In Carnatic classical music, Todi is a major raga with ample scope for elaboration and extensive creativity. Though the exact period of its origin is not known not known, it can surely be said that through the last three or four centuries it has grown and developed so much that today it is one of the most prominent and important ragas of Carnatic music.

The evolution and establishment of Todi as a magnificent raga was largely enabled by great musicians and vaggeyakaras. Among the vaggeyakaras, the Trinity, Sri Tyagaraja in particular, have contributed immensely in embellishing the beauty and depth of this raga.

Although there are no direct references to Todi’s ancestry in many of the prevalent texts, the 17th century music scholar Venkatamakhi classified it as the eighth mela. In the nomenclature of the Kanakambari-Phenadyuti scheme it is Janatodi and in the Kanakangi-Ratnangi scheme it is Hanumatodi. Somanatha called it a ‘turuska’ raga indicating its northern origin, a widely contested notion. The idea needs considerable scrutiny as the current Hindustani Todi family (with exceptions like the allied raga Bilaskhani Todi) corresponds not to the Carnatic Todi but to the Carnatic Subhapantuvarali. Some suggest the possibility that it was prevalent in the southern regions but went by a different name. Neither is the source of the name ‘Todi’ clear nor is there any recognizable meaning that could be attributed to it, unlike Sankarabharanam or Ramapriya.