RAGA MOHANAM

Introduction
√ Mohanam is one among the foremost popular janya ragas of South Indian music.

√ It is one among the foremost enchanting and pleasing ragas or scales within the
world. Because the name suggests, it is a beautiful raga.
√ It is a janya raga derived from 28th melakarta, Harikamboji.
IDENTITY
• Besides Shadja and Panchama, the notes employed in this raga are Chatusruti
Rishabha, Antara Gandhara, and Chatusruti Dhaivata.
• It is an Audava raga and Varja raga. In Varja ragas, one or two or three notes are
absent either in Arohana or Avarohana or both. The notes Madhyama and Nishada
are absent in this raga.
• This raga takes five notes both within the Arohana and Avarohana. So it is an
Audava raga or a pentatonic scale. It is also an Upanga raga since it takes only the
notes of Harikamboji. Upanga ragas are those Janya ragas, which take only notes,
present in their respective parent raga.
• Rishabha, Gandhara and Dhaivata are Jiva svaras and Gandhara and Panchama
are resting notes. Shadja, Gandhara and Dhaivata are Graha svaras or starting
notes.
GRAHABHEDAM OR MODAL SHIFT OF
TONIC
• This ia a Sarvasvara murchanakaraka janya raga. All its svaras yield new ragas
through the method of Grahabheda or Modal Shift of Tonic.
• Its Rishabha, Gandhara, Panchama and Dhaivata will yield Madhyamavati (Janya
of 22nd mela), Hindolam (Janya of 20th mela), Suddha saveri (Janya of 28th mela),
Suddha dhanyasi or Udayaravichandrika (Janya of 22nd mela) respectively
through this process.
Grahabeda Table
HISTORY
• Historically speaking, Mohanam is considered as the oldest raga known to man. In
earlier days, the name of Mohanam was Regupti or Raghupati. During the amount
of 17th and 18th centuries, this raga was considered as a Shadava janya raga of
kamboji. Sangita Saramrita of Tulaja refers to the current. In keeping with him it is
a Shadava raga without the note Nishada. In line with Sangraha Choodamani of
Govindacharya, Mohanam is a derivative of Harikamboji. Sangita Chandrika of
Attur Krishna Pisharady, Sangita Svara Prastara Sagaram of Nadamuni Panditar
and Sangita Sangrahamu of Tiruvenkata Kavi admit the identical that of Sangraha
choodamani. Some scholars are of the opinion that Mohanam is that the Janya of
65th mela, Mechakalyani.
Conti…
• This scale is found within the music of the various nations of the globe. This raga was
used even by the primitive tribes. There are many folk songs in this raga. Consistent
with Professor P Sambamoorthy, noted musician and musicologist of the past, this is
often accounted for by the very fact that the notes figuring in this raga are the earliest
notes met with in the Sa-Pa series (Cycle of fifths) i.e. Sa-Pa, Pa-Ri, Ri-Dha, Dha-Ga etc.
• In Ancient Tamil music, Mohanam was referred to as Mullai Pan. In Chilappadikaram of
Ilango Adikal mentions this raga. The Hymns of Tiruvachagam of Manicka Vachagar are
recited in this raga from early times. The corresponding scales of Mohanam are often
seen in ancient Chinese, Japanese, Hungarian, Swedish, and Gypsy music. This raga is
additionally employed in many countries like Burma, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia,
Indonesia and Korea. ‘Woo-sheng’ and Akshi-jo are the corresponding Chinese and
Korean scales respectively. The national Anthem of Thailand is sung in this raga.
HINDUSTANI MUSIC
• There is no raga known by the name Mohanam in Hindustani music. The
equivalent of Mohanam in Hindustani music is ‘Bhoop’ or ‘Bhoopali’. It is also
called ‘Bhopali’. In Hindustani music, Bhoop is one among the preliminary ragas to
learn. Many Hindi film songs are seen in this raga. Bhoop is an associate raga of
Kalyan Thaat. The Vadi is Gandhara and also the Samvadi is Dhaivata. Sangati ‘p g’
is characteristic of Bhoop. G and P are Vishranti svaras. In keeping with the time
theory of Raga, Bhoop is sung within the first prakara of the night from 6 pm to 9
pm.
• Varavina (Gita) - Rupaka
• Tamaraimalar (Gitam) - Dhruva - Tiger Varadachari
• Samidayamera (Svarajati) - Adi -
• Ninnekori (Varna) - Adi - Pallavi Doraiswami Iyer
• Ninnukori(Varna) - Adi - Ramnad Srinivasa Iyengar
• Sarasijaksha (Varna) - Ata - Vina Kuppayyar
• Kapali (Varna) - Adi - Ambi Dikshitar
• Sariga dani (Pada Varna) - Adi - Karvetnagar Govindasamayya
• Saddumandalu - Adi - Purandara Dasar
• Lakshmikanta baro - Adi - Purandara Dasar
• Mella mellane - Adi - Purandara Dasar
• Mandagamne - Ata - Purandara Dasar
• Hamsa ninnali - Ata - Purandara Dasar
• Baila barige - Adi - Purandara Dasar
• Vishayada vichara - Ata - Purandara Dasar
• Vaidya vandanodi - Adi - Purandara Dasar
• Namava nedagiseyya - Adi - Purandara Dasar
• Mohanarama - Adi - Tyagaraja
• Nannupalimpa - Adi - Tyagaraja
• Ramaninnu nammina - Adi - Tyagaraja
• Evarura ninnuvina - Chapu - Tyagaraja
• Bhavanuta - Adi - Tyagaraja
• Vedavakyamani - Chapu - Tyagaraja
• Rama rama rame - Chapu - Tyagaraja
• Mati mati ki - Adi - Tyagaraja
• Jayamangalam - Jhampa - Tyagaraja
• Endugobaga - Adi - Tyagaraja
• Dayarani - Chapu - Tyagaraja
• Pahimam Parvati - Rupaka - Muthuswami Dikshitar
• Kadambaripriya - Chapu - Muthuswami Dikshitar
• Rakta Ganapatim - Adi - Muthuswami Dikshitar
• Nagalingam namami - Adi - Muthuswami Dikshitar
• Narasimha agache - Chapu - Muthuswami Dikshitar
• Rajagopalam - Rupaka - Muthuswami Dikshitar
• Paripahimam - Chapu - Swati Tirunal
• Mohanam tava - Adi - Swati Tirunal
• Pankajanobhotsava - Chapu - Swati Tirunal
• Chintaye padmanabham - Chapu - Swati Tirunal
• Dvajo nisam - Adi - Swati Tirunal
• Kriakataksham - Jhampa - Swati Tirunal
• Govinda sundara - Chapu - Bhadrachala Ramadas
• Pedda devundunai - Adi - Mysore Sadasiva Rao
• Srivesham dalachina - Adi - Mysore Sadasiva rao
• Rara rajivalochana - Adi - Mysore Vasudevachar
• Aranal enra - Chapu - Nilakanta Sivan
• Kapali karuna - Adi - Papanasam Sivan
• Mayilvahana - Adi - Papanasam Sivan
• Mohana sringara - Adi - Papanasam Sivan
• Narayana divyanamam - Adi - Papanasam Sivan
• Saundarya vellam - Adi - Papanasam Sivan
• Sri rama ramani - Adi - Pallavi Gopalayyar
• Sarasijakshi namma - Ata - Vina Kuppayyar
• Gananatha saranam - Adi - Gopalakrishna Bharati
• Tadagam oru - Adi - Gopalakrishna Bharati
• Paraiya nee - Adi - Gopalakrishna Bharati
• Darisanam kandarku - Rupaka - Gopalakrishna Bharati
• Adadu nandane - Adi - Gopalakrishna Bharati
• Umadeva mahanubhava - Adi - Muthiah Bhagavatar
• Bhajikka nee - Adi - K C Kesava Pillai
• Bhajare raghuviram - Adi - Sadasiva Brahmendra
• Innam Paramukham - Rupaka - Vedanayakam Pillai
• Anjaneya - Adi - Magadarsi Seshayyangar
• En Pallikondir - Adi - Arunachala Kavirayar
• Ambalavanar - Rupaka - Muthu Tandavar
• Madhava madhava - Chapu - Narayana Tirtha
• Kshemam koru - Chapu - Narayana Tirtha
• Yaro avan yaro - Adi - Periyaswami Tooran
• Inta velayil - Adi - Periyaswami Tooran
• Muppurameri seyda - Adi - Periyaswami Tooran
• Ededi enni - Adi - Periyaswami Tooran
• Bhuvantraya - Adi - GN Balasubramanyam
• Sada palaya - Adi - GN Balasubramanyam
• Engum nirandanare - Adi - Lakshmanan Pillai
• Sri chittirai - Adi - Lakshmanan Pillai
• Kandanattan - Adi - Muthuswami Kavi
• Arum arundoru - Rupaka - Muthuswami Kavi
• En inna tamadam - Adi - Vedanayakam Pillai
• Inda uddiyoga - Adi - Vedanayakam Pillai
• Intavidhamum un - Triputa - Vedanayakam Pillai
• Innam paramukham - Rupaka - Vedanayakam Pillai
• Margam idu - Adi - Vedanayakam Pillai
• Palayamam satatam
• Matimohana - Adi - Tulasivanam
• Pazhaniyappan tunai - Chapu - Suddhananda Bharati
• Enna mayam seydano - Adi - Suddhananda Bharati
• Ajnoham anugraham - Chapu - Swarna Venkatesa Dikshitar
• Velagadura (Pada) - Triputa - Kshetrajna
• Paradesamuna (Pada) - Adi - Kshetrajna
• Okka gadiyika (Pada) - Adi - Kshetrajna
• Kalikiro (Pada) - Chapu - Kshetrajna
• Iddariki sarvalapu (Pada) - Chapu - Kshetrajna
• Maguva tanakeli (Pada) - Jhampa - Kshetrajna
• Inku nunni boniyuna (Pada) Chapu - Kshetrajna
• Emoradamma (Pada) - Adi - Kshetrajna
• Gadura gadiyaki (Pada) - Jhampa - Kshetrajna
• Mohamella (Javali) - Rupaka - Pattabhiramayya
• (Tillana) - Adi - Muthiah Bhagavatar
Hindustani compositions
• Ma ni varaj gaaye raagini kar jab (Lakshan Geet) - V N Bhatkhande
• Naman kar chatur shri guru charana (Drut Khayal) - V N Bhatkhande
• Aun tore charan kamal par vaar(Drut Khayal) - V N Bhatkhande