Carnatic Ragas
Every raga page has a playable arohanam and avarohanam, its classification and character, and the compositions on this site that live in it. Start with Mayamalavagowla - the raga of your first exercises.
Melakarta ragas
Melakarta #15 · Beginner
Mayamalavagowla
S R₁ G₃ M₁ P D₁ N₃ Ṡ - The raga of the very first lessons: every sarali and janta varisai lives here.Melakarta #65 (Mechakalyani) · IntermediateKalyani
S R₂ G₃ M₂ P D₂ N₃ Ṡ - Bright and regal, defined by its raised (prati) madhyama.Melakarta #29 (Dheerasankarabharanam) · IntermediateSankarabharanam
S R₂ G₃ M₁ P D₂ N₃ Ṡ - The grand, serene mela matching the Western major scale - but sung with gamakas no piano can make.Melakarta #22 · IntermediateKharaharapriya
S R₂ G₂ M₁ P D₂ N₂ Ṡ - Flowing and expansive, beloved of Tyagaraja.Melakarta #8 · AdvancedTodi (Hanumatodi)
S R₁ G₂ M₁ P D₁ N₂ Ṡ - Deep and ocean-like, dense with gamaka.Melakarta #28 · IntermediateHarikambhoji
S R₂ G₃ M₁ P D₂ N₂ Ṡ - Sweet-toned mela with a gentle nishada; parent of Mohanam, Kambhoji, and a family of beloved janyas.Melakarta #20 · IntermediateNatabhairavi
S R₂ G₂ M₁ P D₁ N₂ Ṡ - The natural-minor mela; its janya Hindolam is world-famous.Melakarta #26 · IntermediateCharukesi
S R₂ G₃ M₁ P D₁ N₂ Ṡ - Major on the way up to Pa, minor above it - a bittersweet colour film composers adore.Janya ragas
Janya of Harikambhoji (#28) · Beginner
Mohanam
S R₂ G₃ P D₂ Ṡ - Five swaras of pure charm - the pentatonic raga of the first varnam (Ninnukori) and countless songs across India.Janya of Sankarabharanam (#29) · BeginnerHamsadhwani
S R₂ G₃ P N₃ Ṡ - The “swan’s call” - bright, auspicious, and the classic concert opener thanks to Vatapi Ganapathim.Janya of Natabhairavi (#20) · BeginnerHindolam
S G₂ M₁ D₁ N₂ Ṡ - Haunting pentatonic beauty - the Carnatic cousin of Hindustani Malkauns.Janya of Kharaharapriya (#22) · BeginnerAbhogi
S R₂ G₂ M₁ D₂ Ṡ - Gentle and introspective; home of the beloved beginner varnam Evvari Bodhana.Janya of Mayamalavagowla (#15) · BeginnerMalahari
S R₁ M₁ P D₁ Ṡ - The geetham raga - Purandara Dasa set Sri Gananatha here, so it is many students’ first taste of a janya.Janya of Kharaharapriya (#22) · IntermediateSree
S R₂ M₁ P N₂ Ṡ - Majestic and auspicious, with a vakra descent that touches gandhara only in passing.Janya of Chalanata (#36) · IntermediateNattai
S R₃ G₃ M₁ P D₃ N₃ Ṡ - Energetic and invocatory - concerts and the Pancharatnas alike open with Nattai (Jagadananda Karaka).Janya of Mayamalavagowla (#15) · IntermediateGowla
S R₁ M₁ P N₃ Ṡ - Ancient and crisp, with a signature zig-zag descent around rishabha.The 72 Melakarta directory
Every parent scale of Carnatic music, arranged in the twelve chakras of six. Each raga has its own page with a playable scale - the highlighted ones carry full character notes and repertoire.
1. Indu chakra · #1-6
2. Netra chakra · #7-12
3. Agni chakra · #13-18
#13 · Agni chakra
Gayakapriya
S R₁ G₃ M₁ P D₁ N₁ Ṡ#14 · Agni chakraVakulabharanam
S R₁ G₃ M₁ P D₁ N₂ Ṡ#15 · Agni chakra · FeaturedMayamalavagowla
S R₁ G₃ M₁ P D₁ N₃ Ṡ#16 · Agni chakraChakravakam
S R₁ G₃ M₁ P D₂ N₂ Ṡ#17 · Agni chakraSuryakantam
S R₁ G₃ M₁ P D₂ N₃ Ṡ#18 · Agni chakraHatakambari
S R₁ G₃ M₁ P D₃ N₃ Ṡ4. Veda chakra · #19-24
#19 · Veda chakra
Jhankaradhvani
S R₂ G₂ M₁ P D₁ N₁ Ṡ#20 · Veda chakra · FeaturedNatabhairavi
S R₂ G₂ M₁ P D₁ N₂ Ṡ#21 · Veda chakraKeeravani
S R₂ G₂ M₁ P D₁ N₃ Ṡ#22 · Veda chakra · FeaturedKharaharapriya
S R₂ G₂ M₁ P D₂ N₂ Ṡ#23 · Veda chakraGourimanohari
S R₂ G₂ M₁ P D₂ N₃ Ṡ#24 · Veda chakraVarunapriya
S R₂ G₂ M₁ P D₃ N₃ Ṡ5. Bana chakra · #25-30
#25 · Bana chakra
Mararanjani
S R₂ G₃ M₁ P D₁ N₁ Ṡ#26 · Bana chakra · FeaturedCharukesi
S R₂ G₃ M₁ P D₁ N₂ Ṡ#27 · Bana chakraSarasangi
S R₂ G₃ M₁ P D₁ N₃ Ṡ#28 · Bana chakra · FeaturedHarikambhoji
S R₂ G₃ M₁ P D₂ N₂ Ṡ#29 · Bana chakra · FeaturedDheerasankarabharanam
S R₂ G₃ M₁ P D₂ N₃ Ṡ#30 · Bana chakraNaganandini
S R₂ G₃ M₁ P D₃ N₃ Ṡ6. Rutu chakra · #31-36 · last of the M₁ half
7. Rishi chakra · #37-42
8. Vasu chakra · #43-48
9. Brahma chakra · #49-54
#49 · Brahma chakra
Dhavalambari
S R₁ G₃ M₂ P D₁ N₁ Ṡ#50 · Brahma chakraNamanarayani
S R₁ G₃ M₂ P D₁ N₂ Ṡ#51 · Brahma chakraKamavardhini
S R₁ G₃ M₂ P D₁ N₃ Ṡ#52 · Brahma chakraRamapriya
S R₁ G₃ M₂ P D₂ N₂ Ṡ#53 · Brahma chakraGamanashrama
S R₁ G₃ M₂ P D₂ N₃ Ṡ#54 · Brahma chakraVishwambari
S R₁ G₃ M₂ P D₃ N₃ Ṡ10. Disi chakra · #55-60
11. Rudra chakra · #61-66
#61 · Rudra chakra
Kantamani
S R₂ G₃ M₂ P D₁ N₁ Ṡ#62 · Rudra chakraRishabhapriya
S R₂ G₃ M₂ P D₁ N₂ Ṡ#63 · Rudra chakraLatangi
S R₂ G₃ M₂ P D₁ N₃ Ṡ#64 · Rudra chakraVachaspati
S R₂ G₃ M₂ P D₂ N₂ Ṡ#65 · Rudra chakra · FeaturedMechakalyani
S R₂ G₃ M₂ P D₂ N₃ Ṡ#66 · Rudra chakraChitrambari
S R₂ G₃ M₂ P D₃ N₃ Ṡ12. Aditya chakra · #67-72 · last of the M₂ half
#67 · Aditya chakra
Sucharitra
S R₃ G₃ M₂ P D₁ N₁ Ṡ#68 · Aditya chakraJyotiswarupini
S R₃ G₃ M₂ P D₁ N₂ Ṡ#69 · Aditya chakraDhatuvardhini
S R₃ G₃ M₂ P D₁ N₃ Ṡ#70 · Aditya chakraNasikabhushani
S R₃ G₃ M₂ P D₂ N₂ Ṡ#71 · Aditya chakraKosalam
S R₃ G₃ M₂ P D₂ N₃ Ṡ#72 · Aditya chakraRasikapriya
S R₃ G₃ M₂ P D₃ N₃ ṠBeyond the 72 parents lie thousands of janya ragas - that catalogue grows with Artium's faculty, guided by what students are learning.
Carnatic is best learned from a guru.
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