Jhalavarali (pronounced Jhālavarāḻi, meaning A moon with the sun's heat), is a ragam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 39th Melakarta rāgam in the 72 melakarta rāgam system of Carnatic music.

Jhalavarali
ArohanamS R₁ G₁ M₂ P D₁ N₃ 
Avarohanam N₃ D₁ P M₂ G₁ R₁ S

It is called Dhālivarāḻi(Varāḻi) in Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music.[1][2][3]

Structure and Lakshana edit

 
Jhalavarali scale with shadjam at C

It is the 3rd rāgam in the 7th chakra Rishi. The mnemonic name is Rishi-Go. The mnemonic phrase is sa ra ga mi pa dha nu.[2] Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):

(the notes in this scale : shuddha rishabham, shuddha gandharam, prati madhyamam, shuddha dhaivatham, kakali nishadham)

As it is a melakarta rāgam, by definition it is a sampoorna rāgam (has all seven notes in ascending and descending scale). It is the prati madhyamam equivalent of Ganamoorti, which is the 3rd melakarta.

Janya rāgams edit

Jhalavarali has a few janya rāgams (derived scale) associated with it, of which Varali is very popular. See List of janya rāgams for full list of rāgams associated with Jhalavarali.

Compositions edit

A few compositions set to Jhalavarali are:

Related rāgams edit

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

Jhalavarali's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields no other melakarta rāgam, like all 6 rāgams in the Rishi chakra (Salagam, Jalarnavam, Navaneetam, Pavani and Raghupriya being the other 5). Only these rāgams have a gap of 3 notes anywhere in their scale, between G1|to M2. Such a gap does not occur in any other melakarta by definition.

Notes edit

  1. ^ Alternate notations:
    • Hindustani: S  R  P  N 
    • Western: C D E  F G A B C
  2. ^ Alternate notations:
    • Hindustani:  N  P  R  S
    • Western: C B A G F E  D C

References edit

  1. ^ Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar Keertanaigal by Vidwan A Sundaram Iyer, Pub. 1989, Music Book Publishers, Mylapore, Chennai
  2. ^ a b Ragas in Carnatic music by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications
  3. ^ Raganidhi by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras