Karaharapriya - what a raga !

Karaharapriya, I don't know what this name means, but listening to it evokes a sense of classicism and elegance. It is something that cannot be expressed in just words here. One needs to listen to it to savour it to get into the mood of it.

My association with this raga goes back to my childhood. Come December season, and we were forced to attend various concerts across the city. Sulking and grumbling, we used to pack loads of comics and attend them along with our parents just for the sake of it. I can imagine how embarassing it would have been - sitting amidst connoisseurs and rasikas of Carnatic music in the hall and groping thro' pages of Tintin, Superman or Amar Chitra Katha comics ! Other than identifying ragas, I was not able to appreciate the beauty of Carnatic music as much as I do it now. It was not that I was not interested in it, but i just was not old (matured would be a better term, I guess) enough to relish it at that time. But this was one raga that had always captured my attention since childhood. Either I used to delve into the comic book or doze off on my mom's lap ! (You should remember that all this was when I was a kid :) ). I can still remember this raga subconsciously weaving thro' my mind be it me sleeping or not. I had listened to this raga innumerable times sung by lots of people during a particular season that I longed for more of it. Yeah, I had got myself addicted to it !

Anytime I listen to a song in this raga now, I remember those days of the sleepy afternoon, the air-conditioned hall, the packed audience, snoring of some old guy nearby enjoying his siesta to the fullest and the strains of this raga enchanting almost every single person present there (I hope that was a good picturization for you !). The only difference between then and now is that neither do I embarass my parents or the artist by bringing comics to the concert nor do i snooze off ! :)

I had wanted to always learn songs in this raga. You can imagine my excitement when my teacher offered me to teach Mitri Baagyame, a song composed by St. Thyagaraja in this raga. It is such a wonderful song that I keep humming it whenever I think of it.

Below is a film song in this raga. (blending with a lot of foreign notes, of course! ). Leave out the initial alapana (its not in this raga). The main lines of this song in Karaharapriya is simply just beautiful and addictive !

I'm sure you're curious to know what this song is. Let your ears soak in this enchanting melody. Go ahead, click on the Play button...

ps:
for the puritans : With mp3 downloads banned in my college internet lab and non-availability of any Carnatic song in this raga on my lappie, I had no other choice but this one. :)

for others : I'm sure it was quite a treat for you ! :)