Alankara or Alankāra refers to the movement of swaras or notes sequentially. There are different links
within these Alankaars, which are interconnected and have significant patterns that help with the
development of the skills of the learner/practitioner. In each of these alankaars, in the middle octave Sa to
higher Sa` goes in the form of Arohana, while the opposite is called Avarohana. According to “Sangeet
Darpan”, the definition of Alankaar can be referred to as being the continuous collection of swaras, where
the Avarohan is the exact opposite of the Arohana.
How does Practicing these alankaars assist you?
Practising these alankaars would help in gaining proper control over the voice, or fingers towards the
right notes and helping in the development of proper knowledge about music. In different ragas, there are
different ways of singing notes in which some notes are skipped while some are dominant. The Classical
teachers in Indian music often emphasise learning these before moving on to different ragas, in a proper
riyaz schedule. Exercising them daily would help your voice get nourished by building more dynamics as a
vocalist while as an instrumentalist, your finger movement would also improve. This would help you in
learning and understanding music in the later learning phase.
Types of Alankaars
In Indian Classical Music, the Alankaars are referred to as ornaments, which are also sometimes
called Palta. These are considered to be the core essence of Hindustani Classical Music. There are six
different types of Alankaraas or techniques, which help in beautifying and bringing that touch to the music.
● Meend: A technique used to sing notes fluidly with the blending of one note to the next.
● Kan-swar or Grace notes, where a touch of one note is picked to move to the other dominant note.
● Andolan: A heavy to-and-fro oscillation with two or more distinct notes
● Khatka/Gitkari: A rapid rendition of several notes in a light manner
● Murki: A lighter and more subtle rendition of several notes
However, the Alankaars that we are going to study in this article are the practice notes, which are
required to be exercised daily to get a hold of notes by an instrumentalist or a vocalist. These have been
detailed as follows.
Things to Consider:
Please note that S R G M P D N S` refers to Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa`
respectively!
These are required to be practised daily as a vocal warmup, a few times each.
Notice the patterns of these Alankars and try to complete them in the sets of five
Alankaars before moving further.
Musical Notes are written as:
.S, .R, .G, .M, .P, .D, .N, S, R, G, M, P, D, N, S`, R`, G`, M`, P`, D`, N` S“
{LOWER OCTAVE}************{MIDDLE OCTAVE}********************{HIGHER
OCTAVE}
Here a dot below the note refers to the lower octave, a dot above refers to the
higher octave, and the regular notes refer to the middle octave.
1. Arohan: Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa`.
Avrohan: Sa`, Ni, Dha, Pa, Ma, Ga, Re, Sa.
2. Arohan: Sa Sa, Re Re, Ga Ga, Ma Ma, Pa Pa, Dha Dha, Ni Ni, Sa` Sa`.
Avrohan: Sa`Sa`, Ni Ni, Dha Dha, Pa Pa, Ma Ma, Ga Ga, Re Re, Sa Sa.
3. Arohan: Sa Re Ga, Re Ga Ma, Ga Ma Pa, Ma Pa Dha, Pa Dha Ni, Dha Ni Sa`.
Avrohan: Sa` Ni Dha, Ni Dha Pa, Dha Pa Ma, Pa Ma Ga, Ma Ga Re, Ga Re Sa.
4. Arohan: SRS, RGR, GMG, MPM, PDP, DND, NS`N, S`RS`
Avrohan: S`RS`, NS`N, DND, PDP, MPM, GMG, RGR, SRS
5. Arohan: SR, RG, GM, MP, PD, DN, NS`
Avrohan: S`N, ND, DP, PM, MG, GR, RS
6. Arohan: SRGM, RGMP, GMPD, MPDN, PDNS`
Avrohan: S`NDP, NDPM, DPMG, PMGR, MGRS
7. Arohan: SRGMP, RGMPD, GMPDN, MPDNS`
Avrohan: S`NDPM, NDPMG, DPMGR, PMGRS
8. Arohan: SG, RM, GP, MD, PN, DS`
Avrohan: S`D, NP, DM, PG, MR, GS
9. Arohan: SSGG, RRMM, GGPP, MMDD, PPNN, DDS`S`
Avrohan: S`S`DD, NNPP, DDMM, PPGG, MMRR, GGSS
10. Arohan: SRGRS, RGMGR, GMPMG, MPDPM, PDNDP, DNS`ND, NS`R`S`N, S`R`G`R`S`
Avrohan: S`R`G`R`S`, NS`R`S`N, DNS`ND, PDNDP, MPDPM, GMPMG, RGMGR, SRGRS
11. Arohan: SSRRSS, RRGGRR, GGMMGG, MMPPMM, PPDDPP, DDNNDD, NNS`S`NN, S`S`R`R`S`S`
Avrohan: S`S`R`R`S`S`, NNS`S`NN, DDNNDD, PPDDPP, MMPPMM, GGMMGG, RRGGRR, SSRRSS
12. Arohan: SM, RP, GD, MN, PS`
Avrohan: S`P, NM, DG, PR, MS
13. Arohan: SSMM, RRPP, GGDD, MMNN, PPS`S`
Avrohan: S`S`PP, NNMM, DDGG, PPRR, MMSS
14. Arohan: SP, RD, GN, MS`
Avrohan: S`M, NG, DR, PS
15. Arohan: SSPP, RRDD, GGNN, MMS`S`
Avrohan: S`S`MM, NNGG, DDRR, PPSS
16. Arohan: SRGSRGM, RGMRGMP, GMPGMPD, MPDMPDN, PDNPDNS`
Avrohan: S`NDS`NDP, NDPNDPM, DPMDPMG, PMGPMGR, MGRMGRS
17. Arohan: SRSRG, RGRGM, GMGMP, MPMPD, PDPDN, DNDNS`
Avrohan: S`NS`ND, NDNDP, DPDPM, PMPMG, MGMGR, GRGRS
18. SRGMPDNS`NDPMGRS
SRGMPDNDPMGRS
SRGMPDPMGRS
SRGMPMGRS
SRGMGRS
SRGRS
SRS
19. S
SRS
SRGRS
SRGMGRS
SRGMPMGRS
SRGMPDPMGRS
SRGMPDNDPMGRS
SRGMPDNS`NDPMGRS
21. S`
S`NS`
S`NDNS`
S`NDPDNS`
S`NDPMPDNS`
S`NDPMGMPDNS`
S`NDPMGRGMPDNS`
S`NDPMGRSRGMPDNS`
22. Arohan: SRSG, RGRM, GMGP, MPMD, PDPN, DNDS`
Avrohan: S`NSD, NDNP, DPDM, PMPG, MGMR, GRGS
23. Arohan: SRSGG, RGRMM, GMGPP, MPMDD, PDPNN, DNDS`S`
Avrohan: S`NS`DD, NDNPP, DPDMM, PMPGG, MGMRR, GRGSS
24. Arohan: RS, GR, MG, PM, DP, ND, S`N, R`S`
Avrohan: S`R`, NS`, DN, PD, MP, GM, RG, SR, .NS
25. Arohan: GRS, MGR, PMG, DPM, NDP, S`ND, R`S`N, G`R`S`
Avrohan: S`R`G`, NS`R`, DNS`, PDN, MPD, GMP, RGM, SRG
26. Arohan: SGSRG, RMRGM, GPGMP, MDMPD, PNPDN, DS`DNS`
Avrohan: S`NS`ND, NPNDP, DMDPM, PGPMG, MRMGR, GSGRS
27. Arohan: SRGS, RGMR, GMPG, MPDM, PDNP, DNS`D, NS`R`N, S`R`G`S`
Avrohan: S`NDS`, NDPN, DPMD, PMGP, MGRM, GRSG, RS.NR, S.N.DS
28. Arohan:
S——————–S`
S——————N
S—————-D
S—————P
S————-M
S————G
S———–R————-S
Avrohan:
S`——————–S
S`——————R
S`—————-G
S`—————M
S`————-P
S`————D
S`———-N———–S`
29. Arohan: SGRS, RMGR, GPMG, MDPM, PNDP, DS`ND, NR`S`N, S`G`R`S`
Avrohan: S`G`R`S`, NR`S`N, DS`ND, PNDP, MDPM, GPMG, RMGR, SGRS
30. Arohan: SRSGRS, RGRMGR, GMGPMG, MPMDPM, PDPNDP, DNDS`ND, NS`NR`S`N,
S`R`S`G`R`S`
Avrohan: S`R`S`G`R`S`, NS`NR`S`N, DNDS`ND, PDPNDP, MPMDPM, GMGPMG, RGRMGR,
SRSGRS
31. Arohan: SRRSRRSR, RGGRGGRG, GMMGMMGM, MPPMPPMP, PDDPDDPD,
DNNDNNDN, NS`S`NS`S`NS`
Avrohan: NS`S`NS`S`NS`, DNNDNNDN, PDDPDDPD, MPPMPPMP, GMMGMMGM,
RGGRGGRG, SRRSRRSR.