Kalyani (raga)

Kalyan or Kalyani, originally called Iman, is a melakarta rāga (parent musical scale) in the Carnatic music of South India, and is also an important raga in Hindustani (North Indian) music.

Kalyani in Carnatic music

In South Indian weddings this is a very prominently played rāga. The word kalyani means she who causes auspicious things.

It is the 65th melakarta rāga under the Katapayadi sankhya. It is also called Mechakalyani. The notes for Kalyani are S R₂ G₃ M₂ P D₂ N₃.

Specifics on this raga

Kalyani is slightly difficult to elaborate on in raaga alapna due to its similarity with Sankarabharanam with the only difference of the Madyamam (Ma). One should not remain too long on panchamam (pa) or alternate between shadyam and panchamam too frequently. Also, one must stress the characteristic madhyama very frequently or risk confusion with other raagas. Rishabham and Daivatam are also very key to this raagam and also aren't stressed very much in Sankarabharanam. Kalyani is a very beautiful raaga, and is prominently known among the public.

Structure and Lakshana

Kalyani scale with Shadjam at C

It is the 5th ragam in the 11th chakra Rudra. The mnemonic name is Rudra-Ma. The mnemonic phrase is sa ri gu mi pa dhi nu^[1]. Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):

• ārohaṇa: S R2 G3 M2 P D2 N3 S
• avarohaṇa: S N3 D2 P M2 G3 R2 S

(Chathusruthi Rishabam, Anthara Gandharam, Prati Madhyamam, Chathusruthi Dhaivatham, Kakali Nishatham)

It is a Sampoorna raga in Carnatic music, that is to say, has all the seven notes: Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni. It is the prati madhyamam equivalent of Dheerasankarabharanam, which is the 29th melakarta.

Janya Rāgams

Kalyani has many janya rāgams (derived scales) associated with it, of which Hameer kalyani, Mohanakalyani, Saranga, Sunadavinodini and Yamuna kalyani are very popular. See List of Janya Rāgams for full list of rāgams associated with Kalyani.

Popular compositions

Nearly every significant Carnatic composer (including the Trinity of Carnatic music) has composed several pieces in the Kalyāni rāgam. Kalyāni is also considered one of the "major" rāgams of Carnatic music along with Sankarabharanam, Todi and Kharaharapriya (the set of "major" rāgams is an informal grouping of the most popular rāgams used for elaboration and exploration, and which often form the centerpiece of a Carnatic music concert in the form of a rāgam thānam pallavi (RTP) or a krithi). See next section for further information on relationships between these rāgams.

Here is a short list of well known compositions in Kalyani.

• Vanajakshi, an Ata tala varnam composed by Pallavi Gopala Iyer.
• Nidhi chaala sukhama, Ethavunnara, Sundari ni divya, Amma ravamma and Vasudevanyani by Thyagaraja
• Kamalaambaam bhajare and Bhajare rechita by Muthuswami Dikshitar
• Nambi Kettavarillavo, kallu sakkare koLLiro by Purandara Dasa
• Himadri suthe pahimam by Syama Sastri
• Unnai allal by Papanasam Sivan
• Sadanandame by Koteeswara Iyer
• Pankacha lochana by Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma

The Tamil movie Sindhu Bhairavi has a track called Kalaivaniye that is set in the Kalyani rāgam and sung without an avarohaṇam. The Bharathiar composition Veenai Adi Nee Enakku from the movie Ezhavathu Manithan is also set in the Kalyani rāgam. The Telugu movie Sankarabharanam has a Shloka "Maanikya Veenaam Upalalayanthi" set in this rāgam.

Related rāgams

This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of Kalyani.

Kalyani's notes when shifted using Graha bedham, yields 5 other major Melakarta rāgams, namely, Hanumatodi, Sankarabharanam, Natabhairavi, Kharaharapriya and Harikambhoji. For further details and an illustration of Graha bedham of this rāgam refer Related rāgams section in Sankarabharanam page.

Kalyan in Hindustani music

Aroha & Avaroha

Arohana S R G M⁺ P D N S'

Avarohana S' N D P M⁺ G R S

Vadi and Samavadi

Vadi is Ga, Samvadi Ni.

Pakad or Chalan

Kalyan has no specific phrases or particular features, many musicians avoid Sa and Pa in ascend or treat them very weakly. You often hear N⁰ R G M⁺ D N S' in ascent and S' N G M⁺ G R S in descend^[2]).
Sa is avoided in beginning the ascend such as N⁰ R G M⁺ P D N S'

Organization and relationships

There is some discussion whether Yaman and Kalyan really just are different names for the same raga, or that these are actually 2 ragas. Joep Bor says "Kalyan (today usually referred to as Yaman)"^[3]. Kaufmann^[4] says that Yaman and Kalyan are just different names, but insists that rāga Yaman-kalyan is different as there natural Ma is occasionally inserted between two Ga, like Ga Ma Ga Re Sa, while in all other instances tivra Ma (Ma⁺ is used (as in Kalyan). S. Bagchee^[5] agrees with Kaufmann. Bor : If natural Ma is occasionally added in a concluding figure leading to Sa, the raga is known as Yaman-Kalyan^[3]
Kalyan is mixed with several ragas:

• Shuddha Kalyan
• Puriya Kalyan
• Yamani Bilawal

Thaat: Kalyan is type raga of Kalyan thaat. In thaat Kalyan, all notes are shuddha (natural) except teevra (sharp) Ma.

Behavior

Yaman is regarded one of the grandest and most fundamental rāgas in Hindustani music. It is one of the first rāgas taught to students.

Samay (Time)

Kalyan should be performed during the first quarter of the night.

Seasonality

Rasa

Kalyan is described by Meshakarna(1570) as "lord in white garments and pearl necklace on a splendid lion-throne, under a royal umbrella, fanned with whisk, chewing betel"^[3]
A song text is:
Hey friend, without my lover
I don't find peace
At any moment of the day;
Since my lover went away
I spend my nights counting the starts
^[3]

Historical Information

Yaman is not an ancient rāga. It is first mentioned in the literature in the late 16th century, by which time it was very popular: The Sahasras contains 45 dhrupad song-texts for Kalyan and five for Iman-Kalyan. According to Venkatamakhin(1620), Kalyan was a favourite melody to the Arabs, and Pundarika included Yaman among his 'Persian' Ragas^[3].

Origins

Important recordings

• Amir Khan – Shuddh Kalyan, Yaman, and Yaman Kalyan
• Rashid Khan – bandish in vilambit ektal (India Archive Music IAM CD 1003)
• Ravi Shankar in matta tal: "The Genius of Pandit Ravi Shankar", Oriental Records Inc, New York AAMS CD108
• Imrat Khan "Nordindische Ragas, Live"
• Zia Mohiuddin Dagar on Nimbus Records, LS5871 / NI7047/8

Film songs

• "Man re, tu kaahe na dheer dhare" in "Chitralekha"
• "Zindagi bhar nahin bhulegi barsaat ki raat" in "Barsaat Ki Raat" (1960)
• "Aansoo bhari hai yeh jeevan ki raahen" in "Parvarish" (1977)

References

1. ^ Ragas in Carnatic music by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications
2. ^ Kaufmann(1968)
3. ^ ^{a b c d e} Bor 1997
4. ^ Kaufmann 1968
5. ^ Bagchee 1998

Literature

list partly from Moutal (1991)
Bor, Joep (1997), The Raga Guide, Charlottesville,Virginia: Nimbus Records 
Kaufmann, Walter (1968), The Ragas of North India, Calcutta: Oxford and IBH Publishing Company .
Bagchee, Sandeep (1998), Nād, Understanding Rāga Music, Mumbai: Eshwar (Business Publications Inc.) .
Bhatt, Balvantray (1964–1974), Bhāvaranga, Varanasi: Motilal Barnasidas .
Gandharva, Kumar (1965), Anūparāgavilāsa, Bombay: Mauj Prakashan .
Patwardhan, Vinayak Rao (1961–74), Rāga Vijñāna, Poona: Sangeet Gaurav Granthamala .
Srivastava, Harichandra (1973–79), Rāga Paricaya, Allahabad: SangeetSadan Prakashan .
Telang, Gokulanand; Bhartendu, Banwari Lal (1962), Sangīta Rāga Aṣṭachāpa, Hathras: Sangeet Karyalaya .
Thakar, Vasant Vaman, Sangīta Rāga Darśana, Prayag: Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal Prakashan .
Rao, B. Subba (1964–66), Raganidhi, Madras: Music Academy .

External links

Examples of Kalyan:

• Chandan Sa Badan
• Riyaz of Prashant Uday Manohar on violin
• song "Bhuli Hui Yaadein" on Saaj
• Abhik Mukherjee, sitar, Raag Yaman, drut

Examples of Yaman-Kalyan:

• Arnab Chakrabarty (sarod)
• Yaman-Kalyan by Bhimsen Joshi
• Film Songs in Rag Kalyan (Yaman) (A-H)
• Film Songs in Rag Kalyan (Yaman) (I-R)
• Film Songs in Rag Kalyan (Yaman) (S-Z)

Examples of Shuddha Kalyan:

• Vilambit bandish by Roshanara Begum in Shuddha Kalyan
• Alap by Arnab Chakrabarty in Shuddha Kalyan on the sarod
• Alāp by Budhaditya Mukherjee Kolkata, India, 6 January 2006
• Drut Gat by Budhaditya Mukherjee Kolkata, India, 6 January 2006

Moutal, Patrick (1991), Hindustāni Rāga-s Index, New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt Ltd, ISBN 81-215-0525-7 .