Mohanam
A widely shared five-note raga whose simple pitch inventory supports a rich Carnatic phrase and ornament vocabulary.
The sound
Mohanam uses five notes in both directions, giving it an immediately clear outline. Its Carnatic identity, however, comes from characteristic starts, slides, jumps, doubled-note figures and phrase endings—not from the pentatonic collection alone.
Scale
| Svara sequence | |
|---|---|
| Ascent — arohana | S R2 G3 P D2 Ṡ |
| Descent — avarohana | Ṡ D2 P G3 R2 S |
Svara key: R2 chatusruti rishabha, G3 antara gandhara, D2 chatusruti dhaivata. Ma and Ni are omitted. Parent: commonly placed under Melakarta 28, Harikambhoji.
How to recognise Mohanam
- The direct five-note return
Ṡ D P G R Scontains neither Ma nor Ni. - Ga is a prominent point of departure in many compositions, while Sa also serves as a stable opening.
- Bilahari shares Mohanam's common ascent but restores N3 and M1 in descent. Madhyamavati instead uses M1 and N2, not G3 and D2.
Compositions to know
- Nannu Palimpa — Tyagaraja
- Mohana Rama — Tyagaraja
- Narasimha Agaccha — Muttuswami Dikshitar
Related: Melakarta 28 · Svara key · Raga