| Anya Svara-s in Varṇa-s: An Insight into Rāga Lakṣaṇa-s |
| Varṇa is an important compositional form in the repertoire of Karnāṭaka classical music, as it bridges practice repertoire and performance repertoire. It serves as an introduction to the rāga and its grammar, through phrases and gamaka-s. This study examines how the presence of anya svara-s offers insights into rāga lakṣaṇa. The scope is limited to the tāna varṇa-s found in the books ‘Tāna Varṇakkaḍal volumes 1 to 4’ by V S Gomathishankara Ayyar, focusing on the rāga-s Tōḍī, Dhanyāsī, Lalita, Lalitapañcama, and Vasanta. By analyzing descriptions in musicological texts and notations in Tāna Varṇakkaḍal, this study identifies the occurrence of anya svara-s within melodic phrases and explores how these notations illustrate their usage and reflect performance practices of the time period. These anya svara-s, which are not explicitly found in contemporary renditions, may have been absorbed into gamaka-s. The presence of anya svara-s supports the understanding that svara-s in Karnāṭaka classical music are not merely discrete pitch positions but phrases that span across pitches with varying speed and intensity. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of rāga identity, enriching both theoretical frameworks and practical pedagogy in Karnāṭaka classical music. |
| Author: Dr Karthik G
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Submitted on : 31-Dec-2025
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Arts : India/ Music/ Carnatic Classical Music |
| Journal ID : 0031-101-0323
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| Views: 70/ Downloads :0 |
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