Janya raga · parent: 28. Harikambhoji

Mohanam

● Confidence: high Last verified: 12 Oct 2026

Scale

Derived from the printed scale: audava in both ascent and descent (5 notes up, 5 down); M and N are omitted (varjya) in both directions; upanga (only notes of its parent).

Beginner's explanation

Mohanam is a janya raga : it is derived from the melakarta Harikambhoji (number 28), which means it takes its notes from that parent's scale. It uses only notes of its parent, so it is an Upanga raga.

Going up, its notes are S R2 G3 P D2 S'; coming down, S' D2 P G3 R2 S. Its ascent and descent each use 5 different notes (Audava ). Notes of the parent that it leaves out are Varjya : M and N in both directions.

If Sa is C on a keyboard, the notes it uses fall on C, D, E, G, A. This only shows where the notes sit: a raga is more than its notes, and its ornaments and phrases are not shown here.

A bit deeper

Its parent. Mohanam is placed under Harikambhoji (melakarta 28) by karnatik.com, the source for this page's parent. Of the parent's seven notes it does not use M1 and N2.

Other possible parents. Because Mohanam leaves out some notes, 4 melakartas contain every one of its notes (Harikambhoji, Dheerasankarabharanam, Vachaspati and Mechakalyani). Books usually pick one by convention, and different books can pick differently.

Why start here? How likely you are to meet it

●○○ (rating 1 of 3: 1 = met very often)

Rating 1 of 3 (editorial, a rough guide to how often you are likely to meet this raga): karnatik.com's tally of compositions per raga (based on a list of 38,000 songs) gives it 836, one of the most-composed ragas. A 1 means met very often and 3 means met rarely. It says nothing about how hard the raga is to sing, which depends on its ornaments and is not rated here. The tally counts songs by raga name and dates from 2011.

Characteristic features

Key notes, characteristic phrases and ornaments are not recorded here yet: they could not be confirmed from two sources, and this site leaves them out rather than guess.

Where the notes sit

Related ragas

• 28. Harikambhoji

Compare with another raga

Notable compositions (titles only)

Songs listed for this raga on karnatik.com by composers covered on this site. Lists are community-compiled, so a missing song does not mean it does not exist. Talas are as the source names them; no lyrics are reproduced.

Annamacharya

• Ceri Yashodaku Adi

Muthuswami Dikshitar

• Gopika Manoharam Adi·Sanskrit
• Kadambaripriyayai Chapu·Sanskrit
• Nagalingam Namami Adi·Sanskrit
• Narasimhagaccha Chapu·Sanskrit
• Pahimam Parvati Rupaka·Sanskrit
• Rajagopalam Bhajeham Rupaka·Sanskrit
• Rakta Ganapatim Adi·Sanskrit
• Rakta Ganapatim Bhajeham Adi·Sanskrit

Papanasam Sivan

• Ennai Vittodadeda Adi·Tamil
• Kana Aval Adi·Tamil
• Kapali Karunai Nilavu Tamil
• Mayil Vahana Tamil
• Mohana Shrngara Tamil
• Narayana Divya Tamil
• Parulagil Uzhanru Kannigal Adi·Tamil
• Saundarya Vellam Tamil
• Tudikkaiyanai Ni Adi·Tamil

Purandara Dasa

• Acyutananta Govindanemba Chapu·Kannada
• Ajnanigala Kude Kannada
• Akka Nandagopana Adi·Kannada
• Amma Nimma Maga Ata·Kannada
• Ande Nirnayisidaru Adi·Kannada
• Avaga Nene Chapu·Kannada
• Baramma Navibbaraduva Ata·Kannada
• Baro Ninenna Adi·Kannada
• Beda Para Sati Kannada
• Bide Ninna Ata·Kannada
• Dvarakapurada Kannada
• Eke Vrndavana Kannada
• Enanittu Meccisuveno Adi·Kannada
• Enenu Madidarenu Triputa·Kannada
• Etti Kolle Ata·Kannada
• Hamsa Ninnali Ata·Kannada
• Hanuma Namma Tayi Ata·Kannada
• Hanumana Bhima Eka·Kannada
• Hari Kathamrta Ata·Kannada
• Hariye Kuniyendu Ata·Kannada
• Jaliya Maravante Ata·Kannada
• Jnanavonde Saku Ata·Kannada
• Kandu Kandu Kannada
• Karunabdi Ninante Adi·Kannada
• Krsna Baro Chapu·Kannada
• Ma Majha Bapure Ata·Kannada
• Mandagamane Ivan Ata·Kannada
• Maratiyeno Ranga Eka·Kannada
• Mella Mellane Adi·Kannada
• Muddu Kodo Chapu·Kannada
• Nadamatu Beda Ata·Kannada
• Nandanandana Baro Adi·Kannada
• Nilla Bekayya Ata·Kannada
• Nineke Kade Ata·Kannada
• Ninna Daya Ata·Kannada
• Ninna Divya Ata·Kannada
• Ninna Nambide Niraja Triputa·Kannada
• Ranga Baro Krsna Eka·Kannada
• Ranga Baro Ranga Ata·Kannada
• Ranganayaka Svami Ata·Kannada
• Satige Svatantrava Chapu·Kannada
• Shri Madhvarayara Triputa·Kannada
• Suddi Kelamma Ata·Kannada
• Tappugalellava Adi·Kannada
• Vaidya Banda Adi·Kannada
• Visayada Vicara Ata·Kannada

Swati Tirunal

• Cintaye Padmanabha Chapu
• Krpa Kataksam Jhampa
• Mohanam Tava Adi
• Pankaja Nabhotsava Chapu
• Paripahi Mam Chapu
• Seve Shri Padmanbham Jhampa

Tyagaraja

• Bhavanuta Na Adi·Telugu
• Dayarani Dayarani Adi·Telugu
• Enduko Baga Teliyadu Adi·Telugu
• Evarura Ninnu Vina Telugu
• Jayamangalam Nitya Shubhamangalam Jhampa·Telugu
• Mati Matiki Telugu
• Mohana Rama Adi·Telugu
• Nanu Palimpa Adi·Telugu
• Rama Rama Rama Rama Telugu
• Vedavakyamani Triputa·Telugu

How this was checked

• Sources agree: Scale of Mohanam: ascent S R2 G3 P D2 S'; descent S' D2 P G3 R2 S. Sources: Royal Carpet: Carnatic Ragas; List of Janya ragas. The ascent and descent printed by karnatik.com match the scale in Wikipedia's table.
• Sources agree: Mohanam is a janya of melakarta number 28, Harikambhoji. Sources: Royal Carpet: Carnatic Ragas; Royal Carpet: Introduction to Carnatic Raga (the melakarta ragas). Parent per karnatik.com. Consistency check: every note of the raga is in the parent's scale (the parent's own scale is confirmed in two sources).