Krithis on Ganesha and Hamsadhwani
Ashok Madhav (madhav_pgh@yahoo.com)
Traditionally a concert begins with an invocation - a kriti on Ganesha-most often “Vatapi Ganapathim bhajeham” in Hamsadhwani ragam. This is the popular composition of Muthuswami Dikshitar. Though the ragam Hamsadhwani itself was created by his father-Ramaswamy Dikshitar, he did not compose a kriti in praise of Ganesha but he did compose a Prabhandam on Lord Shiva and a varnam on Subramanya in Hamsadhwani. It is said, Maha Vaidhyanatha Sivan was the first one to sing the kriti- “Vatapi Ganapathim bhajeham” elaborately with alapana, neraval, swarams etc. More often composers have used Hamsadhwani ragam for songs on Ganesha. (see below the list of kritis in Hamsadhwani ). Perhaps the pentatonic scale of Hamsadhwani is pleasing and sets the right mood for the concert. Generally speaking, Hamsadhwani ragam is associated with Ganesha. However, Ganesha compositions in other ragams are also available. Close to 400 compositions on Ganesha in other ragams are documented in music literature. Some uncommon ragams like Andolika, Chintamani, Kantamani, Saraswathi, Latangi, Kamala manohari, Suposhini, Gaudamalhar,Dharmavati, Jhalavarali, Jalarnavam, Koshalam, Esha manohari, Shulini, Nagaswaravali, Durvanki, Senavathi, Sunadavinodini, Rudrapriya, Hemathi etc. have been used.
In Hamsadhwani
Anai Ma mukhane-- Ramanathan Chettiar
Anai mugattharase - D.Pattammal
Bhajare Vighneshwaram –- Raghavendrawami
Gajanana gauri tanaya - S. Varadarajan / Mohan Ayyar
Gajavadana beduve –Purandara dasa
Gajavadanam Karunasagaram- S. Maralingam
Gajavadana mam pahi- MD.Ramanathan
Gam ganapathe namo nama- Muthiah Bhagavatar
Gana Ganamunaku-- Ganapathi Sachidananda
Gananatharin- Vishalakshi ammal
Gananayakane sharanam- KM.Soundaryavalli
Ganapathi tunaiye- Viramani Iyer
Ganapathe namo nama- Muthiah Bhagavatar
Ganapatiye niye Gunanidhiye- Lalitadasar
Gauri sutam sri ganesham- Mangalam Ganapathi
Maha ganapathe- Indira Natesan
Maha ganapathe nee Mahima- Ramaswami Sivan
Maha ganapathi namo namo- Meenakshisuta
Muladhara murthi- Papanasam Sivan
Namami vighna vinayaka- Krishnaswamy Ayya
Om shakti ganapathim- RK.Suryanarayana
Palayamam Ganapathe- Chitravina Ravikiran
Pranavakara Ganapathim- Ashok Madhav
Sadasivan maindane- Maharajapuram Santhanam
Shakti ganapathe- Lakshmi Krishna
Sri Ganapathi unnai-- Kamala Krishnamurthi
Sri Ganapathim bhajare- Cuddalore Subramanian
Vallabhesha Vighnaraja- Sankaranarayana Iyer
Vandenishamaham – Mysore Vasudevacharya
Varana mukhava- Kotishwara Iyer
Vara vallabha ramana- GN.Balasubramanian
Varana vadanam- AV.Krishnamachar
Vatapi Ganpathim- Muthswami Dikshitar
Vinayaka nata pala- Ambika dasa
Vinayaka vighna nashaka- R.Ganesh
Vinayakin arul- Kamala sulochana
In other ragas
Sharanu benekana- Bilahari- Purandara dasa
Sharanu Siddhi vinayaka- Sourashtram- Purandara Dasa
Eka dantam bhajeham- Bilahari- MD
Lambodharam avalambe- Kamboji –Mys. V
Ganapathe mahamate- Kalyani-MD
Ganapathiye- Kharaharapriya- P.Sivan
Ganesham japami- Sankrandanapriya- Bang.M
Gananayaka- Begada- Bang.M
Ganapathe- (tillana)- Kanada- Maha Vaidynatha Sivan
Mahadevasutam- Nagaswaravali- AM
Bhajamanasa –Kantamani-AM
Vandeham – Shanmukhapriya- AM
Bhaja manasa –Bahudari- Tulasi vanam ??
Sri Ganapathi – Sourashtram- Tyagaraja
Ganapate suguna- Janaranjani- M.Bhag
Gajavadana herambha- Sri- Bang.M
Gajavadana karuna- Sriranjani- P.Sivan
Gajavadana paliso- Begada- Vijaya Vittala
Gajavadana sammodita- Todi- Kumara Ettendra
Gajanana yanuchu- Todi – Chinnikrishna dasa
Gajanana yanuchu- Harikamboji- Chinnikrishna Dasa
Gananayaka bhagyadayaka- Begada- Bangalore Mukund
Gana nathane- Sarang- Perisami Tooran
Gana nathanai- Nata- T.Lakshmanan Pillai
Gananatha sharanam- Mohanam- Gopalakrishna Bharathi
Ganapathiye thunai- Mayamalavagoula- Perisami Tooran
Gananatha- Gaula- Mayuram Vishwanatha Sastri
Gam ganapathe- Durvani- J.Wodeyar
Gam ganapathe sada- Nagaswaravali- J.Wodeyar
Gajavadana –Chakravakam- NS.Ramachandran
Gajanana- Jaganmohini- Lalitha dasar
Gajanana pahi- Sama- Bang.M
Gajamukha- Latangi- D.Pattammal
Gajamukhane siddhi- Nata- Vyasaraya
Gajamukham- Kamalamanohari- Bang.M
Gajamukha ninege- Shanmukhapriya- NS. Doreswami
Gajananyutam- Veghavahini- MD
Gananayakam-Rudrapriya-MD
Ganarajena- Arabhi- MD
Ganesha kumara- Chenjuti- MD
Gananathaya Namaste- Goula-Ambi Dikshitar
Gam ganapathe- Durvanki- J.Wodeyar
Bhajami manasa – Sindhuramakriya -AM
Varana vadanam- Sriranjani – AM
Vandu enakku – Suddhasaveri – AM
Vallabha nayakasya- Begada- MD
Gajavadana vighna nivarana- Goula- AM
Shaktihastam- Ratnangi- AM
Chintayami sada- Chitrambari- AM