This very rarely heard raga was created by Dr. Harikeshanallur Muthaiah Bhagavathar. It is an oudava – sampoorna ragam, without any vakra prayogas. It is also called ‘Hamsa deepakam’. The raga can be said to be a hybrid of Abhogi and Gowrimanohari ragas; it has all the notes of Abhogi in the arohanam and the Janaka raga in avarohanam. The ragaswaroopa can be represented as:
S R2 G2 M1 D2 S // S N3 D2 P M1 G2 R2 S
There are no alternate specifications given in any book. Due to its ascend and descend are based on the two ragas mentioned, in singing, the listener gets the tastes of both, predominantly that of Abhogi, as the purvanga in the avarohanam also being same. A very beautiful raga indeed; still do not understand why the later composers did not set their hands in this !!
As already mentioned, this raga was created by Dr.HMB, there are only two compositions by him only; out of which one only is somewhat popular.
Compositions:
Pancha vaktram - Dr. Muthaiah Bhagavathar
Shikhi vAhana - ,,, ,,,
We shall take up the composition, ‘shikhi vAhana’ for discussion. This composition is on Lord Murugan; also addressing the Lord with his different names, as can be seen from the lyrics:
“pallavi
shikhi vAhanA dEva sEnApatE
anupallavi
sukha rUpa ambikAbAlA mUlA aghanAshiva upadEsha IshA
caraNam
skandA shaNmukhA kArtikEyA guhA gaNanAtha sOdarA shrIkarA
Isha sutA harikEshapura vAsA dAsula brOcE bhUsurA varadA”
Sri. S.Rajam (disciple of Sri. Papanasam Sivan and whose birth centenary was celebrated in February, this year) has rendered this superbly, with a very good alapana, which is rarely heard anywhere else.