Karaharapriya – Ragapedia 18

Ragapedia is a series of posts I am writing, one Carnatic Raga per post, on my understanding of the ragam, carnatic compositions in that ragam and how it has been dealt within films. The ragam dealt with in this post is Kharaharapriya, a melakartha ragam which means “loved by the one who slayed Khara the demon”. There is also a version that says the ragam was called “Harapriya” and was prefixed with Khara in order to fit the Katapayadhi scheme.

This ragam is said to bring out karuna rasa (i.e) compassion and grief, but I feel this ragam is more versatile than that. The Dorian scale associated with ancient Greek music has the same scale as that of Kharaharapriya. Madhura yazh / Kodi Paalai pann is said to be the Tamizh music equivalent of this ragam. In Hindustani music, its equivalent is Kafi Thaat.

Kharaharapriya is also a melakartha under which some really popular janya ragams have been classified, viz., Kapi, Brindavana Saranga, Sri, Madhyamavathi, Abogi, Sriranjani, Kanada, Darbar, Nayaki, Andolika, Reethigowla, Abheri, Karnaranjani, Suddha Dhanyasi, to name a few.

Scale and Symmetry

Kharaharapriya is the 22nd ragam of the melakartha nomenclature. The scale is:

Aarohanam – S R2 G2 M1 P D2 N2 S

Avarohanam – S N2 D2 P M1 G2 R2 S

If you notice across the melakartha chakras, the ragas that have a similar RG combination to the DN combination are invariably the most popular ragas in that chakram – for example, Thodi, Mayamalavagowla, Sankarabharanam, etc,.

Kharaharapriya from the 4th chakra has perfect symmetry with R2G2 and D2N2. How does this matter? While singing ragams with symmetry, it sounds aesthetically good if one uses similar patterns in the lower, middle and upper octave (for want of a better word), G,R–N,D–Ġ,Ṙ and other such patterns. Check out Sikkil Gurucharan explain this with a simple film song here.

Carnatic Compositions

It is ironic that neither Muthuswamy Dikshitar nor Syama Sastri have composed in this ragam. However, Thyagaraja has compensated for that and we find a large number of his compositions in Kharaharapriya and its janya ragams (more tha 7 compositions in the melakartha alone).

• Samaanamevaru, Pakkala Nilabadi, Chakkani Raja, Rama Neeyada, Kori Sevimparare, Mitri Bhagyame are a few of the popular compositions of Thyagaraja. He has also handled rare janya ragams of Kharaharapriya in his compositions, such as Manohari, Swarabhushani.
• Janaki Pathe, Dhayavillaya Dhayalo, Senthil Aandavan, Srinivasa Thava Charanam, Paramukham Enayya by Papanasam Sivan, another composer who has extensively used the ragam in his compositions
• Sadhanandhamu, Okkapari by Annamacharya
• Rama Mathura by Narayana Theerthar

Listen to…

Listen to Rama Mathura, a Narayana Theerthar Tharangam in the ragam Kharaharapriya.

Use in movies

Kharaharapriya being a sampoorna ragam, is easy to adapt when it comes to movie songs, and so the songs influenced by the ragam are also diverse.

Madhavi Ponmayilaal from Iru Malargal, Maharajan Ulagai Aalalaam from Karnan (not featured in the movie), Ariyaa Paruvamada from Missiyamma are some old movie songs in this ragam.

Sangeetha Swarangal from Azhagan, with the Doordarshan theme music included, is set in this ragam.

Ilayaraja has also used Kharaharapriya in quite a few songs including the debate between Nadhaswaram and Bilahari Marthandam Pillai from Unnal Mudiyum Thambi, Maapillaikku Maman Manasu from Netri Kann, Poo Malandhida from Tik Tik Tik, Thana Vandha Sandhaname from Ooru Vittu Ooru Vandhu.

Pachai Nirame from Alaipayuthe and Kilimanjaro from Enthiran by AR Rahman, Ini Naanum Naanillai and Poi Sollalam from Aye Nee Romba Azhaga Irukka, Sandhikkadha Kangalil from 180 by Shareth, are relatively more recent movie songs in this ragam.

Let me conclude this post with the crazy antics of Shivaji Ganeshan for this song in the voice of TMS, “I will sing for you!” from the movie Manitharul Manikkam.