Jhalavarali

Jhalavarali (pronounced Jhālavarāḻi, meaning A moon with the sun's heat), is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 39th Melakarta rāgam in the 72 melakarta rāgam system of Carnatic music.

Jhalavarali

Arohanam	S R₁ G₁ M₂ P D₁ N₃ Ṡ
Avarohanam	Ṡ N₃ D₁ P M₂ G₁ R₁ S

It is called Dhālivarāḻi in Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music.[1][2][3]

Structure and Lakshana

Jhalavarali scale with shadjam at C

It is the 3rd rāgam in the 7th chakra Rishi. The mnemonic name is Rishi-Go. The mnemonic phrase is sa ra ga mi pa dha nu.[2] Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):

• ārohaṇa: S R₁ G₁ M₂ P D₁ N₃ Ṡ[lower-alpha 1]
• avarohaṇa: Ṡ N₃ D₁ P M₂ G₁ R₁ S[lower-alpha 2]

(the notes in this scale : shuddha rishabham, shuddha gandharam, prati madhyamam, shuddha dhaivatham, kakali nishadham)

As it is a melakarta rāgam, by definition it is a sampoorna rāgam (has all seven notes in ascending and descending scale). It is the prati madhyamam equivalent of Ganamoorti, which is the 3rd melakarta.

Janya rāgams

Jhalavarali has a few janya rāgams (derived scale) associated with it, of which Varali is very popular. See List of janya rāgams for full list of rāgams associated with Jhalavarali.

Compositions

A few compositions set to Jhalavarali are:

• Namami sri rama by Thyagaraja
• Madhava dayya by Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna
• Anatha rakshaka by Thyagaraja

Related rāgams

This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.

Jhalavarali's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields no other melakarta rāgam, like all 6 rāgams in the Rishi chakra (Salagam, Jalarnavam, Navaneetam, Pavani and Raghupriya being the other 5). Only these rāgams have a gap of 3 notes anywhere in their scale, between G1|to M2. Such a gap does not occur in any other melakarta by definition.

Graha bhedam is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the shadjam to the next note in the rāgam.

Notes

1. Alternate notations:
   • Hindustani: S Ṟ R M̄ P Ḏ N Ṡ
   • Western: C D♭ E F♯ G A♭ B C
2. Alternate notations:
   • Hindustani: Ṡ N Ḏ P M̄ R Ṟ S
   • Western: C B A♭ G F♯ E D♭ C

References

1. Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar Keertanaigal by Vidwan A Sundaram Iyer, Pub. 1989, Music Book Publishers, Mylapore, Chennai
2. Ragas in Carnatic music by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications
3. Raganidhi by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras