S-rR-m-P-dD-S

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A truly strange scale, Kanakangi is a recent import from the South, derived from the very first raga on the Carnatic melakarta wheel. As such, all 7 generic swaras are set to their lowest possible positions: a principle which, under Hindustani axioms, would produce Bhairavi (SrgmPdnS) – however the Carnatic swara-system allows for ‘double-komal’ forms of ga and ni, enharmonic with the Northern shuddha Re and Dha positions. Thus, Kanakangi is equivalent to ‘Bhairavi double-komal ga & ni’ (SrRmPdDS) – with Bhairavi’s ‘poorvang=uttarang’ quality being retained (i.e. Kanakangi’s SrRm & PdDS both take the same interval pattern of ‘1-1-3’: compare to other ‘Pa-repeating’ ragas). Few Northern artists have yet attempted its challenging chromatic clusters, with the only recent renditions I can find coming from sitarist Rushikesh Joshi, violinist Ajit Sengupta, and Dhrupad vocalist Ribhu Sanyal. However, Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan seems to have performed it as early as the 1950s – and the raga also appears to have been present in the Dagar lineage for some time: Bahauddin Dagar described in a 2021 interview how “one of my father’s cousins, Fahimuddin Dagar, knew a composition in the raga Kanakangi in Dhrupad…we can adapt to anything” – and Ocean of Ragas includes analysis of a Bahauddin rendition, noting that he tends to use shuddha Re & Dha in ascent and their komal equivalents in descent, thus allowing for shades of Durga and Gunkali. Initially, I couldn’t find any of Bahauddin recordings – but in March 2026 Kaushik Balantrapu kindly sent me a link to a fantastic full-length rendition from a 1998 French-release album (along with Vardhini: with the pair described in the liner notes as “two of the most difficult and rarest ragas ever played”). Rao’s 1965 Raga Nidhi Vol.3 states, without elaborating, that “Kanakangi corresponds to the ancient Mukhari scale” (update coming soon!). For further inspiration, listen to the original Carnatic incarnation, as well as a melodious filmi setting from 1991’s Ganamela which leans into the sequence’s bluesy possibilities – and compare to other ‘7-swara audavs’ including Jog Tilang (SgGmPnNS: the ‘reversal’ of Kanakangi’s scale form) and Rasikpriya (SgGMPnNS: the 64th and final Carnatic mela, with all swaras set to their highest positions).

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राग कनकंगी

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• Hindustani Raga Index •

Aroha: e.g. SRmPDS

Avroh: e.g. SdPmrS

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Chalan: e.g. SDS, DrS, dmPD, DS, DDS, RrS, rS DrS; SRm, mr, rS, SRm, mP, dmP, mP, mr, rS, mRrS; SRm, mP, rrS, RmP, PR, RrSDrS, SRmP, mPD, DmP, mPDS, DSRrS, DmPdP, ddP, mPdPMm, mr, rS, Dd, dPm, mrS, DS, Dr, rS (Dagar)

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—Bahauddin Dagar (1998)—

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[alap, e.g. 11:45] D(S), D(SD)rS, D(SDS), (S)R, (R)m, m(R), mmR, rS, (S)R, S(mR)m, m(R), D(SrS), RrS…

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• Classifiers •

Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag List):

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Swaras: -4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10+

Sapta: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Poorvang: SRGM | SRG | SRM | SGM

Uttarang: PDNS | PDS | PNS | DNS

Varjit: Re | Ga | Ma | Pa | Dha | Ni

Thaat: 10 | 32 | Enclosed | Inexact

Chal: All-shuddha | All-komal | Ma-tivra

Gaps: Anh. | Hemi. | 3-row | 4-row | 5-row

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Aroha: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Avroh: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Jati: Equal | Balanced | Av.+1 | Av.+2

Samay: Morning | Aftern. | Eve. | Night

Construction: Jod | Mishra | Oddball

Origin: Ancient | Carnatic | Modern

Dominance: Poorvang | Uttarang

Prevalence: A-list | Prachalit | Aprach.

• Prakriti: (none found)

Also see other ragas matching the generic swaras ‘Sa-Re-Ma-Pa-Dha‘

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–rR–m–P–dD–S

• Reverse: SgGmPnNS (=Jog Tilang)

• Complement: SgGMnNS

• Imperfect: 2 (dha, Dha)

• Detached: 0

• Symmetries: none

• Murchanas: Basant set

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• Quirks: ‘Pa-repeating‘ (poorvang and uttarang take the same ‘semitone shape’)

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–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: Kanakangi (mela #1)

S-R₁-G₁-M₁-P-D₁-N₁-S

• Jazz: Phrygian bb3 bb7

1-b2-bb3-4-5-b6-bb7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-1-2-5-7-8-9-0

(1–1–3–2–1–1–3)

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o o o • • o • o o o • • o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa (variable: e.g. Bahauddin Dagar uses Sa-ma)

• Names: Kanakangi

• Transliterations: Hindi (कनकंगी); Punjabi (ਕਨਕੰਗੀ); Kannada (ಕನಕಾಂಗಿ); Malayalam (കനകാംഗി); Tamil (கனகாங்கி); Telugu (കനകാംഗി)

—Rushikesh Joshi (2021)—