Rupavati


Rupavati is a rāgam in Carnatic music. It is the 12th melakarta rāgam in the 72 melakarta rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is one of the few rāgams given the same name by the Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music.

Structure and Lakshana

It is the 6th rāgam in the 2nd chakra Netra. The mnemonic name is Netra-Sha. The mnemonic phrase is sa ra gi ma pa dhu nu. Its structure is as follows :
  • [Arohana|]:
  • [Avarohana|]:
The notes used in this scale are shuddha rishabham, sadharana gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, shatsruthi dhaivatham and kakali nishadham. As it is a melakarta rāgam, by definition it is a sampurna rāgam. It is the shuddha madhyamam equivalent of Divyamani, which is the 48th melakarta scale.

Asampurna Melakarta

Rupavati is also the original name given to the 12th Melakarta in the list compiled by Venkatamakhin. The notes used in the scale are the same, but the scales are svarantara-shadava raga.
  • [Arohana|]:
  • [Avarohana|]:

    ''Janya'' rāgams

Rupavati has a few minor janya rāgams associated with it. See List of [Janya Ragas#Rupavati|List of janya rāgams] for full list of rāgams associated with Rupavati scale.

Compositions

Here are a few common compositions sung in concerts, set to Rupavati:
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.
Rupavati's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, does not yield any melakarta rāgam. Graha bhedam is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the shadjam to the next note in the rāgam.