Classical music is different qualitatively from light music because it is based on a strict system of ragasand operates according to sastra (music grammar). Carnatic music has been systematised by Bharatamuni, Matangamuni and pundits, such as Sharngadeva, and given the status of a sastra.
Ramamatya, minister in the Vijayanagar kingdom (1550 C.E.), attempted an arrangement of the ragas of his time. Later, Venkatamakhi (1700 CE), a scholar in the Thanjavur court, came up with an ingenious scheme. He devised a chart of 72 melas (scales) divided into 12 chakras to cover the entire range of existing ragas as well as ragas that would be created in the future.
The 72 Mela Scheme
The music scale in Indian as well as Western music consists of 12 tones (svaras) articulated as small Ri, big Ri, small Ga, big Ga, small Ma, big Ma, small Dha, big Dha, small Ni, big Ni (total 10), alongwith Sa and Pa, making a total of 12 svaras.
Venkatamakhi devised a chart covering all possible combinations of these svaras and got a total of 36 combinations. He had a sudden flash of inspirations and made all 36 scales with small Ma. Then he repeated the same combinations with big Ma. In this manner he was able to get 72 scales systematically arranged in 12 columns.
Each of these 12 columns had six scales, and he got a total of 12 X 6 = 72 Melas.
The 12 Chakras
Each scale has a specific place within this chart. The 12 basic columns were called chakras because they consist of dynamic ragas that are continuously moving within their orbits. They were named serially from 1 to 12 in a unique manner called Bhuta Sankhya, so that students could easily remember the number of the raga within the chart.
Indu
.....
