UPSC Prelims 2026 Q1: Carnatic Equivalent of Raga Bilawal — Explained
Which one of the following Carnatic music ragas is similar to Raga Bilawal in Hindustani music?
- Nat Bhairavi
- Kamavardhini
- Hanumatodi
- Dheera Shankarabharanam
Answer: (d) Dheera Shankarabharanam
Statement-wise explanation
- a: incorrect — Natabhairavi is the 20th melakarta. It uses komal (flat) Ga, Dha and Ni, so it matches Asavari thaat in Hindustani music, which is the same as the Western natural minor scale. The name contains 'Bhairavi', but that does not make it Bilawal, or even Hindustani Bhairavi.
- b: incorrect — Kamavardhini, also called Pantuvarali, is the 51st melakarta. It has komal Re, tivra (sharp) Ma and komal Dha, so it matches Purvi thaat. Bilawal has none of these altered notes.
- c: incorrect — Hanumatodi is the 8th melakarta. It has komal Re, Ga, Dha and Ni, so it matches Bhairavi thaat, not Bilawal. Do not confuse it with Hindustani Todi, which has a tivra Ma and matches a different melakarta, Shubhapantuvarali (45th).
- d: correct — Dheerashankarabharanam is the 29th melakarta. It uses only natural notes: the higher Re, Ga, Dha and Ni and shuddha (natural) Ma. Bilawal thaat also uses all seven notes in their shuddha (natural) form. Both scales therefore match the Western major scale (C-D-E-F-G-A-B).
How to eliminate
This question needs one fact: Bilawal is the 'all-natural-notes' scale, the Indian major scale, and its Carnatic counterpart is Shankarabharanam. Two options are traps built on familiar Hindustani words. 'Nat Bhairavi' and 'Hanumatodi' sound like Bhairavi and Todi, which are well-known Hindustani ragas with many flat notes, not the all-natural Bilawal. Even their names suggest flat notes, not Bilawal. Kamavardhini is a lesser-known name for Pantuvarali, a raga known for its sharp Ma, which Bilawal does not have. If you remember that Shankarabharanam is often called the Carnatic major scale, you get the answer straight away. Remember the pair: Bilawal = Shankarabharanam (29th mela). The next pair also comes up often: Kalyan = Mechakalyani (65th), where the only change is a sharp Ma.
Know more
Thaat and melakarta: the two parent-scale systems
Both traditions group ragas under parent scales that contain all seven notes (Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni).
- Carnatic: Melakarta. There are 72 parent scales, organised by Venkatamakhi in Chaturdandi Prakashika (17th century) and numbered in a fixed order. The order changes Re-Ga, Ma, and Dha-Ni step by step. Melakartas 1–36 use shuddha Ma and 37–72 use prati (sharp) Ma.
- Hindustani: Thaat. There are 10 thaats, set out by V.N. Bhatkhande in the early 20th century. Bilawal, with all natural notes, is the reference scale. The other thaats are described by how they differ from it.
The same name can mean different scales in the two systems. Hindustani Todi is not Carnatic Hanumatodi, and Hindustani Bhairavi is not Carnatic Natabhairavi. Equivalence goes by the notes, not by the name.
| Hindustani thaat | Altered notes | Carnatic melakarta (no.) |
|---|---|---|
| Bilawal | none (Western major) | Dheerashankarabharanam (29) |
| Kalyan | tivra Ma | Mechakalyani (65) |
| Khamaj | komal Ni | Harikambhoji (28) |
| Kafi | komal Ga, Ni | Kharaharapriya (22) |
| Asavari | komal Ga, Dha, Ni | Natabhairavi (20) |
| Bhairavi | komal Re, Ga, Dha, Ni | Hanumatodi (8) |
| Bhairav | komal Re, Dha | Mayamalavagowla (15) |
| Purvi | komal Re, Dha; tivra Ma | Kamavardhini (51) |
| Marwa | komal Re; tivra Ma | Gamanashrama (53) |
| Todi | komal Re, Ga, Dha; tivra Ma | Shubhapantuvarali (45) |
Mayamalavagowla is the raga traditionally used to teach Carnatic beginners, a method credited to Purandara Dasa. It matches Bhairav thaat.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Purandara Dasa: Purandara Dasa, called the father of Carnatic music, helps place this question in the Carnatic tradition, whose ragas are compared here with Hindustani Bilawal.