Hamsadhvani

Hamsadhvani (meaning "the cry of the swan"^[1]), is a rāga in Carnatic music (musical scale of Carnatic tradition of Indian classical music). It is an audava rāgam (or owdava rāga, meaning pentatonic scale).^[2] It is a janya rāga of the Melakartha raga, Sankarabharanam (29th) but according to Hamsadhvani's prayoga or the way it is sung it is said to be the janya of Kalyani (65th).

Hamsadhwani

Thaat	Bilaval
Type	Audava
Time of day	Early night, 9–12[1]
Arohana	S R G P N Ṡ[1]
Avarohana	Ṡ N P G R S[1]
Pakad	G P N - Ṡ N P G
Vadi	P
Samavadi	R
Similar	Shankara

Hamsadhvani is also extensively used in Hindustani music and is borrowed into it from Carnatic music.^[3] It was created by the Carnatic composer Ramaswami Dikshitar (1735–1817),^[4] father of Muthuswami Dikshitar (one of the musical trinity of Carnatic music), and brought into Hindustani music by Aman Ali Khan of the Bhendibazaar gharana. It has become popular due to Amir Khan.

Structure and lakshana

Hamsadhvani scale with shadjam (tonic) at C

Hamsadhvani does not contain madhyamam or dhaivatham. It is a pentatonic scale (audava-audava ragam^[3][5] 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 N₃ Ṡ^[a]
• avarohaṇa :Ṡ N₃ P G₃ R₂ S^[b]

Hamsadhwani

The notes used in this scale are shadjam, chatushruti rishabham, antara gandharam, panchamam and kakali nishadam. In Hindustani music, it is associated with Bilaval thaat (equivalent of Shankarabharanam).

Compositions

Hamsadhvani rāgam lends itself for elaboration and exploration and has many compositions in both classical music and film music. It is usually sung at the beginning of a performance.^[3] There are many kritis (compositions) in praise of Lord Ganesha set in this musical scale.

• Jalajaskha an Adi tala Varnam by Mānambuccāvaḍi Venkaṭa Subbayyar
• Pagavari an Adi tala Varnam by Patnam Subramania Iyer
• Gajamukhane Siddhidayakane by Vyasatirtha
• Raghunāyaka, Śrī Raghukula and Abhishta varada by Tyagaraja in Telugu
• Vātāpi Gaṇapatiṃ and Parvathi Pathim by Muthuswami Dikshitar in Sanskrit
• Pāhi Śripatē by Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma
• Varanamukha vā by Koteeswara Iyer
• Mūlādhāra mūrti, Karunai seivai, ullam irangi and parasakthi janani by Papanasam Sivan in Sanskrit and Tamil
• Gajavadana beduve by Purandaradasa in Kannada
• Nammamma Sharade by Kanakadasa in Kannada
• Vināyakā by Veena Kuppayyar in Sanskrit
• Varavallabha Ramaṇa by G. N. Balasubramaniam
• Gaṃ Gaṇapatē by Muthiah Bhagavatar
• Pirai Aniyum Peruman by Dr M. Balamuralikrishna
• Vinayaka Vighnavishaka by R Ganapati
• Sundar Gopālaṃ by Devaki Pandit
• Varuvai Arulvai Shantanayagi by Manachanallur Giridharan
• Tumbikkai Andavane by Manachanallur Giridharan
• Vinayaka Ninnu Vina by E.V. Ramakrishna Bhagavathar
• Vande Anishamaham by Mysore Vasudevachar
• Bhajamahe Sree Vinayakam by Tulaseevanam
• Arul purivai and Karunai seiguvai by Sudhanandha Bharathi

Film songs

• Lagi Lagan Pathi Sakhi Sangh from the movie "Meghe Dhaka Tara"

In Tamil language

Year	Movie	Song	Composer	Singer
1960	Adutha Veettu Penn	Vaadaatha Pushpame.... Vanithaa Maniye	Adi Narayana Rao	P. B. Sreenivas
1980	Savithiri	Mazhalai Kaalamum	M. S. Viswanathan	P. Jayachandran, Vani Jairam
1978	Kizhakke Pogum Rail	Malargale Nadhaswarangal	Ilaiyaraaja	Malaysia Vasudevan, S. Janaki
1979	Kadavul Amaitha Medai	Mayile Mayile		S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Jency Anthony
	Nallathoru Kudumbam	Sevvaname Ponmegame		P. Jayachandran, Kalyani Menon, Jency,Sasirekha
1984	Enakkul Oruvan	Therkondu Sendravan		P. Susheela
	Vaazhkai	Kalam Maralam (Ragamalika: Hamsadhvani, Vasanthi)		S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Vani Jairam
1987	Velaikkaran	Va Va Va Kanna Va		Mano, K. S. Chithra
1989	En Purushanthaan Enakku Mattumthaan	Poomudithu		P. Jayachandran,Sunandha
1992	Endrum Anbudan	Nillavu Vandhadu (Ragamalika: Hamsadhvani, Vasanthi)		Mano, S. Janaki
1994	Mahanadhi	Sriranga Ranganathanin (Ragamalika: Hamsadhvani, Mohanam)		S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Uma Ramanan, Shobana
1999	Sethu	Maalai En Vethanai		Unni Krishnan, Arunmozhi, S.N.Surendar
1998	Kaadhal Kavithai	Diana Diana		Hariharan
2013	Chithirayil Nilachoru	Nandri Solla		Karthik, Priyadarshini
1989	Siva	Iru vizhiyin		S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. S. Chithra
1994	Ungal Anbu Thangachi	Yaaro Athu Yaaro	Chandrabose
1981	Kanneer Pookkal	Vasandhamum Neeye	Shankar–Ganesh	S. Janaki
1986	Kadaikan Parvai	Isaiyin Mazhaiyile	V. Narasimhan	K. J. Yesudas, Vani Jairam
1988	Ullathil Nalla Ullam	Naan Enna Pade	Gangai Amaran	S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki
2002	Kannathil Muthamittal	Vellai Pookal	A. R. Rahman	A. R. Rahman
2001	Paarthale Paravasam	Manmadha Maasam (Ragamalika: Vasanthi)		Shankar Mahadevan, Nithyasree Mahadevan
2003	Boys	Dating		Blaaze, Vasundhara Das
2004	Kangalal Kaidhu Sei	Theekuruvi		Johnson, Harini & Mukesh
1998	Jeans	Poovukkul		P. Unnikrishnan, Sujatha Mohan
1996	Kalloori Vaasal	En Manathai	Deva	Hariharan, Anuradha Sriram
1997	Kaalamellam Kadhal Vaazhga	Oru Mani Adithal		Hariharan
2002	Pammal K. Sambandam	Gadothkaja		Srinivas, Mahalakshmi Iyer
2001	Lovely	Vinodhamanavale		Hariharan, Sujatha Mohan
1990	Pudhu Vasantham	Aayiram Thirnaal	S. A. Rajkumar	K. S. Chithra,Kalyan
1999	Thullatha Manamum Thullum	Irupathu Kodi		Hariharan
1996	Priyam	Udaiyatha Vennila	Vidyasagar	Hariharan, K. S. Chithra
1998	Golmaal	Nee Pesum Poova	Bala Bharathi
2004	Kadhal Dot Com	Imaikkatha Vizhigal	Bharadwaj	Srinivas, Srimathumitha
1999	Amarkalam	Unnodu Vaazhatha		K. S. Chithra
1992	Vaaname Ellai	Siragillai	M. M. Keeravani
1996	Amman Kovil Vaasalile	Vanthal Puguntha	Sirpy	K. S. Chithra, Swarnalatha
2003	Kaadhal Kondein	Nenjodu Kalanthidu	Yuvan Shankar Raja	P. Unnikrishnan, Sujatha Mohan
2001	Manadhai Thirudivittai	Manja Kaattu Maina		Karthik, Sadhana Sargam
	Samudhiram	Azhagana Chinna Devathai	Sabesh–Murali	Shankar Mahadevan, Harini
2005	Sukran	Suppose Unnai	Vijay Antony	Ranjith,Vinaya
2010	Angadi Theru	Aval Appadi Onrum		Vineeth Sreenivasan, Ranjith,Janaki Iyer
2009	A Aa E Ee	Natta Nadu Rathiri		Karthik, Sangeetha Rajeshwaran,Christopher
2011	Velayudham	Molachu Moonu		Prasanna, Supriya Joshi
	Narthagi	Poovin Manam Poovil Ellai	G. V. Prakash Kumar	Tippu, Harini
2007	Ninaithu Ninaithu Parthen	Ingivalai	Joshua Sridhar	Goutham, Harini Sudhakar
2012	Konjam Koffee Konjam Kaadhal	Kadhale Kadhale	Phani Kalyan	Prasanna, Neha Nair
2024	Unarvugal Thodarkathai	Koba Kanalgal Theeradha	Amin Mirza	Gowtham Bhardwaj

In Malayalam language

Song	Movie	Year	Composer	Singer
"Sree vinayakam"	Bharatham	1991	Raveendran	K. J. Yesudas
"Aa ragam madhumayamam"	Kshanakkathu	1989	Sharreth	K. J. Yesudas
"Maayamanjalil"	Ottayal Pattalam	1991	Sharreth	G. Venugopal
"sumahorthama swasthi"(ragamalika)	Kamaladalam	1992	Raveendran	K. J. Yesudas
"Sree Padam vidarnu"	Etho Oru Swapnam	1978	Salil Chowdhury	K. J. Yesudas
"Nadangalay nee varu"	Ninnishtam Ennishtam	1986	Kannur Rajan	P. Jayachandran, K. S. Chitra

Related rāgas

Graha bhedham

Hamsadhvani's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields another pentatonic rāgam, Nagasvaravali. Graha bhedam is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the shadjam to the next note in the rāgam. For more details and illustration of this concept refer Graha bhedam on Hamsadhvani.

Scale similarities

• Amritavarshini is a rāgam which has Prati Madhyamam in place of the rishabham. Structures are shown in below table.
• Gambhiranata is a rāgam which has shuddha madhyamam in place of the rishabham. Structures are shown in below table.

Rāgam	Śruti Tonic	C		D		E	F		G		A		B	C
Hamsadhvani	C	S		R2		G3			P				N3	S'
Amritavarshini	C	S				G3		M2	P				N3	S'
Gambhiranata	C	S				G3	M1		P				N3	S'

• Mohanam is a rāgam which has chatushruti dhaivatam in place of the nishadam. Structures are shown in below table.
• Niroshta is a rāgam which has chatushruti dhaivatam in place of the panchamam. Structures are shown in below table.

Rāgam	Śruti Tonic	C		D		E	F		G		A		B	C
Hamsadhvani	C	S		R2		G3			P		-		N3	S'
Mohanam	C	S		R2		G3			P		D2		-	S'
Niroshta	C	S		R2		G3			-		D2		N3	S'

In Hindustani music

Vadi and samavadi

Vadi: Sa

Samavadi: Pa

Pakad or chalan

ga pa ni Sa ga re ni pa Sa The Pakad is the one where one can identify to which raga does the composition belongs.

Organization and relationships

Thaat: Bilaval.

Time

Late Evening ^[6]

Important recordings

• Amir Khan, Ragas Hansadhwani and Malkauns, on His Master's Voice LP (long-playing record), EMI-EASD1357
• Lagi Lagana (Drut – Teental) by A. Kanan in Meghe Dhaka Tara
• Ja Tose Nahin Bolun Kanhaiya by Lata Mangeshkar in Parivar (1956)

Notes

1. Alternate notations:

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

   • Hindustani: Ṡ N P G R S
   • Western: C B G E D C