Carnatic music
Tanjavur-style tambura
Concepts
Śruti Svara Rāga Tāḷa Mēḷakarta Asaṃpūrṇa Mēḷakarta
Compositions
Gītaṃ Svarajati Varṇaṃ Kr̥ti Kīrtana Rāgaṃ Tānaṃ Pallavi Tillana
Instruments
Melody Sarasvati Vīṇā Veṇu Nādasvaraṃ Goṭṭuvādyaṃ (Citra Vīṇā) Violin Percussion Mr̥daṅgaṃ Ghaṭaṃ Morsing Kanjira Thavil Drone Tambura Shruti box
Composers Glossary
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Bhupalam (pronouncedbhūpalam) is arāgam inCarnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is a pentatonic scale (audava rāgam orowdava rāgam). It is ajanya rāgam (derived scale), as it does not have all the sevenswaras (musical notes). It is also written asBhoopalam.

It is considered an auspicious scale and a morning rāgam.^[1] InTamil music, this scale is calledPuranirmai pann and somethevarams are set to this scale.^[1] It is also used for chantingslokas, folks songs,Kathakali music and other rituals.^[1] The equivalent scale inHindustani music isBhupal Todi.^[2]

Bhupalam is a symmetric rāgam that does not containmadhyamam ornishādham. It is a symmetric pentatonic scale (audava-audava ragam^[1][2] in Carnatic music classification –audava meaning 'of 5'). Its ascending and descending scale (ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure) is as follows:

• ārohaṇa :S R₁ G₂ P D₁ Ṡ[a]
• avarohaṇa :Ṡ D₁ P G₂ R₁ S[b]

The notes used in this scale areshadjam, shuddha rishabham, sadharna gandharam, panchamam andshuddha dhaivatham, as perCarnatic music notation and terms for theswaras.Bhupalam is considered ajanya rāgam ofShubhapantuvarali, the 45thMelakarta rāgam, though it can be derived from 5 other melakarta rāgams by dropping both themadhyamam andnishādham.

Bhupalam rāgam lends itself for good elaboration and has a few compositions in both classical music and film music. Here are some popular songs composed inBhupalam.

• Sadhu vibhatam (varnam) and otherkritis,Nijadasanam prati andSamajendra composed bySwati Tirunal
• Annai Janaki byArunachala Kavi
• Sadachaleshwaram byMuthuswami Dikshitar
• Deena Janavana byThyagaraja
• Bhupalam Thillana by MaharajaSwathi Thirunal
• Mannum Imaya Malai byBharathiyar

This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.

Bhupalam's notes when shifted usingGraha bhedham, yields two pentatonic rāgams,Gambhiranata andHamsanadam.Graha bhedham is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting theshadjam to the next note in the rāgam. We getHamsanadam by shifting theShadjam toShuddha Rishabham. For more details and illustrations of this concept referGraha bhedham on Gambhiranata.

• Revagupti rāgam differs fromBhupalam only by thegāndhāram. It usesantara gāndhāram instead ofsadharana gāndhāram and itsārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S R1 G3 P D1 S : S D1 P G3 R1 S^[1][2]
• Bhauli rāgam uses an additionalnishadam in descending scale, in comparison to Revagupti above. Itsārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S R1 G3 P D1 S : S N3 D1 P G3 R1 S^[2]
• Karnataka Shuddha Saveri rāgam usesshuddha madhyamam in place ofsadharana gandharam ofBhupalam. Itsārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S R1 M1 P D1 S : S D1 P M1 R1 S

• Janya ragas

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from September 2021