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Monday, Dec 10 2001
Melody In Carnatic Music -Part 4
By- Kiranavali Vidyasankar

Kiranavali, the granddaughter of the late legendary Gotuvadyam Narayana Iyengar, was born on 2nd Jan. 1973. Her father, N Narasimhan, is a musician of great merit, and has nurtured the musical talents of Kiranavali and her illustrious brothers, Chitravina N Ravikiran and K N Shashikiran. When hardly three years old, Kiranavali was able to identify more than 200 Ràgas and the 175 Tàlas, besides answering numerous technical questions pertaining to Carnatic music. If Indian Express called her "astounding in her precocity" (14 June 1975), the music critic of The Hindu wrote, "More fantastic is the manner in which Kiranavali, the three-year old sister of Ravikiran and Shashikiran is able to tell the Ràga even at the commencement of its outline."
Kiranavali's performing career began at the age of eleven. Both her solo recitals and the duets with her brother, Shashikiran, won the hearts of the knowledgeable and laymen alike. In her quest for excellence, Kiranavali pursued advanced vocal music training under the late Sangita Kalanidhi T Brinda, the highest authority on the works of many a great composer. Under her guidance, Kiranavali has matured into a sensitive musician with a deep commitment to highly refined musical values. At the young age of twenty-eight, she brings a degree of maturity and involvement to Carnatic music that is commensurate with her professional experience of over two decades.
Kiranavali also plays the Chitravina, true to her family tradition. She has performed solo, and has also accompanied Ravikiran. Her concerts have been featured by many leading organisations like the Madras Music Academy, Krishna Gana Sabha, Narada Gana Sabha and Shanmukhananda Fine Arts (Mumbai). The first artiste to be graded high for both Vocal and the Chitravina by AIR and Doordarshan, her music is regularly featured in broadcasts. To access her earlier articles click here.

   
In the last couple of articles, we saw how the 72 melakartas are derived. This article will exclusively deal with the Melakarta names, number and scales.

The melas have been divided into 2 parts of 36 each based on the Madhyama - the first 36 are the Suddha Madhyama (M1) ragas and the next 36 have Prati Madhyama (M2). Each Chakra and the melas therein have been given in a different colour so that you can see how the Rishabha and Gandhara remain the same for all the melas within that Chakra and the Dhaivata and Nishada change for every mela in the same Chakra. The corresponding Chakra in the Prati Madhyama ragas have also been given in the same colour for easy identification.
  

THE 72 MELAKARTAS

Suddha Madhyama Ragas

Mela number Mela name Scale Chakra
1 Kanakangi S R1 G1 M1 P D1 N1 Indu
2 Ratnangi S R1 G1 M1 P D1 N2
3 Ganamurti S R1 G1 M1 P D1 N3
4 Vanaspati S R1 G1 M1 P D2 N2
5 Manavati S R1 G1 M1 P D2 N3
6 Tanarupi S R1 G1 M1 P D3 N3
7 Senavati S R1 G2 M1 P D1 N1 Netra
8 Hanumatodi S R1 G2 M1 P D1 N2
9 Dhenuka S R1 G2 M1 P D1 N3
10 Natakapriya S R1 G2 M1 P D2 N2
11 Kokilapriya S R1 G2 M1 P D2 N3
12 Roopavati S R1 G2 M1 P D3 N3
13 Gayakapriya S R1 G3 M1 P D1 N1 Agni
14 Vakulabharanam S R1 G3 M1 P D1 N2
15 Mayamalavagowla S R1 G3 M1 P D1 N3
16 Chakravakam S R1 G3 M1 P D2 N2
17 Suryakantam S R1 G3 M1 P D2 N3
18 Hatakambari S R1 G3 M1 P D3 N3
19 Jhankaradhwani S R2 G2 M1 P D1 N1 Veda
20 Natabhairavi S R2 G2 M1 P D1 N2
21 Keeravani S R2 G2 M1 P D1 N3
22 Kharaharapriya S R2 G2 M1 P D2 N2
23 Gowrimanohari S R2 G2 M1 P D2 N3
24 Varunapriya S R2 G2 M1 P D3 N3
25 Mararanjani S R2 G3 M1 P D1 N1 Bana
26 Charukesi S R2 G3 M1 P D1 N2
27 Sarasangi S R2 G3 M1 P D1 N3
28 Harikambhoji S R2 G3 M1 P D2 N2
29 Dheerasankarabharanam S R2 G3 M1 P D2 N3
30 Naganandini S R2 G3 M1 P D3 N3
31 Yagapriya S R3 G3 M1 P D1 N1 Rutu
32 Ragavardhini S R3 G3 M1 P D1 N2
33 Gangeyabhooshani S R3 G3 M1 P D1 N3
34 Vagadheeswari S R3 G3 M1 P D2 N2
35 Soolini S R3 G3 M1 P D2 N3
36 Chalanata S R3 G3 M1 P D3 N3
   

Prati Madhyama Ragas

Mela number Mela name Scale

Chakra
37 Salagam S R1 G1 M2 P D1 N1

Rishi
38 Jalarnavam S R1 G1 M2 P D1 N2
39 Jhalavarali S R1 G1 M2 P D1 N3
40 Navaneetam S R1 G1 M2 P D2 N2
41 Pavani S R1 G1 M2 P D2 N3
42 Raghupriya S R1 G1 M2 P D3 N3
43 Gavambhodhi S R1 G2 M2 P D1 N1 Vasu
44 Bhavapriya S R1 G2 M2 P D1 N2
45 Subhapantuvarali S R1 G2 M2 P D1 N3
46 Shadvidhamargini S R1 G2 M2 P D2 N2
47 Suvarnangi S R1 G2 M2 P D2 N3
48 Divyamani S R1 G2 M2 P D3 N3
49 Dhavalambari S R1 G3 M2 P D1 N1 Brahma
50 Namanarayani S R1 G3 M2 P D1 N2
51 Kamavardhini S R1 G3 M2 P D1 N3
52 Ramapriya S R1 G3 M2 P D2 N2
53 Gamanasrama S R1 G3 M2 P D2 N3
54 Viswambari S R1 G3 M2 P D3 N3
55 Syamalangi S R2 G2 M2 P D1 N1 Dishi
56 Shanmukhapriya S R2 G2 M2 P D1 N2
57 Simhendramadhyamam S R2 G2 M2 P D1 N3
58 Hemavati S R2 G2 M2 P D2 N2
59 Dharmavati S R2 G2 M2 P D2 N3
60 Neetimati S R2 G2 M2 P D3 N3
61 Kantamani S R2 G3 M2 P D1 N1 Rudra
62 Rishabhapriya S R2 G3 M2 P D1 N2
63 Latangi S R2 G3 M2 P D1 N3
64 Vachaspati S R2 G3 M2 P D2 N2
65 Mechakalyani S R2 G3 M2 P D2 N3
66 Chitrambari S R2 G3 M2 P D3 N3
67 Sucharitra S R3 G3 M2 P D1 N1 Aditya
68 Jyotiswaroopini S R3 G3 M2 P D1 N2
69 Dhatuvardhani S R3 G3 M2 P D1 N3
70 Nasikabhooshani S R3 G3 M2 P D2 N2
71 Kosalam S R3 G3 M2 P D2 N3
72 Rasikapriya S R3 G3 M2 P D3 N3
    
In the next part, I shall deal with the Katapayadi Sutra, the key to finding the Mela number when given the Mela name.

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