Hindolam
Carnatic music |
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HindÅḷaṃ is a rÄgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is an audava rÄgam (or owdava rÄgam, meaning pentatonic scale). It is a janya rÄgam (derived scale), as it does not have all the seven swaras (musical notes). Hindolam is not the same as the Hindustani Hindol. The equivalent of Hindolam in Hindustani music is Malkauns [1] (or Malkosh [2]).
It is known to be a rÄgam that is generally beautiful and soothing to listen to. Being symmetrical in its ascending and descending scales, it lends itself very well to improvisation and is therefore popular at concerts.
Structure and Lakshana

HindÅḷaṃ is a symmetric rÄgam that does not contain rishabham and panchamam. It is a pentatonic scale (audava-audava rÄgam [1][2] in Carnatic music classification - audava means 'of 5'). Since pentatonic scales can be found in other world music such as Chinese music, shades of Mohanam and HindÅḷaṃ can sometimes be traced in Chinese and east Asian music. Its Ärohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):
- Ärohaṇa : S G2 M1 D1 N2 S
- avarohaṇa : S N2 D1 M1 G2 S
This rÄgam uses the swaras sadharana gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, shuddha dhaivatam and kaisiki nishadam. Hindolam is not a melakarta rÄgam, since it does not contain all the seven swaras.
Experts in Carnatic music hold differences of opinion on the janaka rÄgams (rÄgams of origin) that should be attributed to Hindolam. It is widely accepted that 20th melakarta, Natabhairavi is the parent rÄgam of Hindolam, but some would like to associate it with 8th melakarta, Hanumatodi.[1][2] It can be derived from both, by dropping the rishabham and panchamam.

Popular Compositions
SÄmajavara gamanÄ by the maestro Tyagaraja is the most popular composition in Hindolam. Mamavatu Å›ri Sarasvati by Mysore Vasudevachar is another popular composition. Here are some more kritis composed in Hindolam.
- GÅvardhana GirÄ«Å›am SmarÄmi by Muthuswami Dikshitar in Sanskrit
- Saraswathi Vidhiyuvathi by Muthuswami Dikshitar
- SÄma GÄna lole by Papanasam Sivan
- Nambi kettavar evar by Papanasam Sivan
- Maa Ramanan by Papanasam Sivan
- Govardhana GiridhÄri and SÄmajavara GamanÄ by Tyagaraja in Telugu
- Padmanabha PÄhi by Swathi Thirunal
- Dēva Dēvaṃ Bhajē by Annamacharya in Telugu
- Koná¸alalÅ Nelakonna by Annamacharya in Telugu
- Ramanakku Mannan Mudi by Arunachala Kavi
- Tillana (Dhim na naa tha dhirana) by Dr. Balamuralikrishna
Numerous bhajans, stotras, kritis and film music numbers also have been composed in the Hindolam rÄgam.
Related rÄgams
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rÄgam.
Hindolam's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields 4 other major pentatonic rÄgams, namely, Mohanam, 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 rÄgam. For more details and illustration of this concept refer Graha bhedam on Mohanam.
Scale similarities
- Saramati has an asymmetric scale, with the ascending scale of Natabhairavi, while the descending scale is same as Hindolam. Its Ärohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S R2 G2 M1 P D1 N2 S : S N2 D1 M1 G2 S
References
- 1 2 3 Ragas in Carnatic music by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications
- 1 2 3 Raganidhi by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras
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