Mohanam

Mohanam is a rāga in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is an audava rāga (or owdava rāga, meaning pentatonic scale). It is usually described as a janya rāga of Harikamboji (28th Melakartha Raga). However, alternate opinions suggest that Mechakalyani may be a more appropriate classification based on the lakshana of the raga.

Mohanam

Arohanam	S R₂ G₃ P D₂ Ṡ
Avarohanam	Ṡ D₂ P G₃ R₂ S

The equivalent of Mohanam in Hindustani music is Bhoop[1] (or Bhopali[2]).

It is one of the common pentatonic scales across the world[1] and is very popular in East Asian and South-east Asian music, including China and Japan.

Structure and Lakshana

Mohanam scale with shadjam at C

Mohanam is a symmetric rāga that does not contain madhyamam or nishādham. It is a symmetric pentatonic scale (audava-audava raga[1][2] in Carnatic music classification - audava meaning 'of 5'). 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 R₂ G₃ P D₂ Ṡ[lower-alpha 1]
• avarohaṇa : Ṡ D₂ P G₃ R₂ S[lower-alpha 2]

(the notes used in this scale are shadjam, chathusruthi rishabham, antara gandharam, panchamam, chathusruthi dhaivatham)

Mohanam is usually classified as a janya rāga of Harikambhoji, the 28th Melakarta rāga, though alternate opinions exist that prefer classifying it as a janya raga of Kalyani based on its lakshana. The Hindustani equivalent Bhoop is associated with Kalyan thaat (equivalent of Kalyani).

One of the first scales employed by the ancient Tamils was the Mullaippann (3BCE), a pentatonic scale composed of the notes sa ri ga pa da equivalent to C, D, E, G and A in the western notations. These fully harmonic scales, constitutes the raga Mohanam in the Carnatic music style.

Popular compositions

Mohanam rāga lends itself for extensive elaboration and exploration and has many compositions in both classical music and film music.

Kritis

The geetham Varavina mridupani is one of the first short songs taught to beginners in Carnatic music. Ninnukori composed by Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar is a popular Varnam in this scale. Here are some popular kritis composed in Mohanam.

• Cheri Yasodaku Sisuvithadu by Annamacharya
• Ranga Nayaka Raajeeva Lochana by Purandaradasa
• Mohana rama, Nannu palimpa, Dayarani, Rama ninnu nammina, Evarura ninnuvina and Bhavanutha by Thyagaraja
• Narasimha Agaccha,Kadambari priyayaih ,Gopika manoharam by Muthuswamy Dikshitar
• Kapaali karunai and Narayana divyanamam by Papanasam Sivan
• Rara Rajiva lochana by Mysore Vasudevachar
• En palli kondeer aiyya by Arunachala Kavi
• Kshemam kuru by Narayana Teertha
• Swagatam Krishna by Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi
• Pari pahimam Nruhara by Swati Thirunal
• Sada palaya sarasakshi by G N Balasubramaniam
• Mohanam tavavapurai by Swathi Thirunal
• Ninnukkori Varnam by Ramanathapuram Srinivasa Iyengar

Telugu Film Songs

Song	Movie	Author	Composer	Singer
Mounamga Manasu Padina	Gundamma Katha	Pingali Nagendrarao	S. Rajaswara Rao	Ghantasala
Seelamu Galavari Chinavada	Palnati Yudhham	Malladi Ramakrishna Sastry	S. Rajaswara Rao	Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna, P. Susheela
Echatanunchi Veecheno Ee Challanigaali	Appu Chesi Pappukudu	Pingali Nagendrarao	Pendyala Nageswarrao	Ghantasala, P. Susheela
Manasu Parimalinchene Tanuvu Paravasinchene	Srikrishnarjuna Yuddham	Pingali Nagendrarao	Pendyala Nageswarrao	Ghantasala, P. Susheela
Mohanraga Maha Murthymanthamaye	Mahamantri Timmarasu	Pingali Nagendrarao	Pendyala Nageswarrao	Ghantasala, P. Susheela
Lahirilo Lahirilo	Mayabazaar	Pingali Nagendrarao	S. Rajaswara Rao	Ghantasala, P. Leela
Madhilo Veenalu Mroge	Atmeeyulu	Dasarathi	S. Rajeswara Rao	P. Susheela
Padavela Radhika Pranayasudha Geethika	Iddaru Mitrulu	SriSri	S. Rajeswara Rao	Ghantasala, P. Susheela
Siva Siva Sankara	Bhakta Kannappa	Veturi Sundarrammurthy	Sathyam	V. Ramakrishna
Palikinadi Pilichinadi	Seetaaraamulu	Atreya	Sathyam	S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, P. Suseela
Nemalaki Nerpian Nadakalivi	Saptapadi	Veturi Sundarrammurthy	K. V. Mahadevan	S. Janaki
Akasamlo Asala Harivillu	Swarnakamalam	Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry	Ilayaraja	S. Janaki
Ninu Kori Varnam Sarisari	Gharshana	Rajasree	Ilayaraja	Chitra, Vani Jayaram
Maaterani Chinnadhani	O Papa Lali	Rajasree	Ilayaraja	S. P. Balasubramanyam
Chinnadana Osi Chinnadana	Premalekha	Bhuvanachandra	Deva	Krishnaraj
Raave Naa Cheliya	Jeans	Siva Ganesh	A R Rahman	Sonu Nigam, Harini
Ye shwasalo Cherithe	Nenunnanu	Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry	MM keeravani	Chitra

Tamil Film Songs

Song	Movie	Author	Composer	Singer
Giridhara Gopala	Meera		S. V. Venkatraman	M. S. Subbulakshmi
Aarumugamana Porul	Kandhan Karunai	Kannadasan	K. V. Mahadevan	S. Janaki,Rajalakshmi
Malargal Nanaindhana	Idhaya Kamalam	Kannadasan		P. Susheela
Velli Mani Oosaiyil	Iru Malargal	Vaali	M. S. Viswanathan
Chittukuruvikenna	Saavale Samali	Kannadasan
Iraivan Varuvan	Shanthi Nilayam
Yaumuna Nadhi Inge	Gowaravam			S. P. Balasubramaniam, P. Susheela
Sangey Mozhangu	Kalangarai Vilakam	Bharathidasan		P. Susheela,Seerkazhi Govindarajan
Thanga Thoniyile	Ulagam Sutrum Vaaliban	Vaali		K. J. Yesudas, P. Susheela
Bansaye				T. M. Soundarajan, L. R. Easwari
Kadaloram Vaangiya Kaatru	Rickshawkaaran			T. M. Soundarajan
Vanda naal mudhal	Paavamannippu	Kannadasan
Ninu Kori Varnam Isaithida	Agni Natchatram		Illayaraja	Chitra
Ullasa Poongatre	Kolangal
Kanmaniye Kadhal Enbadhu	Aarilirunthu Arubathu Varai			S. P. Balasubhramaniam, S. Janaki
Nilavu thoongum	Kungumachimizh
Vaan Pole Vannam	Salangai Oli			S. P. Balasubhramaniam, S. P. Sailaja
Oru Thanga Rathathil	Dharma Yutham			Malaysia Vasudevan
Kannan Oru kaikulanthai	Bhadrakali			KJ Yesudas,P Susheela
Poovil Vandu	Kaadhal Oviyam			S. P. Balasubhramaniam
Geetham Sangeetham	Kokarako	Gangai Amaran
Ravi varman oviyamo	Puthu vayal		Aravinth
Sivappu Lolaku	Kaadhal Kottai		Deva
Priya Priya	Kattabomman (film)			S. P. Balasubhramaniam,K.S.Chitra
Nepala Malaiyoram	Thaikulame Thaikulame			S. P. Balasubhramaniam,Swarnalatha
Vellarika	Kadhal Kottai			Krishnaraj
Thoonganakuruvi	Jallikattu kalai			S. P. Balasubhramaniam,K.S.Chitra
Maname Thottal	Thottachinungi		Phillip Jerry	Hariharan,K.S.Chitra
Kadhal Kaditham	Cheran Pandiyan	Soundaryan	Soundaryan	S.A. Rajkumar, Swarnalatha
Porale Ponnuthayi	Karuthamma		A. R. Rahman	Swarnalatha
Pakkada Pakkade	Gentleman			Minmini
Varayo Thozhi	Jeans			Sonu Nigam,Harini
Boom Boom	Boys			Adnan Sami,Sadhana Sargam
Samba Samba	Lovebirds			Aslam Mustafa
Mainaave Mainaave	Thithikudhe		Vidyasagar	P. Unnikrishnan, Sadhana Sargam
Eera Nila	Aravindhan		Yuvan Shankar Raja	S. P. Balasubrahmanyam,'Mahanadhi' Shobana

Related rāgas

Graha bhedam

Mohanam's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields 4 other major pentatonic rāgas, namely, Hindolam, Shuddha Saveri, Udayaravichandrika (also known as Shuddha Dhanyasi) and Madhyamavati. Graha bhedam is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the shadjam to the next note in the rāga. For more details and illustration of this concept refer Graha bhedam on Mohanam.

Scale similarities

• Mohanakalyani is a rāga which has the ascending scale of Mohanam and descending scale of Kalyani. Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S R2 G3 P D2 S : S N3 D2 P M2 G3 R2 S
• Bilahari is a rāga which has the ascending scale of Mohanam and descending scale of Sankarabharanam. Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S R2 G3 P D2 S : S N3 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S
• Garudadhvani is a rāga which has the ascending scale of Sankarabharanam and descending scale of Mohanam. Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S R2 G3 M1 P D2 N3 S : S D2 P G3 R2 S
• Shivaranjani rāga differs from Mohanam only by the gāndhāram. It uses sadharana gāndhāram instead of antara gāndhāram and its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S R2 G2 P D2 S : S D2 P G2 R2 S
• Hamsadhvani rāga uses nishadam in place of dhaivatam. Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S R2 G3 P N3 S : S N3 P G3 R2 S
• Vaasanthi rāga differs from Mohanam only by the daivatham. It uses shudda daivatham instead of chatushruti daivatham and its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S R2 G3 P D1 S : S D1 P G3 R2 S
• Niroshta rāga uses nishadam in place of panchamam. Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S R2 G3 D2 N3 S : S N3 D2 G3 R2 S

Notes

1. Alternate notations:
   • Hindustani: S R G P D Ṡ
   • Western: C D E G A C
2. Alternate notations:
   • Hindustani: Ṡ D P G R S
   • Western: C A G E D C

References

1. Ragas in Carnatic music by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications
2. Raganidhi by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras