Sahana (raga)

Sahana
Arohanam	S R₂ G₃ M₁ P M₁ D₂ N₂ Ṡ
Avarohanam	Ṡ N₂ D₂ P M₁ G₃ M₁ R₂ G₃ R₂ S

Sahana (pronounced sahānā) is a popular ragam (musical scale) in Carnatic music. It is a janya rāgam (derived scale) associated with the 28th Melakarta rāgam Harikambhoji.

The Hindustani music ragam Sahana is an upper-tetrachord-dominant Kanada-anga raga, from the Kafi thaat, also allied with Bageshree and Bhimpalasi. The shuddha Dhaivat is an important rest note (nyaas swara).

Structure and Lakshana

It is a Ubhaya Vakra sampoorna ragam. Vakra means crooked. Ubhaya Vakra means that the notes in both ascent and descent follow a zig zag pattern. The notes in ascending and descending scale do not follow a strict progression. Hence the note phrases contain such vakra phrases, lending a unique beauty to this rāgam. Though it is a sampoorna rāgam (contains all 7 notes), the vakra scale means it is not considered a melakarta, as melakarta rāgams must have strictly ascending and descending scales. It is also classified as a rakti raga (raga with high melodic content).

Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):

ārohaṇa: S R₂ G₃ M₁ P M₁ D₂ N₂ Ṡ^[a]
avarohaṇa: Ṡ N₂ D₂ P M₁ G₃ M₁ R₂ G₃ R₂ S^[b]

The notes used in this scale are Shadjam, Chathusruthi Rishabham, Antara Gandharam, Suddha Madhyamam, Panchamam, Chathusruthi Dhaivatham and Kaisiki Nishadham.

Its characteristic phrases are (R2 G3 M1 P),(P M1 D2 N2), (N2 S D2), (G3 M1 R2). Sahana has a distinct mood due to these phrases and characteristic gamakams and is rarely confused with other ragams.

Sahana has a close relationship to Malavi and to some extent Dwijawanthi/Jujavanti. While the use of Anthara Gaandharam in R2 G2 R2 makes it different from Dwijawanthi, since Dwijawanthi uses Saadharana Gaandharam, sahana has a closer relationship with Malavi which has an identical Vakra scale formation as Sahana.

The original Sahana of Carnatic music

The original Sahana is the janya ragam of Sri melakarta .It is "bhashanga", "sampurna", "desiya",panchama "vakra" in arohanam and suitable for singing at all times.The raga is a desiya raga meaning it made its way to theory, from practice. It was evolved in the public domain, enjoyed the airtime with listeners and musicians and then it became important enough to be inducted into the portals of our music as a formal raga, distinct in its svarupa, appeal and capable of being moulded into compositions.^[1] The jeeva swaras : R₂ - rishabham, G₂ - gandharam and N₂ - nishadam provide extraordinary ranjana. Synonyms : Chahana, Shahana, sahana.

Arohanam : S R₂ G₂ M₁ P M₁ D₂ N₂ Ṡ

Avarohanam : Ṡ N₂ D₂ P M₁ G₂ R₂ G₂ R₂ S

The swaras are S -Shadjam, R₂ - Chaturshruti rishabham, G₂ - Sadharana gandharam, G₃* - Antara Gandharam, M₁ - Shuddha madhyamam, P - Panchamam, D₂ - Chaturshruti dhaivatham and N₂ -Kaishiki nishadam. The ragam is bhashaga because; G₃* - Anthara gandharam occurs sparingly.^[1]

Reference : Sangita Sampradaya Priyadarshini cakram 1-4

Select compositions

There are a large number of popular songs composed in this rāgam in Carnatic Music as well as Tamil Film Music. Here are some Carnatic music compositions.

Raghupate rama rakshasa bhima,Ee Vasudha,Giripai nelakona, dEhi tavapada bhaktim, oorake kalguna, Emana Dichevo and Vandanamu raghunandana composed by Thyagaraja
Rama ika nannu brovara by Patnam Subramania Iyer
Manamu kavalannu by Muthiah Bhagavatar
Sri kamalambikaya by Muthuswami Dikshitar
Inkevarunnaaru nannu" in Adi thalam by Annaswaami Sastri s/o Subbaraya Sastri
Saravana Bhava in Adi thalam by Thanjavur Sankara Iyer
Sri Vatapi Ganapathiye in Adi thalam by Papanasam Sivan
Kavave Kanyakumari by Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna
Karunimpa, Varnam by Tiruvottiyur Tyaggaya
Chittam Irangada by Papanasam Sivan
Shanti Neelava Vendum by Sethumadhava Rao

In television series

Tamil Language

"Indha Veenaiku Theriyadhu" by V. S. Narasimhan (Rail Sneham – TV Serial)
"Aanmaavin Raagam" by Rajesh Vaidhya (Sahana – TV Serial)
"Jeevan Neeye" by Renjith Unni (Anbendraale Amma – Music Video)

Film songs

Tamil Language

Song	Movie	Composer	Singer
Thamiyen Painthamizh	Sivakavi	Papanasam Sivan	M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar
Pathiniye Unpol Itharaimeethinil	Kannagi	S. V. Venkataraman	P. U. Chinnappa
Paarthen Sirithen	Veera Abhimanyu	K. V. Mahadevan	P.B. Sreenivas, P. Susheela
Ennamellam	Thirumanam	S. M. Subbaiah Naidu	T. M. Soundararajan
Nee Engey En	Mannippu	S. M. Subbaiah Naidu	P. Susheela
Engo pirandavaram	Bommai	S. Balachander	P. Susheela
Aadhi nathan ketkindran	Ganga Gowri	M.S. Viswanathan	T. M. Soundararajan, S. Janaki
Azhage Sugama (Dwijavanthi mixed)	Parthale Paravasam	A. R. Rahman	Srinivas, Sadhana Sargam
Rukku Rukku	Avvai Shanmughi	Deva	Kamal Haasan, Sujatha
Indhu Maha Samudrame (Ragamalika:Sahana, Desh)	Mannava	Deva	Hariharan, K. S. Chithra
Poothene	Eera Nilam	Sirpy	Chinmayi

Malayalam Language

Song	Movie	Composer	Singer
Chentharmizhi poonthen mozhi	Perumazhakkalam	M. Jayachandran	Madhu Balakrishnan, K. S. Chithra, Sharada Kalyanasundaram
Ennodenthinu Pinakakm	Kaliyattam	Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri	Bhavana Radhakrishnan
Naadha ne varumbol ee yaamam	Vaasthavam	Alex Paul	K. S. Chitra,Pradeep Palluruthy
Thamarapoovil vazhum	Chandralekha	Berny-Ignatius	M. G. Sreekumar

Telugu Language

Song	Movie	Composer	Singer
ఆకాశ పందిరిలో	శ్రీ రాజేశ్వరీ విలాస్ కాఫీక్లబ్	Pendyala	Susheela

Notes

^
Alternate notations:
- Hindustani: S R G M P M D Ṉ Ṡ
- Western: C D E F G F A B♭ C
^
Alternate notations:
- Hindustani: Ṡ Ṉ D P M G M R G R S
- Western: C B♭ A G F E F D E D C