Art & Culture question from UPSC CSE-Prelims, 2026
Which one of the following Carnatic music ragas is similar to Raga Bilawal in Hindustani music?
Last updated Jun 5, 2026
Correct Answer:
Option D —
Dheera Shankarabharanam
The Equivalence:
Dheera Shankarabharanam (often referred to simply as Shankarabharanam) is the 29th Melakarta (parent scale) raga in Carnatic music. It uses the exact same interval pattern of notes as Raga Bilawal in Hindustani classical music. Both of these ragas correspond to the Western Major Scale (Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti-Do), consisting entirely of natural notes (Shuddha Swaras in Hindustani).
Why other options are incorrect:
Nat Bhairavi: This Carnatic raga corresponds to Raga Asavari in Hindustani music (similar to the Natural Minor scale).
Kamavardhini: This Carnatic raga corresponds to Raga Purvi in Hindustani music.
Hanumatodi: This Carnatic raga corresponds to Raga Bhairavi in Hindustani music.
Answer verified by Quintessence Classes faculty — Karan Nagar, Srinagar.
