Abstract

Carnatic music is a vast classical art form of India, prevalent in the southern part of India. The varṇam is one of the many compositional forms in Carnatic music and holds a special place, as it serves both as a practice composition and a concert piece. A rāgamālika varṇam is a type of varṇam in which different sections are set to different rāgās. A Ghanarāgamālika varṇam is one that is composed using the ghana rāgās. This paper examines such ghanarāgamālika varṇams composed by Andhra Vaggēyakārās, with detailed attention to their musical structure, rāga usage, ornamentation, talas employed, rhythmic complexities, sahitya, compositional style and the aesthetic principles involved in combining multiple rāgās within a single compositional framework. The study seeks to promote these understudied varṇams within the vast Carnatic music repertoire.