Ragas · reference · 5 min read

Raga Hamsadhwani

Five notes, one of the brightest sounds in Indian music

Hamsadhwani is a five-note raga from the Carnatic tradition, using Sa, Re, Ga, Pa and Ni, or C D E G B with Sa as C. It often opens Carnatic concerts; hear its bright, devotional character by playing the notes over C and G, noticing B resolving to C.

By SJN, Founder, BeatRootRaga · Reviewed by BRR · Last reviewed 26 Sept 2026

The five notes of Hamsadhwani

Hamsadhwani uses Sa, Re, Ga, Pa and Ni. These are sargam, the note syllables used to name its pitches. A five-note raga is called audava. All five notes here are shuddha, meaning natural, and the same notes appear going up and coming down.

Ascending: Sa Re Ga Pa Ni Sa'
Descending: Sa' Ni Pa Ga Re Sa

Sa' marks the upper Sa. Notice that neither direction includes Ma or Dha.

With Sa as C, ascending: C D E G B C.
With Sa as C, descending: C B G E D C.

Compared with a major scale, Hamsadhwani leaves out Ma and Dha, the fourth and sixth degrees. Keep Ni: with Sa as C, that means B, not the A of the common major pentatonic scale.

Carnatic origins and Hindustani adoption

Hamsadhwani comes from the Carnatic tradition of South India. It is credited to Ramaswami Dikshitar, an 18th century composer and the father of Muthuswami Dikshitar. Its Northern life came later, after Hindustani musicians adopted it.

In Carnatic theory, Hamsadhwani is a janya, meaning a derived raga. Its parent is Dheerasankarabharanam, the 29th melakarta, or parent scale, whose notes match the Western major scale. Hamsadhwani uses five of those notes, leaving out Ma and Dha.

Muthuswami Dikshitar’s Vatapi Ganapatim is a kriti, a composition, in Hamsadhwani that praises Ganesha. It is one of the most common Carnatic concert openers. For many listeners, this piece is their first meeting with the raga, linking its sound with the start of a concert.

Hindustani musicians adopted Hamsadhwani from the South in the 20th century. It is now played in the North as well, usually in the evening. So its origins are Carnatic, but its use extends to both traditions.

The nearest Western scale

With Sa set to C, Hamsadhwani uses C D E G B, returning to C above. The nearest Western description is a major scale with its fourth and sixth degrees, or scale positions, removed.

C major: C D E F G A B C.
Hamsadhwani: C D E G B C. Leave out F and A, corresponding to Ma and Dha.
Common C major pentatonic, a five-note scale: C D E G A C.

The difference is B rather than A: Ni rather than Dha. Hamsadhwani is not the common major pentatonic scale. Its Ni acts as a leading note, pulling upward toward the higher Sa. That pull gives the raga its bright, forward-leaning sound.

The sound and character of Hamsadhwani

That upward pull gives Hamsadhwani much of its forward motion. Ni leads towards Sa, the home note, so the brightness comes from more than simply having five notes. With Sa as C, B is the note to listen for: its pull towards C helps explain the raga's bright, forward-leaning sound.

Vatapi Ganapatim, Muthuswami Dikshitar's kriti, or composition, in praise of Ganesha, offers a devotional example of Hamsadhwani. The raga's character is also described as festive. Those descriptions sit alongside each other: brightness need not mean a mood without devotion.

Hamsadhwani also works well on instruments with a strong upper register, meaning the higher part of their range. The phrase Ga Pa Ni Sa' takes you towards that higher home note, with Ni drawing the line upward.

Performance time and concert openings

Hamsadhwani has two performance contexts worth keeping separate. In Hindustani music, the North Indian tradition, it is usually played in the evening. Musicians adopted it from the South in the 20th century.

In Carnatic music, the South Indian tradition where Hamsadhwani originated, many listeners meet it at the start of a concert. Muthuswami Dikshitar's Vatapi Ganapatim is central to that connection. This kriti, or composition, praises Ganesha and is one of the most common Carnatic concert openers.

The distinction is between time of day and place in a programme. An evening performance describes the usual Hindustani setting. A concert opening describes where Vatapi Ganapatim often sits in a Carnatic programme, rather than specifying an hour.

The raga's festive, devotional character fits that opening context. For a musician, Vatapi Ganapatim offers a named composition to connect with the five notes, rather than hearing Hamsadhwani only as a scale.

Practice phrases over Sa and Pa

Start with a sustained Sa and Pa beneath these three phrases. With Sa as C, those held notes are C and G. Sa is your home note. An apostrophe marks the upper octave, so Sa' is the higher Sa. A dot after a note marks the lower octave, so Ni. sits below your home Sa.

Sa Re Ga Pa, Ga Re Sa.

Play slowly over the held notes. Hear the return through Ga and Re to your home Sa.

Ga Pa Ni Sa', Ni Pa Ga.

Listen for Ni pulling upward to Sa'. Repeat that pair before playing the whole phrase again.

Sa' Ni Pa Ga Re Sa, Ni. Sa.

Descend from the upper Sa, then hear the lower Ni resolve upward to your home Sa.

How to hear Hamsadhwani

Now listen to the whole shape rather than just the arrival. With Sa as C, play C D E G B C, then return through the same notes. Notice the B: Hamsadhwani uses it instead of the A found in C major pentatonic, the common five-note major scale.

Sa Re Ga Pa, Ga Re Sa

These are sargam syllables, the names used for notes. Play this phrase over sustained C and G, then sing it back.

BeatRootRaga does not yet have a labelled Hamsadhwani recording in its catalogue. For now, use these notes and phrases as listening exercises. A recording link will follow when one is published.

For context, read our plain-language guide to what a raga is. For note names, use Sa Re Ga Ma: sargam explained for beginners. Another related guide is Raga Bhoop (Mohanam).

Questions people ask

What are the notes of Raga Hamsadhwani?

Hamsadhwani is audava, meaning a five-note raga. Its sargam, or note syllables, are Sa, Re, Ga, Pa and Ni, all shuddha, meaning natural. With Sa as C, these are C D E G B. It uses the same notes ascending and descending, leaving out Ma and Dha entirely.

Is Hamsadhwani Carnatic or Hindustani, and who created it?

Hamsadhwani originated in Carnatic music and is credited to Ramaswami Dikshitar, an 18th century composer and father of Muthuswami Dikshitar. It is a janya, or derived raga, of Dheerasankarabharanam, whose notes match the Western major scale. Hindustani musicians adopted it from the South in the 20th century, so it now belongs to both traditions.

Is Hamsadhwani the major pentatonic scale?

No. With Sa as C, Hamsadhwani uses C D E G B, while the common major pentatonic scale uses C D E G A. The nearest Western description is a major scale without its fourth and sixth degrees, meaning scale positions. Hamsadhwani keeps Ni, or B here, whose pull towards C helps give the raga its forward motion.

When is Hamsadhwani performed, and why does it open Carnatic concerts?

In Hindustani music, Hamsadhwani is usually performed in the evening. In Carnatic music, Muthuswami Dikshitar's composition Vatapi Ganapatim, in praise of Ganesha, is one of the most common concert openers. That composition is a major reason listeners encounter Hamsadhwani at the start of concerts.

How do I practise and hear Hamsadhwani?

Hold Sa and Pa beneath your playing, using C and G when Sa is C. Play Sa Re Ga Pa, Ga Re Sa. Then try Ga Pa Ni Sa', Ni Pa Ga, where the apostrophe marks the higher octave. Finish by resolving Ni to Sa, listening for B pulling towards C.

Keep going

What is a raga? A plain-language guide for listeners · A raga is a melodic framework in Indian classical music for creating pieces and inventing melody during performance. Listen for four things: which notes appear, how the melody moves, where the musician lingers, and which short phrases return.