HanumaTodi ~ 3 ~

This great Melakarta raagam [ 8th ] I intend to elaborate Purusha Naaraayana willing ~ Thodi though technically considered equivalent to Bhairavi Thaat, is a unique Karnatik Raagam. Bhairavi Thaat is closer to Sindhubhairavi in its bhaavam.

Hanumatodi, more popularly known as Todi, (Sanskrit: हनुमतोडि, Telugu: తోడి, Tamil: ஹனுமத்தோடி) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 8th melakarta rāgam (parent scale) in the 72 melakarta rāgam system. This is sung very often in concerts. It is known to be a difficult rāgam to perform in owing to its complexity in prayoga (phrases of notes and intonation). It is called Janatodi in Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music.[1]

Todi in Carnatic music, is different from Todi (thaat) of Hindustani music (North Indian classical music). The equivalent of the Hindustani raga Todi in Carnatic music is Shubhapantuvarali (which is the 45th melakarta).[2] [3] The equivalent of Carnatic Todi in Hindustani is Bhairavi thaat.[2]

 Structure and Lakshana

Todi scale with shadjam at C

It is the 2nd rāgam in the 2nd chakra Netra. The mnemonic name is Netra-Sri. The mnemonic phrase is sa ra gi ma pa dha ni.[2] Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music page for details on below notation and terms):

ārohaṇa : S R1 G2 M1 P D1 N2 S

avarohaṇa : S N2 D1 P M1 G2 R1 S

This scale uses the notes shuddha rishabham, sadharana gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, shuddha dhaivatham and kaisiki nishadham. It is a sampoorna rāgam - rāgam having all 7 swarams. It is the shuddha madhyamam equivalent of Bhavapriya, which is the 44th melakarta scale.

Janya rāgams

Hanumatodi has a quite a few janya rāgams (derived scales) associated with it, of which Asaveri, Bhoopalam, Dhanyasi, Punnagavarali and Shuddha Seemandhini are popular. See List of janya rāgams for all of Todi’s janyas.

Popular Compositions

Most composers have composed songs in Todi.[3] Thāye Yashoda, composed by Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi, is a very well known composition, in the Tamil language. This popular kriti is sung frequently in concerts. A popular varnam in the Todi rāgam is Erā Nāpai by Patnam Subramania Iyer, one of the famous composers of Carnatic music.

Other popular compositions are:

Kādhanu vāriki, Dāsu kovalena and Gati Neevani by Thyagaraja

Kārthikeya Gangeya and Thamatham aen swami by Papanasam Sivan

 Related rāgams

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

Todi’s notes when shifted using Graha bedham, yields 5 other major melakarta rāgams, namely, Kalyani, Shankarabharanam, Natabhairavi, Kharaharapriya and Harikambhoji. For further details and an illustration of graha bedham of this rāgam refer related rāgams section in Shankarabharanam page.

References

^ Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar Keertanaigal by Vidwan A Sundaram Iyer, Pub. 1989, Music Book Publishers, Mylapore, Chennai

^ a b c Ragas in Carnatic music by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications

^ a b Raganidhi by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanumatodi