Grade 5

Question 1

(G5) What does Ubhaya mean?

Answer 1

Both arohanam and avarohanam

Question 2

(G5) What are the Gana ragams?

Answer 2

Ragas that lend themselves to singing or playing on an instrument in the vilamba, madhyama and duritha kalam. The Gana ragas are Nattai, Gowlai, Aarabi, Varali and Sri.

Question 3

(G5) What are Naya ragams?

Answer 3

Naya / Rakthi ragams lend themselves to elaborate alapana. They can be sung in 3 sthyais, and allow improvisation. Examples are Kalyani and Sankarabaranam.

Question 4

(G5) What are Desiya ragams?

Answer 4

Ragas that lend themselves to being sung with foreign ragas taking their flavour. Examples include Kaapi and Behag.

Question 5

(G5) What are Suddha ragas?

Answer 5

The 72 Melakartha ragas and the janya ragas strictly derived from them.

Question 6

(G5) What are the Chayalaka ragas?

Answer 6

Ragas where there are shades of foreign ragas. These ragas are also known as Salaka or Salanga ragas. Examples are Saranga and Sowrashtram.

Question 7

(G5) What are the Sankeerna ragas?

Answer 7

Sankeerna / misra / sangrama ragas are ragas that contain sancharas of several ragas in a large measure. Examples are Ahri and Dwijavanthi.

Question 8

(G5) What are Mithra ragas?

Answer 8

Ragas which all end the same way. An example is Gowlai, Reethi Gowlai, Kannad Gowlai, Mayamalavagowlai etc.

Question 9

(G5) What are the properties of a Varnam?

Answer 9

A varnam is a composition which portrays the beauty and individuality of a raga. It is often first in concerts, and is considered the link between Abyasa Gaana and Sabha Gaana. Varnams contain important sancharams of particular ragas. The sahityas of the varnams illustrate ideas of devotion or love.

Question 10

(G5) What are the anga variations of a varnam?

Answer 10

Pallavi, Anupallavi, Mukthayi swaram, Charanam / Upapallavi / Ettukadai Pallavi / Chittai Pallavi, Charana swaras / Ettukadai swaras / chittai swaras
Pallavi, Anupallavi, Mukthayi swaram = Poorvangam
Charanam, Chittai swaras = Uttarangam

Question 11

(G5) What are the 4 different types of varnams?

Answer 11

Tana varnams, pada varnams, padajati varnams, ragamalikai varnams

Question 12

(G5) Describe the differences between the different types of varnams.

Answer 12

Tana varnams are in the form of Tanams, where there will only be sahityam for the pallavi, anupallavi and charanam.
Pada / chowka varnams are for dance, and they are composed in Chowka / Madhyama Kalam. The swara part of the varnam is for the footwork, and the sahitya is for the abhinaya.
Padajati varnams are varnams that have jatis within the body of the varnam.
Ragimalikai varnams are varnams where each part of the varnam is in a differnet ragam.

Question 13

(G5) Name composers of Tana and Pada Varnams.

Answer 13

Tana Varnams - Shyama Sastri, Pallavi Gopala Ayyar
Pada Varnams - Ramaswamy Dikshitar, Muthuswamy Dikshitar

Question 14

(G5) Describe the properties of a Keerthanai.

Answer 14

Keerthanais come under the sacred musical form (Vaidika Ganam). The sahityam in keerhanais is about praising god. The sahiyam is more important than the swaras in keerthanais, The charanams are all sung to the same dhatu. Keerthanais gave birth to the kriti. There are 3 divisions in a keerthanai: pallavi, anupallavi and charanam. Chittai swarams and swara sahityas are not in keerthanai but madhayama kala sahityas may be found. Ragimalikai keerthanai may omit the anupallavi, and each part of the keerthanam is in a different ragam.

Question 15

(G5) Name composers of keerthanai.

Answer 15

Purandarasar, Papanasam Sivan

Question 16

(G5) Describe the properties of a swarajati.

Answer 16

Swarajatis have pleasing melodies. They help students learn varnams to their full potential by acting as a stepping stone. It contains a pallavi, anupallavi and charanam. A swarajathi has many charanams, set in different dhatus. The sahityam of swarajatis express bakthi, love and courage. Swarajatis fall under Abhyasa Gaanam, but some still may be used for dance. The swarajati was moulded into a concert musical form by Shyama Sastri by deleting the element of Jathi in it. The 3 Shyama Sastri swarajatis are composed in Bhairavi, Todi and Yathukulakhamboji.

Question 17

(G5) Name composers of swarajatis.

Answer 17

Shyama Sastri, Swati Tirunal