Vasantha (raga)

Vasantha is a raga in Carnatic music. It is a janya raga of Suryakantam, the 17th Melakarta raga. According to P|Subba Rao, majority opinion is that the raga is derived from Mayamalavagowla, the 15th Melakarta raga.
Vasantha is suitable to be sung in evening and is considered an auspicious raga.

Structure

Vasantha is an asymmetric scale that does not contain panchamam. It is called a vakra audava-shadava raga, malathiga structure is as follows :

ārohaṇa :
avarohaṇa :

This scale uses the notes shadjam, shuddha rishabham, antara gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, chathusruthi dhaivatham and kakali nishadam. Some claim that Vasantha had only D1 and not D2 originally.

Popular compositions

Vasantha has ample scope for alapana. This scale has been used by many composers for compositions in classical music. Here are some popular compositions in Vasantha.

Ninne Kori, a popular Adi tala Varnam by Tecchur Singarachar
Sannutangi, a popular Adi tala Daruvarnam, Shiva Mahasena and Jaya Mangalam by Muthiah Bhagavatar
Dani Korikenu, a rare Jhampa Tala Padavarnam by Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar
Seetamma Mayamma and Etla Dorikitivo by Tyagaraja
Brihadambikayai, Hariharaputram, Marakatha Lingam and Ramachandram Bhavayami by Muthuswami Dikshitar
Paramapurusha Jagadeeshwara by Swathi Thirunal
Ellam Sivan Seyal by Shuddhananda Bharati
Malmaruga Shanmukha and Maadhayai Nidhi Ennum by Papanasam Sivan
Natanam Adinar by Gopalakrishna Bharathi
Kanden Kanden by Arunachala Kavi
Neelamalar, Ivandhaan Ivandhaane, Pavana Kumaara and Vita Samavara Jala by Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi
Rajeswarim Sambhavaye by Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamiji
Thom Thomena and Yoganrusimha Padambuja Brunga by Kalyani Varadarajan
Kodu Bega Divyamathi, Dangurava Saariraryya and Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Enniro Seetha by Purandara Dasa
Palisenna Gopalakrishna By Jagannatha Dasa
Vade Venkatadri Meeda by Annamacharya
Shaila Suthe and Devi Rame Mamava by Mysore Vasudevachar
Gowri Sukumari by N.C.Krishnamacharyulu
Manadhai Orumai by Chidambara Nataraja Deekshithar

Related ragas

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

Scale similarities

Lalitha is a popular raga that sounds very similar to Vasantha. Lalitha uses shuddha rishabham in ārohaṇa also, while the shuddha dhaivatam is used in it, compared to chatusruti dhaivatam in Vasantha.