Madhyamavati


Madhyamavati is a raga in Carnatic music. It is an audava rāga, as it does not have all the seven musical notes. It is a janya rāga. The equivalent of Madhyamavati in Hindustani music is Madhumad Sarang. It also has other equivalents in Hindustani music such as ragas Megh and Megh Malhar.
It is considered a very auspicious rāgam and every Carnatic music concert ends with either a song in Madhyamavati or the ending of the last song is sung in this rāgam. It is very suitable for elaboration and exploration due to even spacing of notes. The scale uses the first three notes of the cycle of fifths S, P and R2 and fourths S, M1 and N2.

Structure and Lakshana

Madhyamavati is a symmetric rāga that does not contain gāndhāram or dhaivatam. It is a pentatonic scale. Its structure is as follows :
  • Arohana| :
  • Avarohana| :
This scale uses the notes and. Madhyamavati is considered a janya rāga of Kharaharapriya, the 22nd Melakarta rāga, though it can be derived from other melakarta rāgas, Charukesi, Natabhairavi or Harikambhoji, by dropping both gāndhāram and dhaivatam.

Popular compositions

Madhyamavati rāgam lends itself for extensive elaboration and exploration and has many compositions. Here are some popular kritis composed in this scale.

Language:Tamil">Tamil language">Tamil

  • "Swami Devane Loka Palane "
  • "Kamalada Mogadole Kamalada Kannole "
  • "Maduve Gandidu Nodamma "
  • "Pandharapuravemba Dodda Nagara "
  • "Pata Pata Gaali Pata "
  • "Eesha Ninna Carana Bhajane Aase Inda "
  • "Kaashi Inda Bandanilli Vishvanaatha "
  • "Yaava Shilpi Kanda Kanaso Neenu "
  • "Barede Neenu Ninna Hesara "
  • "Elli Ninna Bhaktaro Alle Mantralaya "
  • "Kempadavo Ella Kempadavo "
  • "Jagadisha Mallesha Sarvesha Goureesha "
  • "Cheluvayya Cheluvo Taani Tandaana "
  • "Kodagana Koli Nungitta "
  • "Kalita Hudugi Kudure Nadigi "
  • "Nammoora Mandara Hoove "
  • "Adavi Deviya Kaadu Janagala "
  • "Hrudayave Ninna Hesarige "
  • "Suvvi Suvvi Suvaalamma "
  • "Attitta Nodadiru "
  • "Shivanu Bhikshakke Banda "
  • "Mutta Mutta Chinaari Mutta "
  • "Bhaagyada Balegaara "
  • "Munisu Tarave Mugude "
  • "Harivaraasanam "
  • "Esthu Saahasavanta Neene Balavanta "
  • "Daasanaanu Visheshanaagu "
  • "Indu Shukravaara Shubhava Taruva Vaara "
  • "Vaara Bantamma "
  • "Bhaagyada Lakshmi Baaramma "
  • "Sadaa Kannale Olavina "
  • "Beladingalaagi Baa "

    Language:[Kannada]

Language:Telugu">Telugu language">Telugu

  • "Kahan Se Aaye Badra"
  • ''"Chaiyya Chaiyya"''

    Non-film songs

Related rāgas

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

''Graha bhedam''

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

Scale similarities

  • Kedaragaula is a rāgam\ which has the ascending scale of Madhyamavati and descending scale of Harikambhoji. Its ' structure is :
  • Manirangu is a rāga which has gāndhāram in the descending scale, while all other notes in both the ascending and descending scale are same as Madhyamavati. Its ' structure is :
  • Revati is a rāga which has shuddha rishabham in place of chatushruti rishabham in the scale, while all other notes are same as Madhyamavati. Its ' structure is :
  • Brindavana Sāranga is also a rāga that has some similarities in scale with Madhyamavati. Its ' structure is :
  • Andolika is an asymmetric rāga which has chatusruti dhaivata in place of panchama only in the descending scale, while all other notes are same as Madhyamavati. Its ' structure is :
  • Nagagandhari is again an asymmetric raga which has the ascending scale of Madhyamavati, but the descending scale is a slightly Vakra scale of its melakarta Natabhairavi. Popular keerthanams are composed by Muthuswami Dikshitar in this raga. Its ' structure is :