Melakarta
मेळकर्ताSanskritSay it: me · ḷa · kar · taa
- ḷ — l with the tongue tip curled back
- aa ee oo ē ō — long vowels: hold them twice as long
One of the 72 parent ragas of Carnatic music
MusicBharatanatyamKuchipudiMohiniyattam
Meaning
Melakartas are the 72 parent scales of Carnatic music. Each uses all seven swaras in both ascent and descent, in strict order, and every other raga is derived from one of them.
Also written: mela, melakartha, mela raga, janaka raga