Ragamala (mala or garland of Ragas) paintings, also known as a Ragachitra (a Chitra or pictorial representation of Raga) are a tradition of paintings that bloomed in the medieval period, in courts and corridors of the Indian royals. A raga or musical note is believed to represent and stir a particular mood or emotion in the listener's mind, ranging from divine devotion to seething love.
Each Raga is related to certain Raginis (the feminine form of musical notes) who are addressed as the wives of the Raga, and Ragaputra (son or Putra of Raga) who are the manifestations of the modes through which a Raga is performed on a musical instrument. A raga is also associated with a time of the day, a phase of romance, and the emotions or Rasa that consequently emerge.
The seventh-century text “Brihaddeshi” describes the Raga as having the ability “to tint the soul of the listener”, a facility best displayed in the lively Ragachitra or Ragamala painting.
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