Melakartā
Melakartā
No. 15
Māyāmāḷavagauḷa
Traditionally the first mela taught, because its śuddha and komal placements let a beginner hear every swarasthāna clearly. Purandara Dāsa set the…
No. 16
Cakravākam
Cakravākam keeps the śuddha rishabha of the previous mela but raises dhaivata and lowers niṣāda, and that single pair of changes turns…
No. 20
Naṭabhairavi
Naṭabhairavi corresponds to the natural minor scale and is the parent of a large, sombre family. Its śuddha dhaivata against catuśruti rishabha…
No. 22
Kharaharapriyā
One of the most fertile melas, Kharaharapriyā matches the Hindustani Kāfī thāṭ and parents a very large janya family. Its balance of…
No. 28
Harikāmbhoji
Harikāmbhoji corresponds to the Mixolydian mode and the Hindustani Khamāj thāṭ. Its kaiśiki niṣāda against antara gāndhāra gives it a plain, open…
No. 29
Dhīraśaṅkarābharaṇam
The Carnatic major scale and one of the most performed melas. Where the Western ear hears a plain major, the Carnatic treatment…
No. 45
Śubhapantuvarāḷi
With śuddha rishabha and dhaivata, sādhāraṇa gāndhāra and prati madhyama, Śubhapantuvarāḷi holds more tension than almost any other mela. It is the…
No. 51
Kāmavardhani
Better known in concert as Pantuvarāḷi, this mela pairs śuddha rishabha and dhaivata with antara gāndhāra, kākali niṣāda and prati madhyama. The…
No. 65
Mēcakalyāṇi
Kalyāṇi is among the most performed of all melas, the scale of grand ālāpana and long kṛtis. Its single prati madhyama over…