Anandabhairavi Explained

Anandabhairavi

Anandabhairavi or Ananda Bhairavi (pronounced ānandabhairavi) is a very old melodious ragam (musical scale) of Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). This rāgam also used in Indian traditional and regional musics. Ānandam (Sanskrit) means happiness and the rāgam brings a happy mood to the listener.

It is a janya rāgam (derived scale) of the 22nd Melakarta rāgam Kharaharapriya.

Its structure is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on the notations used):

(chathusruthi rishabham, sadharana gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, Chatusruthi dhaivatham, kaishiki nishadham)

It is a sampoorna rāgam – rāgam having all 7 swarams, but it is not a melakarta rāgam, as it has (zig-zag notes in scale) and uses (external note) in comparison with its parent rāgam. The anya swaram is the usage of shuddha dhaivatham (D1) in some phrases of the rāgam.[1] Anandabhairavi ragam is also a rāgam, since it uses more than one anya swaram. Anya swaram of a rāgam is the swaram which does not belong to the arohana or avarohana of its melakarta (parent rāgam), but it is sung in (phrases used in, kalpanaswarams). It is also classified as a "rakti" raga(a raga of high melodic content).

Swara phrases

The three of are (G3), (D1) and kakali nishadham (N3). All of these anya swaras occur only in (not in). "G3" occurs in "ma pa ma ga ga ma", and "D1" occurs in "ga ma pa da". Subtler than the first two, "N3" occurs in "sa da ni sa."

It is said that Tyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar do not use any of the in their compositions.

Anandabhairavi also has unique swara patterns both in manodharma (impromptu improvisations by performer) and in its compositions. The popular patterns are "sa ga ga ma", "sa pa", and "sa ga ma pa". The musician isn't allowed to stay long on nishadam, this characteristic distinguishes it from Reetigowla. Few allied ragas (similar) to this are Reetigowla and Huseni.

Popular compositions

Anandabhairavi is one of the favourite ragams of Syama Sastri. He is said to have made this a popular rāgam and also to have given the present form for this rāgam. More or less Anandabhairavi's synonym is "Marivere gati" by Syama Sastri. In "Mariverae" and in "O jagadhamba" Syama Sastri uses the anya swara "ga(2)".A very life changing incident is said to have happened in Tyagaraja's life. Once he is said to have attended a Kuchipudi bhagavata artists dance-drama recital, a ballad between mythological characters Radha and Krishna, and he is said to have highly praised their performance, especially a particular song Mathura Nagarilo, which was again set in Ananda Bhairavi. Tyagaraja wanting to acknowledge them offered to give them a gift, of anything that they may desire, that he could possibly give. After much thought they demanded him the Ragam Ananda Bhairavi itself as a gift (meaning that he would accept to never sing in that ragam ever again in his life), so that when someone in the near future spoke of Tyagaraja or Ananda Bhairavi's legacy they would also remember the Kuchipudi dancers too.

Film Songs

SongMovieComposerSinger
Poi Vaa MagaleKarnanViswanathan–RamamoorthySoolamangalam Rajalakshmi
Sabhari Malayil VannaSwami Ayyappan (1975 film)G. DevarajanT. M. Soundararajan
Sri Janakidevi SemmanthamMissiammaS. Rajeswara RaoP. Leela, P. Susheela
Aagaya Pandhalile(Ragamalika:Anandhabhairavi, Kharaharapriya, Shree, Mathyamavathi)PonnunjalM. S. ViswanathanT. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela
Nalvazhvu NaamkaanaVeettuku VeeduP. Susheela
Naan Atchi SeithuvarumAathi ParasakthiK. V. Mahadevan
Chittu Pole Muthu PoleIniya Uravu PoothathuIlaiyaraajaK. S. Chithra
Paarthale Theriyaatha Sri RaghavendrarManorama
Thevai Indha Paavai(Charanam only)Andha Oru NimidamS. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. P. Sailaja
Thangamey Enga KongunattukuMadurai Veeran Enga SaamiK. S. Chithra, Arunmozhi
Ponnu VelayaraPeriya MarudhuK. S. Chithra, Mano
Karava madu moonu(last Charanam only)Magalir MattumS. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki
Senguruvi SenguruviThirumoorthyDeva
Konjanaal poru ThalaivaAasaiHariharan
Kalyaanam KalyaanamVaidehi KalyanamSunanda
Vannakkolu PaaruKarayai Thodatha AlaigalChandraboseVani Jairam
Mettu PoduDuetA. R. RahmanS. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Anbendra MazhaiyileMinsara KanavuAnuradha Sriram
Nadhiye NadhiyeRhythmUnni Menon
Mel IsaiyaeMr. RomeoUnni Menon, Swarnalatha, Srinivas, Sujatha
Telephone Manipol(Charanam only)IndianHariharan, Harini
Kallori Salai(starting portion only)Kadhal DesamHariharan, A. R. Rahman, Aslam Mustafa
Kadhal Kaditham (Reused from Kissa Hum Likhenge, from his previous album, Doli Saja Ke Rakhna)JodiS. Janaki, Unni Menon
Kanne Kannaana KannaPennukku Yar KavalRamesh NaiduS. Janaki
Chudithar AninthuPoovellam KettupparYuvan Shankar RajaHariharan, Sadhana Sargam
Devathai VamsamSnegithiyeVidyasagarK. S. Chithra
Partha MuthalnaleVettaiyaadu VilaiyaaduHarris JayarajUnni Menon, Bombay Jayashri
PudichirukkuSaamyHariharan, Mahathi, Komal Ramesh
KummiyadiChellamaeSandhya
AzhiyilaeDhaam DhoomHaricharan
Naanaga NaanGambeeramMani SharmaVijay Yesudas, Sujatha Mohan
Neeye En ThaayeMaraikkayar: Arabikadalin SingamRonnie RaphaelSreekanth Hariharan, Reshma Raghavendra

Album

See also

Notes and References

  1. Ragas in Carnatic music by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications

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