Kamavardhani


Kamavardhini is a ragam in Carnatic music. It is the 51st Melakarta rāgam in the 72 melakarta rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is also referred by the name Pantuvarāḷi.
This rāgam is very popular with musicians who typically sing it in the beginning of a concert. It is called Kāshirāmakriya in the Muthuswami Dikshitar school. The Hindustani music equivalent of Kamavardhini is the Poorvi thaat/Puriya Dhanashree.

Structure and Lakshana

It is the 3rd rāgam in the 9th chakra Brahma. The mnemonic name is Brahma-Go. The mnemonic phrase is sa ra gu mi pa dha nu. Its structure is as follows :
  • [Arohana|]:
  • [Avarohana|]:
It is a sampoorna rāgam – a rāgam that has all seven swaras. This rāgam differs from the 15th melakarta rāgam Mayamalavagowla, which is the rāgam taught to a beginner in Carnatic music, only by the madhyamam. Kamavardhani is the prati madhyamam equivalent of Mayamalavagowla.

''Janya'' rāgams

It has a few minor janya rāgams associated with it. See List of janya rāgams for full list of rāgams associated with it.

Popular compositions

Guruvina Gulaamanaaguva Tanaka – PurandaradasaHarinama Jihveyolirabeku – VyasatirthaVitalayya Vitalayya – Jagannatha DasaRamanujare Namo – KanakadasaRaghuvara Nannu, Shambo Mahadeva, Saramegani, Appa Rama Bhakthi, Shobhane, Vadera Daivamu, Andundaka Ne, Sundarathara Dheham, Ninne Nera Nammi, Naradamuni Vedalina and Shiva Shiva Shiva Enarada – ThyagarajaEnnaganu Rama Bhajana – Bhadrachala RamadasuRamanatham Bhajeham, ''Visalaksheem Visweseem, Senapathe Palayamam, Sri Sundararajam and Ucchishta Ganapathau – Muthuswami DikshitarNinnarul Iyambalaagumo, Amba Manam Kaninthu, Adiya Padhathai, Nee Allavo and Neeye Pedai Mukham – Papanasam SivanSarasaksha Paripalaya Maamayi, Paripalaya Sarasiruha, Matanga Tanayayi Mangalam, Nagashayanam and Saroruhaasana – Swati TirunalMagalahārathide Nēku, Mahitâtma Sevite – Kalyani VaradarajanKamurugayya – Koteeswara IyerItuvanti – Tiruvottriyur TyagayyarEngum Niraindha Paramporule – Madurai Sri N KrishnanVaramulicchuta – Nallan Chakravarthy Murthy Sharanam Tava – Mangalampalli BalamuralikrishnaShankari Ninne – Mysore VasudevacharKunjitha Padhathai, Edhukkindha Sadalam and Thenpuliyur Sivakami Nesa – Gopalakrishna BharathiNirupama Sundarakara, Manruladum Paraman and Sonnadhai Kel Kanna – Oothukkadu Venkata KaviShivananda Kamavardhani - G. N. BalasubramaniamAlli Undidalaam – Pudukode K.S. KrishnamurthiAdarkulle – Subbarama IyerNetru Varen Endru – Subbarama IyerNiddirayil – Ghanam Krishna IyerVaddante – Govindaswamy AyyaInchu Boni'' – Sarangapani

Related rāgams

This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.
Kamavardani's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields Kanakangi. 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 further details and an illustration of Graha bhedam on Kanakangi.
It tends to sound similar to, and is often mistaken for, another ragam called Purvikalyani.