Varnam in Carnatic Music

The classical music of South India is called Carnatic music or Carnatic sangeet. Carnatic music is one of the treasures of world music and has a long history and heritage. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka are south Indian states where Carnatic Sangeet has flourished. These states are renowned for giving Dravidian culture a powerful portrayal. According to some, Purandaradasa (1480–1564) is the originator of Carnatic music. He deserves all the credit for codifying the Carnatic music technique. Additionally, he is credited with writing thousands of songs. Venkat Mukhi Swami is yet another outstanding name connected to Carnatic music. He is revered as the founder of Carnatic music theory. Additionally, he created the "Melankara" system for categorizing south Indian ragas.

The Carnatic performance is divided into several parts. A composition called Varanam is typically played to open a recital. In plain English, it is a description. The Purvanga, or first half, and the Uttaranga, or second half, make up Varanam. The compositions of the kritis are set in the rag. There is little room for diversity, and their composers are well known. The "Alapana" provides a technique to explain the Ragam to the audience while also giving the performer a lot of creative freedom. Ragam is a form of unaccompanied, free-form melodic improvisation. Tanam is yet another form of free rhythmic melodic improvisation. Pallavi is a brief pre-written musical theme with text that is set to one cycle of tala.

Varnam Music

There are several sections in the varnam:

Pallavi: The Varnam's opening verse, which may be sung without lyrics or with them.

A form of recapitulation that is sung with lyrics or sahitya as well.

Sung entirely in syllables, or swaras, such as s (sa) r (Ri) g (ga) m (ma) p (pa) d (da) n (ni) (sa), in Muktaayi or Ettugade (this is the higher version of the normal one). It is referred to as Muktaayi Swara-Sahitya in the Pada Varnas.

Charanam: Lyric-based song

Ettugadda or Chitta Swara Swaram: A song that is only syllables long. Lyrics that match the Charanam swaras can be found in a Pada varnam. Several groups of stanzas contain the swaras.

The Book Sangeeta Bala Padam Vol II contains all the forms and classifications of Varnams such as Ata tala, Adi tala, Pancha nadai varnam etc.

There are several carnatic music varnam lessons available in audio type as well frequently found in the internet.

Varnam in Bharatanatyam

The most captivating, intriguing, and difficult piece in a bharatanatyam recital is called Varnam. It is a show-stopper where the dancer's skill is on display.

Bhava, Raaga, and Taala are perfectly timed, providing the dancer plenty of opportunity to showcase her rhythmic abilities as well as a rich and varied abhinaya. Since it is the longest and most difficult piece, it also serves as a gauge for one of the "Dashapraanas'' (the 10 essential qualities of a good dancer), endurance, as the dancer uses her feet to move to the Adavu-Jatis, her hands and hastas to convey the song's meaning, and her subtle facial expressions to express her feeling (inner emotion).

Varnam is an approximately 45–1 hour long piece that evokes feelings of beauty, grandeur, and profundity while illuminating the shifting emotions of love for the protagonist who is a God. Shringaar Bhakti, or devotion through love, is the prevailing attitude.

List of Varnams in Carnatic Music

Among the Adi Tala varnams are:

Telugu song "Sami Ninne" in the Shree ragam was written by Karur Devudu Iyer.

Telugu version of Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar's "Ninnukori" in the Mohanam ragam

"Evvari Bodhana" in Abhogi ragam, sung in Telugu by Patnam Subramania Iyer

"Era Naapai" in Todi ragam, a Telugu song by Patnam Subramania Iyer

Among the Ata Tala varnams are:

"Viriboni" in Telugu by Pacchimiriam Adiyappa in the Bhairavi ragam

"Nera Nammiti" in Telugu by Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar's Kaanada raagam.

Sankarabharanam in Telugu by Swati Tirunal's "Chalamela"

According to legend, the only longer composition with jantai and dhatu prayogas is the Arabhi ragam varnam.

Because the chitta swara has two different forms of sahitya ordered according to it, the "Mathe Malayadhwaja" by Harikesanalloor Mutthiah Bhasgavatar is a special varnam.

The first is a piece of rhythmic poetry that describes the monarch and uses the Raaja mudra, while the second is a lilting representation of the Solkattu swara performed by dancers who are trained in Bharatanatyam.