Harikambhoji (Sanskrit: हरिकाम्भोजि, Tamil: ஹரிகாம்போஜி) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 28th Melakarta rāgam (parent scale) in the 72 melakarta rāgam system.
Khamaj thaat of Hindustani Music is the equivalent to this rāgam [1] [2] . It is known as Harikedāragowla in the Muthuswami Dikshitar school of music [1] [2] .
It is the 4th rāgam in the 5th chakra Bana. The mnemonic name is Bana-Bhu. The mnemonic phrase is sa ri gu ma pa dhi ni [1] . Its structure is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):
(notes used in this scale are chathusruthi rishabham, antara gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, chathusruthi dhaivatham, kaisiki nishadham)
It is a sampoorna rāgam - rāgam having all 7 swarams. It is the shuddha madhyamam equivalent of Vachaspati, which is the 64th melakarta.
Harikambhoji has a lot of janya rāgams (derived rāgams) associated with it, of which Kambhoji is by far the most famous and frequently sung in concerts. The globally famous pentatonic scale Mohanam is also considered a janya of this rāgam. Andholika, Bahudari, Kamaas, Kedaragowla, Natakurinji, Navarasa kannada, Sahana, Senchuruti, Suruti and Yadukula kambhoji are also very popular janyas.
See List of janya rāgams for a full list of Harikambhoji's janya rāgams.
Among the Trinity of Carnatic music only Thyagaraja has composed songs in Harikambhoji. Ramanannu brovara, Entara neethana and Dinamani vamsa are very popular songs composed by Thyagaraja in this rāgam. Enadu manam kavalai, a composition by Papanasam Sivan, is also popular.
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.
Harikambhoji's notes when shifted using Graha bedham, yields 5 other major melakarta rāgams, namely, Kalyani, Sankarabharanam, Natabhairavi, Kharaharapriya and Hanumatodi. For further details and an illustration refer related rāgams section in Shankarabharanam page.