raga
A melodic framework in Indian classical music that prescribes a set of notes, their hierarchy, characteristic phrases, and associated mood.
In Depth
A raga (from the Sanskrit rañj, meaning "to color" or "to delight") is far more than a scale — it is a comprehensive melodic personality that governs how notes are approached, ornamented, and combined. Each raga specifies ascending (aroha) and descending (avaroha) note patterns that may differ from each other, a hierarchy of important notes (vadi and samvadi), characteristic melodic phrases (pakad), and an associated emotional quality (rasa) and time of day for performance.
The number of ragas in Indian music is theoretically infinite, though around 200 to 300 are in common use. In performance, a raga unfolds through distinct sections: the alap (free, unmetered introduction), jor (addition of rhythmic pulse), and gat or bandish (composed melody with improvisation in a rhythmic cycle). The Hindustani (North Indian) and Carnatic (South Indian) traditions classify ragas differently but share the fundamental concept of raga as a living melodic entity with specific rules and emotional associations.
Some ragas are assigned specific times of day — Raga Bhairav is a morning raga, Raga Yaman an evening one — and traditionalists consider it inappropriate to perform them at the wrong time.