Anandabhairavi

Anandabhairavi is a very old melodious ragam of Carnatic music. It is found even in Indian folk music. It is a form of happiness.

It is a janya ragam (i.e. it inherits some of the properties from one of the 72 melakarta ragams) of the 22^nd Melakarta karaharapriya (literally lovely to ears), although some suggest that it is janya of Natabhairavi.

Structure and Lakshana

It is vakra ragam since its arohana is not in proper sequence. For example its arohana is "sa ga(1) ri(2) ga(1) ma(1) pa da(2) pa sa" (we can see that before "ri" "ga" comes and after "da", "pa" comes. These two technicalities makes this raga vakram but only in arohana. In avarohana it is normal namely, it is "sa ni(1) da(2) pa ma(1) ga(1) ri(2) sa". In arohana and avarohana I use (1)/(2) to tell if it is first variant of that swara or the second variant.

Anandabhairavi ragam is also a bhashanga raga, since it uses more than one anyaswaram (alien swara in English language). Anyaswara of a raga is the swara which does not belong to the arohana avarohana of its mela (thai) raga but it is sung in prayogams (raga alopana, kalpanaswara)/ it may be found in arohana/avarohana itself (like Bhairavi).

The three anyaswaras of Anandabhairavi are "ga(2)", "da(1)" and "ni(2)". But all these annyaswaras occur only in prayogas not in arohana avarohana. "ga(2)" occurs in "ma pa ma ga ga ma", "da(1)" occurs in "ga ma pa da". Generally "ni(2)" is not sung these days. Surprising thing is Tyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar do not use any of the annyaswara in their compositions.

Anandabhairavi also has unique swara patterns both in manodharma and in its compositions. The popular patterns are SGGM, SP, and SGMP. The musician isn't allowed to stay long on Nishada, this characteristic distinguishes it from Ritigowla.

Compositions

Anandabhairavi is one of the favourite ragams of Syama Sastri. More or less Anandabhairavi's synonym is "Marivere gati" by Syama Sastri. In "Mariverae" and in "O jagadhamba" Syama Sastri uses the annyaswara "ga(2)". It allows a medium level of manodharmam (meaning not very elaborate raga alapanas and kalpanaswaram can be sung in this raga). Few allied ragas (similar) to this are Ritigowla and Huseni.