers and Lalgudi Jayaraman

Papanasam Sivan's genius is apparent in how he demonstrates a completely different approach to Harikambodi in his enadhu manam. D. K. Jayaraman presents this:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/dkj_enadhu.ram

The melakartha raga Harikambodi has at least 50 janya ragas. A few examples are Kambodi, Natakurinji, Mohanam, Surati, Kedaragoula. Some of these ragas have become more popular than Harikambodi, the best example being Kambodi. Owing to this, one rarely hears an elaborate AlApana in Harikambodi. However, there are quite a few kritis in this raga offering excellent scope for the artiste's imagination by means of neraval and swara prastAra. One of the most popular pieces is Mysore Sadasiva Rao's saketa nagara natha where the line rajita amara pala is usually taken up for neraval and swaras. A classic example is presented, where we pick up G. N. Balasubramaniam initiating neraval. The accompanists are Lalgudi Jayaraman and Ramanathapuram C. S. Murugabhupathy, and the recording is an excerpt from a live concert at Pudukottai in 1964:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/gnb_rajita.ram

A short AlApana from a live concert featuring Alathur Brothers:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/alathur_alapana.ram

The kriti entuku nirdhaya follows. The vocalists, Alathur Subramania Iyer and Srinivasa Iyer are accompanied by Lalgudi Jayaraman on the violin, Palghat Mani Iyer on the mridangam and Pudukkotai Swaminatha Pillai on the kanjirA:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/alathur_entuku.ram

We conclude the feature by presenting a song that first appeared on the silver screen. It was composed by "Kalki" Krishnamurthy [11], one of the fathers of the Tamizh Isai movement, for the movie MEERA [12].

M. S. Subbulakshmi sings vandadum solai:

http://www.sawf.org/audio/khamaj/ms_vandadum.ram

The various janya ragas of Harikambodi beginning with Kambodi deserve a feature by themselves. While Harikambodi is allied to the (Hindustani) Khamaj, Kambodi is sufficiently different. For these reasons, Kambodi and other janya ragas of Harikambodi will be presented in a later feature.

Acknowledgements

We thank Rajan Parrikar for motivating this feature, and making the audio clips.

References

[1] http://www.sawf.org/Newedit/edit05142001/musicarts2.asp

[2] The term 'desiya' carries different connotations depending on the context. One connotation is that the raga originates from folk music. Sometimes, the term also implies that the raga has its origins in other geographic regions, especially, the north. A third connotation is in the context of raga classification as ghana, naya, and desiya.

[3] On Muthu Thandavar and other pre-trinity Tamil composers see: http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/5409/pret_tamil.html

[4] http://www.india-today.com/itoday/15021999/profile.html

[5] See:http://www.sangeetham.com/mc_vasanthakokilam.htm for a look at Vasantakokilam's film-singing career

[6] See http://www.chembur.com/anecdotes/carnatic/sd.htm for a note on Subbarama Dikshitar and his treatise.

[7] The daru varNam is considered to have evolved from drama. It was used as a narrative piece. There are differing opinions on the etymology of the word 'daru'. One opinion is that the word is a corruption of 'taru' (lit. tree) refering to the various limbs or angas of the composition. Typically, the daru has swaras, sollukattu, and sAhitya.

[8] Also called "English", at times.

[9] While there is unanimity on the finding that the 'yazh' was tuned to produce the Harikambodi scale, there is some difference in the literature as to the precise mapping of 'Kodippalai' to a modern scale. N. Mukund, (Sangeetha Laalithya Lahiri, Bangalore, 1989) identifies Kodippalai with Harikambodi. So does S. Rajam in Sruti, 17, 39 (1985). On the other hand, V. Premalatha (Music through the ages, Sundeep Prakashan, New Delhi, 1985) identifies Kodippalai with Sankarabharanam.

[10] http://members.tripod.com/~sanjaysub/

[11] For a biographical sketch of Kalki, see: http://ponniyinselv.users3.50megs.com/page5.html

[12] The making of the movie MEERA has been documented in http://www.sangeetham.com/meera.htm

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