“Kamalamanohari”

“Kanchadalaaya taakshi kaamakshi” is the first composition that strikes to anybody on hearing the name of Raga “Kamalamanohari”.

Some sources quote this ragam as a janya of 27th melakartha ragam “Sarasaangi”. Yet other version of the raga’s origin claims Kamalamanohari to be a janya of 33rd melakartha ragam “Gangeyabhushini”

The 2 ragas “Sarasangi” and “Gangeyabhushi” differ only in “Rishabha” which is a varjya swara (not present) in Kamalamanohari. This attests the validity of both derivations.

Sarasangi
Aa: S R2 G3 M1 P D1 N3 S
Av: S N3 D1 P M1 G3 R2 S

Gangeyabhushani
Aa: S R3 G3 M1 P D1 N3 S
Av: S N3 D1 P M1 G3 R3 S

Kamala Manohari
As: S G3 M1 P N3 S
Av: S N3 D1 P M1 G3 S

“Nee muddu momu choopa” is a composition in this raga by Sri Thyagaraja .Thyagaraja’s books/references quote this raga by the name “Kamalamanohari” while Dikshitar’s references term this as “Manohari”. Going by Dikshitar’s clue on the raga’s name, “kanchadalaaya takshi” composition has the utterance “Kamalamanohari” in the very pallavi as below:

“Kanchadalaaya taakshi kamaakshi, Kamalamanohari tripura sundari”.

Did Dikshitar mean to call the raga as just “Manohari” and the usage “Kamalamanohari” in the kriti refers to Manohari(Goddess) who sits on kamala(Lotus) is debatable. Another Guruguha’s composition “Sankaram Abhirami” has the raga’s name cited through the phrase manoharam
as in:

“Shankaram abhirami manoharam shashidharam” .

Leaving the name of the raga under question, let’s deep into the technical details of the ragam. From aarohana and avarohana of the ragam, we find the presence of shadja, antara gandhara, shuddha madhyma, panchama,shuddha daivatha, kakali Nishada. We find the absence of rishabha in both ascending and descending scales and nonappearance of daivatha in aarohana.

Gandharam gives the hankering essence to the ragam. A dheerga handling of gandharam gives the required melody to the ragam. Prathyaahatha gamaka(using descending swaras in succession with the next swara as in oscillating “ga” through “ma” and “ni” through “Sa”) prayogas are more seen in this raga.

Few Kritis in raga “Kamalamanohari”:

1.    Sankaram Abhirami by Muthuswamy Dikshitar
2.    Kanjadalayatakshi by Muthuswamy Dikshitar
3.    Kurume Kusalam by Mysore Vasudevachar
4.    Nee Muddu Momundina by Thyagaraja

By

Revathi S.

revathi.sridharan@gmail.com
The Author is a practicing vocalist in Carnatic music, currently receiving training and guidance from Sri.D.V.Nagarajan. Music has been more than just passion to her. She has consistently been giving vocal performances over the years. She is also a Graduate in Music Therapy from the prestigious “Nada Academy for Music”, Chennai.
On the professional front, she is currently a Lead Engineer in an MNC in Bangalore.