HAMSANANDHI ....alias......S o h n i

Click at the Title at listen to thunder and lightning and sounds of drops of rain.

H a m s a n a n a n d h i ...Sohni

Skies initially close dark.

Like the pursued lips of an adamant child.

Then open up.

Like a relenting mother full of warmth.

A drophere. A drop there.

Now it is slightly tuttering more.

It is now rhythmic.

Ta ta takajum takajum.

Now it is faster with the droplets turning heavier.

Ta ti klangujam. Tak a tik klaungujam.

A flash strikesacross. A heavy sound pierces the frightened ears.

tatin ki na thom.

he trees sway.

tatin ki na thom. tatin ki na thom.

It is the heavydownpour spattering down on the earth.

That is the only sound you cannow hear.
That is now you hear these swaras

Arokan : S G M D N S r S

Avro : S N D M G r S

Yes. You guessed it right.

The splendour and vibrancy of rain is whatyou feel when you hear Hamsanandhi.

Known by the name Sohni in HCM, it has a slightly different sur track in the avrokan.

Like most of theragas in HCM it takes the shape of a vakra raga:
Arokan : S G M D N S r S

Avro : N S D N D G M D M G M G r S

Very beautiful, is it not?

Could you have forgotten "kuhu kuhu bole koyaliyaa" from SwanaSundari?

Or the nasal Mukesh's "jhoomti chali hava" in Tansesn?

very romantically and aesthetically pricturised sequence in Mughal EAzam has the rendering "Prem Jogan ban ja" in the true HCMclassical style to suit the "zannat jaisa" newly found love ofDilip Kumar and Madhubala.

In Tamil films, there have been very remarkable songs based on Hamsanandhi. The shrill and high pitched voice of Janaki was heard at,perhaps, one of her best playbacks, in "Ninaithal podhum paaduven"in the Sivaji starrer Nenjirukkum varai. Perhaps MSV thought only shecould justify the top octvave of the raga when he again chose the sameJanaki for the song "Aanayitten nerungathe" in Punnagai.The debutante singer desperate to hold back a dispersing crowd to hearhis melodious decibels - which raga would fit the bill better thanthis one? Ilayaraja chose Hamsanandhi for the sequence in "Payanangal Mudivathillai" and created the immortal song "Raga deepam yetrumneram". The passionate side of the sur pattern was brought outequally well by Raja in the duet, "rathiriyil poothirukum" inThangamagan. The emotionally charged climatic sequence ofK.Viswanath's master piece Salangai Oli (Sagara Sangamam in Telegu)utilized this raga with the song, "Vedam anuvilum or naadam"

When the rains cease, they leave the mind filled up to the brim. Itcannot take anything more. Hamsandhi does the same with the listner.