Shamalangi

Shamalangi or Shyamalangi (pronounced shāmaḻāngi) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 55th melakarta rāgam in the 72 melakarta rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Shāmaḻam in Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music.

Structure and Lakshana

Shamalangi scale with shadjam at C

It is the 1st rāgam in the 10th chakra Disi. The mnemonic name is Disi-Pa. The mnemonic phrase is sa ri gi mi pa dha na. 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 G2 M2 P D1 N1 S
• avarohaṇa: S N1 D1 P M2 G2 R2 S

Shamalangi's swaras are chathusruthi rishabham, sadharana gandharam, prati madhyamam, shuddha dhaivatham and shuddha 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 Jhankaradhwani, which is the 19th melakarta scale.

Janya rāgams

Shamalangi has a couple of minor janya rāgams (derived scales) associated with it. See List of janya rāgams for janya rāgams associated with Shamalangi.

Compositions

A few compositions set to Shamalangi rāgam are:

• Veera raghava by Koteeswara Iyer
• Vinati chakonavayya by Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna
• Namo namaste geervani by Muthuswami Dikshitar
• Shyamalangi Matangi by Muthuswami Dikshitar

Related rāgams

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

Shamalangi's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields 2 minor melakarta rāgams Ganamoorti and Vishwambari. 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 further details and an illustration refer Graha bhedam on Ganamoorti.