The 72 Melakarta Ragas, Made Simple
By Teacher Nanthini · 25 July 2026 · 6 min read
Not 72 things to memorise. One system that generates 72 answers.
Okay. Seventy-two ragas. I know exactly how that sounds, and I promise it is genuinely not as scary as it looks. The Melakarta system is honestly the most organised, most logical thing in all of Carnatic music, and once it clicks, it is kind of beautiful. Let me walk you through it.
Here is the big reframe: this is not a list to memorise. It is a system that generates answers.
What even is a Melakarta raga?
A Melakarta raga is a parent raga, also called a janaka raga. To qualify, it has to follow two strict rules, and that is honestly the whole secret. Every raga that follows both rules is a Melakarta. Every raga that breaks either one is something else, a janya raga, a child raga.
The two rules, that is it
First, it must contain all seven swaras, no skipping any. Second, those swaras must appear in strict ascending order going up and strict descending order coming down, no zigzagging.
Why exactly 72, and not some other number?
This is where it gets satisfying. Several of the swaras have more than one possible version. Ri, Ga, Ma, Dha and Ni can each be sung at slightly different pitches, while Sa and Pa stay fixed. When you work through every valid combination of those variants, following the two rules above, you land on exactly 72 possibilities. Not 71, not 73. Seventy-two, every time.
So nobody sat down and invented 72 ragas. The system produced them. That is why the number feels arbitrary until you see the maths, and then it feels inevitable.
Nobody invented 72 ragas. The system produced them.
Did you know?
The names of the Melakarta ragas actually encode their own numbers, using a clever old scheme called katapayadi. The first syllables of the name tell you exactly which number in the 72 it is. It is basically a built-in filing system, invented centuries before databases existed.
Do you need to memorise all 72?
Short answer, no. Genuinely, no. Most performing musicians work regularly with a much smaller set, and beginners work with fewer still. The point of learning about the Melakarta system is not memorisation, it is understanding the logic that organises everything.
Once you get how the system works, new ragas stop feeling like random collections of notes and start slotting into a map you already understand. That is a proper level up.
What this actually gives you
A mental framework. Instead of treating every new raga as something to memorise from scratch, you start recognising family resemblances and structural patterns. Learning gets faster, and honestly a lot more interesting.
🎧 No memorising required
Nothing to study at home. This is background understanding that builds slowly through the ragas you actually sing in class.
If the system fascinates you, ask your teacher which Melakarta a song you are learning belongs to. Just out of curiosity, never as a task.
Come explore the map
The Melakarta system is one of those things that sounds intimidating from outside and feels genuinely elegant from inside. Come learn with us, sing the ragas, and watch the map assemble itself in your head without you even trying.
Words to know
Melakarta, a parent raga containing all seven swaras in strict ascending and descending order.
Janaka raga, another term for a parent raga, the same as Melakarta.
Janya raga, a child raga derived from a Melakarta, which may skip notes or zigzag.
Arohanam, the ascending sequence of notes in a raga.
Avarohanam, the descending sequence of notes in a raga.
Katapayadi, the old naming scheme that encodes a Melakarta raga's number in its name.
Your questions, answered
What is a Melakarta raga?
A Melakarta raga is a parent raga that contains all seven swaras in strict ascending order going up and strict descending order coming down, with no skipped or zigzagging notes. There are exactly 72 of them.
Why are there exactly 72 Melakarta ragas?
Because several swaras have multiple pitch variants while Sa and Pa stay fixed. Working through every valid combination that satisfies the two structural rules produces exactly 72 possibilities, no more and no fewer.
Do students need to memorise all 72 Melakarta ragas?
No. Most musicians work regularly with a much smaller set, and beginners with fewer still. The value of the system is understanding the logic that organises ragas, not memorising the full list.
What is the katapayadi scheme?
Katapayadi is an old encoding system where the first syllables of a Melakarta raga's name reveal its number within the 72. It functions as a built-in index for the whole system.
Curious to explore the ragas properly?
Send us a message on WhatsApp, and we will help you or your child begin, online, or here with us in Puchong.
💬 WhatsApp Us
Teacher Nanthini
Teacher Nanthini teaches veena and Carnatic vocal at Laxmi Music Academy in Puchong. With a warm, encouraging style, she loves guiding beginners through their very first notes, turning nervous starts into real, joyful music.
