Ragavardhini (pronounced rāgavardini) has two separate meanings in Indian classical music:
- a major part of the alapana of a raga. The performer gives a step-by-step elaboration of the raga, pausing at each major note or swara.
- the 32nd melakarta raga in the Katapayadi sankhya scheme of Carnatic music.
Structure and Lakshana
It is the 2nd rāgam in the 6th chakra Ritu. The mnemonic name is Ritu-Sri. The mnemonic phrase is sa ru gu ma pa dha ni. Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):
The notes in this scale are shatsruthi rishabham, antara gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, shuddha dhaivatham and kaisiki nishadham. As it is a melakarta, by definition it is a sampurna rāga (has all seven notes in ascending and descending scale). It is the shuddha madhyamam equivalent of Jyoti swarupini, which is the 68th melakarta scale.
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāga.
Ragavardini's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields Varunapriya melakarta rāga, when the shift of Tonic note is to the madhyamam. See further details and an illustration at Graha bhedam on Ragavardini.
- Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar Keertanaigal by Vidwan A Sundaram Iyer, Pub. 1989, Music Book Publishers, Mylapore, Chennai
- Ragas in Carnatic music by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications
- Raganidhi by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras