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Module 6: Musical forms · Lesson 3

Padam, javali, tillana and ragamalika

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Beyond the kriti

Carnatic concerts and dance recitals also use shorter or lighter forms. Many were created for dance, especially Bharatanatyam, but they are sung in concerts too.

Padam

A Padam is a slow, expressive song. Its theme is love and longing, which in the tradition stand for the soul’s longing for the divine. Padams are performed in dance, where the dancer acts out the feelings, and in concerts. Kshetrayya (also written Kshetrajna) is one of the best known padam composers; the NIOS Carnatic music book lists him among the famous padam composers.

Javali

A Javali is a lighter, faster relative of the padam, with a romantic theme. It is popular in both music and dance concerts, and in a concert it is a post-pallavi item, coming late in the programme, when the mood is more relaxed.

Tillana

A Tillana is a lively, rhythmic piece that uses syllables such as “tillana” in place of words, with a short section of text towards the end. It is often placed near the end of a concert and is also a regular part of dance recitals. It is considered to be related to the Tarana of North Indian music.

Ragamalika

A Ragamalika is a “garland of ragas”: a composition in which different sections are set in different ragas, one after another. It shows a composer’s or performer’s range and gives the audience a tour of several ragas in one piece.

A summary of the forms so far

FormMood and use
Gitam, swarajati, varnamtraining pieces; the varnam also opens concerts
Kriti, kirtanadevotional songs, the core of the concert
Padam, javaliexpressive love-themed songs, for dance and late in concerts
Tillanarhythmic closing piece
Ragamalikaa song in several ragas

The remaining forms are not fixed songs at all: they are improvised.

References for this page

Type at least two letters. Try a raga name, a tala, or a word like "gamaka".