Anandabhairavi

Anandabhairavi or Ananda Bhairavi (pronounced ānandabhairavi) is a very old melodious ragam (musical scale) of Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). This rāgam also used in Indian traditional and regional musics. Ānandam (Sanskrit) means happiness and the rāgam brings a happy mood to the listener.^[1][2]

It is a janya rāgam (derived scale) of the 20th Melakarta rāgam Natabhairavi.

Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on the notations used):

• ārohaṇa : S G₂ R₂ G₂ M₁ P D₂ P Ṡ^[a]
• avarohaṇa : Ṡ N₂ D₂ P M₁ G₂ R₂ S^[b]

(chathusruthi rishabham, sadharana gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, Chatusruthi dhaivatham, kaishiki nishadham)

It is a sampoorna rāgam – rāgam having all 7 swarams, but it is not a melakarta rāgam, as it has vakra prayogam (zig-zag notes in scale) and uses anya swaram (external note) in comparison with its parent rāgam. The anya swaram is the usage of shuddha dhaivatham (D1) in some phrases of the rāgam.^[3] Anandabhairavi ragam is also a bhashanga rāgam, since it uses more than one anya swaram. Anya swaram of a rāgam is the swaram which does not belong to the arohana or avarohana of its melakarta (parent rāgam), but it is sung in prayogams (phrases used in raga alapana, kalpanaswarams). It is also classified as a "rakti" raga(a raga of high melodic content).

The three anya swarams of Anandabhairavi are antara gandharam (G3), suddha dhaivatam (D1) and kakali nishadham (N3).^[3] All of these anya swaras occur only in prayogas (not in arohana avarohana). "G3" occurs in "ma pa ma ga ga ma", and "D1" occurs in "ga ma pa da". Subtler than the first two, "N3" occurs in "sa da ni sa."

It is said that Tyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar do not use any of the anya swarams in their compositions.

Anandabhairavi also has unique swara patterns both in manodharma (impromptu improvisations by performer) and in its compositions. The popular patterns are "sa ga ga ma", "sa pa", and "sa ga ma pa". The musician isn't allowed to stay long on nishadam, this characteristic distinguishes it from Reetigowla. Few allied ragas (similar) to this are Reetigowla and Huseni.

Anandabhairavi is one of the favourite ragams of Syama Sastri. He is said to have made this a popular rāgam and also to have given the present form for this rāgam.^[3] More or less Anandabhairavi's synonym is "Marivere gati" by Syama Sastri. In "Mariverae" and in "O Jagadhamba" Syama Sastri uses the anya swara "ga(2)".

Musicologist N. Mammathu identifies the song Yaadhum Oore from the album Sandham: Symphony Meets Classical Tamil by composer Raleigh Rajan as a defining illustration of Anandabhairavi, because it explores a wide range of phrases, rules, and exceptions characteristic of the ragam. ^[4]

A very life changing incident is said to have happened in Tyagaraja's life. Once he is said to have attended a Kuchipudi Bhagavata artists dance-drama recital, a ballad between mythological characters Radha and Krishna, and he is said to have highly praised their performance, especially a particular song Madhura Nagarilo(Javali), which was again set in Ananda Bhairavi. Tyagaraja wanting to acknowledge them offered to give them a gift, of anything that they may desire, that he could possibly give. After much thought they demanded him the Ragam Ananda Bhairavi itself as a gift (meaning that he would accept to never sing in that Ragam ever again in his life), so that when someone in the near future spoke of Tyagaraja or Ananda Bhairavi's legacy they would also remember the Kuchipudi dancers too.

• Marivere Gati, Mahilo Amba, O Jagadhamba, Pahi Sri Girijasuthe, Himachala Tanaya, Adinamuninchi Pogadi and Sami nee Rammaanave(Varnam) by Syama Sastri in Telugu
• Neeke Teliyaka, Nee Balama Nama Balama, Rama Rama Neevaramu and Ksheera Sagara Vihara by Tyagaraja in Telugu
• Maanasa Guruguha, Dandayudhapanim, Kamalamba Samrakshatu, Anandeswarena, Paradevathe Namaste, Abhayamba Nayaka Hari Sayaka and Thyagaraja Yoga Vaibhavam by Muthuswami Dikshitar in Sanskrit
• Singāra Vēlavan Vanthān, Nanganallūr Ezhundharul, Vānōr Vanangum Annaiyē, Swāmī Charanam and Ānandabhairavī Annaiyum by Papanasam Sivan in Tamil
• Sami ni pai(Ata Tala Varnam) by Tiruvottriyur Tyagayyar
• Raveme Maguva(Swarajati) by Melattur Venkataramana Sastri
• Madhura Nagarilo(Javali) by Chittoor Subramaniam Pillai
• Vanitaro(Javali) by Dasu Sriramulu
• Rave Na Cheli(Javali) by Pattabhiramayya
• Yathum oore Anthem (written by Kaniyan Pungundranar) by Composer Rajan, the theme song of 10th World Tamil Conference from Sandham: Symphony Meets Classical Tamil
• Paavanasuguna (Adi tala Varnam) by Swathi Thirunal in Sanskrit
• Sakhiye intha velayil (Padavarnam) by K Ponniah Pillai in Tamil
• Panthamu Jesithi and Chalamu Jesithe (Padavarnams) by Chinnaiah of the Tanjore Quartet
• Kaapadhuve Unadhu Baaram, Chapala Chittuda, Pantamela (Tanavarnam) and Kripa Joodave by Ponniah Pillai
• Itti Muddulaadi and Merugu Vantidi by Annamacharya in Telugu
• Kamti SukravAramu by Annamacharya in Telugu
• Neene Dayalu, Veera Hanuma Bahu, Hodi Nagari Mele, Summane Baruvude Mukti, Srinivasa neene, by Purandaradasa in Kannada
• Etthanai Thaan Viddhai by Anai Ayya in Tamil
• Laali Govinda Laali By Sripadaraja in Kannada
• Palayachyutha Palayajitha, By Vadiraja Tirtha in Sanskrit
• Smarasi Puraguru from the Kuchelaupakyanam by Swathi Thirunal
• Paluke Bangaramayena by Bhadrachala Ramadasu in Telugu
• Krishna Karuna, Pahi Tharakshupuralaya, Varija Vadana by Swathi Thirunal in Sanskrit
• Bharathi Pankaja by Mannargudi Sambasiva Bhagavatar
• Poonthen Nermozhi, Balike Moham, Maanini Vamata are three padams by Swathi Thirunal in Malayalam
• Andolika Vahane (Utsavaprabandham) by Swathi Thirunal in Malayalam
• Samaganapriye by Periyasaamy Thooran in Tamil
• Poo Mel Valarum Annaiye by Mazhavai Chidambara Bharathi in Tamil
• Ambikaye Arul Purivai by Ambujam Krishna
• Raghudvaha Dâsa by Kalyani Varadarajan
• Kamalasulochana, a popular Geetam composed by Purandara Dasa
• Pahi Sri Ramachandra, a rare Geetam composed by Paidala Gurumurti Sastri
• Tillana by Swathi Thirunal
• Tillana by Thanjavur Sankara Iyer
• Tillana by Dr Lalgudi Jayaraman
• Ehi Mudam Dehi by Narayana Teertha
• Kanikaramu Leka by Pallavi Gopala Iyer
• Rara Sami (Adi tala Varnam) and Sadbhakthiyu Galga by Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar
• Mari Marine Ninne by Akella Achyuta Ramam
• Pattakura(Padam) by Sarangapani
• Manchi Dinamu(Padam), Sripathi Sutubariki (Padam-his first composition) and Emani Telupudu(Padam) by Kshetrayya
• Sari Niga Samamana Deivam(Padam) by Madurai R. Muralidaran
• Bhagyam Ullore Vaarungal by Sri Sri Mualidhara Swamiji
• Paradevi Tiruppaarkkadal and Enna Vidham Pizhaippom by Neelakanta Sivan
• Sami Ninne (Tanavarnam) by Nagapattinam Veerasamy Pillai
• Neemaditsallaga by Mathrubhoothayya
• Ninne Valachi (Tanavarnam) by Puranam Kanakaiah

• List of film songs based on ragas