Hamsadhvani


Hamsadhvani, is a rāga in Carnatic music. It is an audava rāgam. It is a janya rāga of the Melakartha raga, Sankarabharanam but according to Hamsadhvani's prayoga or the way it is sung it is said to be the janya of Kalyani.
Hamsadhvani is also extensively used in Hindustani music and is borrowed into it from Carnatic music. It was created by the Carnatic composer Ramaswami Dikshitar, father of Muthuswami Dikshitar, and brought into Hindustani music by Aman Ali Khan of the Bhendibazaar gharana. It has become popular due to Amir Khan.

Structure and lakshana

Hamsadhvani does not contain madhyamam or dhaivatham. It is a pentatonic scale. Its structure is as follows :
  • [Arohana|] :
  • [Avarohana|] :
The notes used in this scale are shadjam, chatushruti rishabham, antara gandharam, panchamam and kakali nishadam. In Hindustani music, it is associated with Bilaval thaat.

Compositions

Hamsadhvani rāgam lends itself for elaboration and exploration and has many compositions in both classical music and film music. It is usually sung at the beginning of a performance. There are many kritis in praise of Lord Ganesha set in this musical scale.Jalajaskha an Adi tala Varnam by Mānambuccāvaḍi Venkaṭa SubbayyarPagavari an Adi tala Varnam by Patnam Subramania IyerGajamukhane Siddhidayakane by VyasatirthaRaghunāyaka, Śrī Raghukula and Abhishta varada by Tyagaraja in TeluguVātāpi Gaṇapatiṃ and Parvathi Pathim by Muthuswami Dikshitar in SanskritPāhi Śripatē by Swathi Thirunal Rama VarmaVaranamukha vā by Koteeswara IyerMūlādhāra mūrti, Karunai seivai, ullam irangi and parasakthi janani by Papanasam Sivan in Sanskrit and TamilGajavadana beduve by Purandaradasa in KannadaNammamma Sharade by Kanakadasa in KannadaVināyakā by Veena Kuppayyar in SanskritVaravallabha Ramaṇa by G. N. BalasubramaniamGaṃ Gaṇapatē by Muthiah BhagavatarThayagi Thandhayumai by Ramalinga SwamigalPirai Aniyum Peruman by Dr M. BalamuralikrishnaVinayaka Vighnavishaka by R GanapatiSundar Gopālaṃ by Devaki PanditVaruvai Arulvai Shantanayagi by Manachanallur GiridharanTumbikkai Andavane by Manachanallur GiridharanVinayaka Ninnu Vina by E.V. Ramakrishna BhagavatharVande Anishamaham by Mysore VasudevacharBhajamahe Sree Vinayakam by TulaseevanamArul purivai and Karunai seiguvai by Sudhanandha BharathiNera Mora by Pallavi Doraiswamy Iyer

Film songs

Lagi Lagan Pathi Sakhi Sangh from the movie "Meghe Dhaka Tara"

Related rāgas

''Graha bhedham''

Hamsadhvani's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields another pentatonic rāgam, Nagasvaravali. Graha bhedam is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the shadjam to the next note in the rāgam. For more details and illustration of this concept refer Graha bhedam on Hamsadhvani.

Scale similarities

Amritavarshini is a rāgam which has Prati Madhyamam in place of the rishabham. Structures are shown in below table.Gambhiranata is a rāgam which has shuddha madhyamam in place of the rishabham. Structures are shown in below table.

RāgamŚruti
Tonic		CDEFGABC
HamsadhvaniCSR2G3PN3S'
AmritavarshiniCSG3M2PN3S'
GambhiranataCSG3M1PN3S'

Mohanam is a rāgam which has chatushruti dhaivatam in place of the nishadam. Structures are shown in below table.Niroshta is a rāgam which has chatushruti dhaivatam in place of the panchamam. Structures are shown in below table.

RāgamŚruti
Tonic		CDEFGABC
HamsadhvaniCSR2G3P-N3S'
MohanamCSR2G3PD2-S'
NiroshtaCSR2G3-D2N3S'


In Hindustani music

Vadi and samavadi

Samavadi: Pa

Pakad or chalan

ga pa ni Sa ga re ni pa
Sa
The Pakad is the one where one can identify to which raga does the composition belongs.

Time

Late Evening

Important recordings

Literature

  • Bor, Joep . Rao, Suvarnalata; der Meer, Wim van; Harvey, Jane ''The Raga Guide: A Survey of 74 Hindustani Ragas''. Zenith Media, London: 1999.