UPSC CSE 2026 | Art & Culture – Indian Classical Music (Hindustani vs Carnatic)

Question:

Which one of the following Carnatic music ragas is similar to Raga Bilawal in Hindustani music?

(a) Nat Bhairavi
(b) Kamavardhini
(c) Hanumatodi
(d) Dheera Shankarabharanam

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Correct Answer: (d) Dheera Shankarabharanam

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Detailed Explanation (Accurate | Best Quality)

Raga Bilawal is one of the most important and fundamental ragas in Hindustani classical music. It belongs to Bilawal Thaat and uses all shuddha swaras (natural notes):

Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa

Its exact Carnatic equivalent is Dheera Shankarabharanam (also commonly called Shankarabharanam).

Why Dheera Shankarabharanam?

• It is the 29th Melakarta raga in the Carnatic 72-Melakarta system.
• It uses the same set of seven shuddha swaras as Bilawal.
• Both ragas have a bright, majestic, and devotional character.
• Shankarabharanam is considered one of the most important and versatile ragas in Carnatic music, just as Bilawal is in Hindustani music.

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Quick Comparison Table

Aspect	Hindustani (Bilawal)	Carnatic (Dheera Shankarabharanam)
Thaat / Melakarta	Bilawal Thaat	29th Melakarta
Arohana-Avarohana	Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa	Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa
Nature	Shuddha Swara, Bright, Majestic	Same – Bright & Auspicious
Popular Compositions	Many drut khayals	Many varnams, kritis (e.g., by Tyagaraja, Dikshitar)
Western Equivalent	C Major Scale	C Major Scale

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Why Other Options Are Wrong

Option	Raga	Hindustani Equivalent	Why Not Similar to Bilawal?
(a)	Nat Bhairavi	Bhairavi	Uses komal swaras (Re, Ga, Dha, Ni)
(b)	Kamavardhini	Purvi / Marwa	Uses tivra Ma and komal Re
(c)	Hanumatodi	Todi	Uses multiple komal swaras
(d)	Dheera Shankarabharanam	Bilawal	Exact match

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Important Points for UPSC

Melakarta System (Carnatic)

• 72 parent ragas (Melakartas)
• Dheera Shankarabharanam = 29th Melakarta
• It is a Shuddha Madhyama raga

Bilawal Thaat (Hindustani)

• One of the 10 Thaats
• Considered the shuddha (pure) scale
• Many ragas are derived from it (e.g., Deshkar, Hamsadhwani in some classifications)

Key Link for Exams:

Bilawal (Hindustani) = Dheera Shankarabharanam (Carnatic)

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UPSC Strategy & Common Traps

• Questions on raga equivalence between Hindustani and Carnatic are frequently asked.
• Remember the most important mappings:
• Bilawal → Dheera Shankarabharanam
• Kalyani → Mechakalyani
• Bhairavi → Hanumatodi (or Sindhu Bhairavi)
• Todi → Hanumatodi (sometimes confused)

Pro Tip:
In such questions, look for the shuddha swara raga. Bilawal and Shankarabharanam are the purest shuddha scales in their respective systems.

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Why This Question Matters for UPSC CSE 2026

• Part of Indian Classical Music (Art & Culture syllabus)
• Tests understanding of Hindustani–Carnatic raga parallels
• Frequently appears in Prelims (match the following / similar raga type)
• Helps in Mains answers on unity and diversity in Indian classical music

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CrackTarget One-Line Revision:

“Raga Bilawal (Hindustani) = Dheera Shankarabharanam (Carnatic) — Both use all shuddha swaras and are bright & majestic.”

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