A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made. In the Indian musical tradition, rāgas are associated with different times of the day, or with seasons. Indian classical music is always set in a rāga. Non-classical music such as popular Indian film songs and ghazals sometimes use rāgas in their compositions.
Raga is a noun derived from the Sanskrit root ranj, meaning to colour red, to delight.Red is the colour of passion, hence raga implies the emotional content of a song which delights the listener.King Nanyadeva of Mithila (1097-1147) wrote that the variety of ragas is in finite, and their individual features are hard to put into words. He wrote : Just as the sweetness of sugar, treacle and candy cannot be separately described, but must be experienced for oneself.A raga must evoke a particular emotion or create a certain 'mood'.Each Raga has a name. It also has a character, which can be devotional, erotic, bold and valorous, or tragic.Time of day when it is best performed, usually specified as a 3 hour interval. However the beauty of the raga is not affected by the time of the day it is sung.
Some Ragas are related to seasons. For example, Raga Malhar.Ragas are not static. Some can be traced back to ancient or medieval times, others originated only a few centuries or even a few decades ago.However, all ragas have undergone transformations over the centuries. Many of them have fallen into disuse.
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| Monsoon Ragas |
Some Ragas are related to seasons. For example, Raga Malhar.Ragas are not static. Some can be traced back to ancient or medieval times, others originated only a few centuries or even a few decades ago.However, all ragas have undergone transformations over the centuries. Many of them have fallen into disuse.
