Ragas & their Moods

A raga is defined as a series of musical notes that constitute a melody. The importance of a raga lies in the mood that it’s intended to create in the mind of the listener. Today I’d like to share with you the moods conveyed by popular ragas in Indian classical music. While many of the ragas are confined to solely Carnatic (C) or Hindustani (H) genres of Indian music, some are common to both styles. Join in with your thoughts on these ragas, the moods they evoke in you and others that are your favorites.

The links posted below each raga will give you an idea of the sounds of the melody. 

Hamsadhvani (C) – Hamsadhvani (H) – Bright Beginnings

 

 

Saama (C) – Serenity

 

 

Mohana (C) / Bhoop (H) – Joy (Uplifting)

 

 

Neelambari (C) – Soporific

 

 

Megh Malhar (H) – Rains (invoking)

 

 

Deepak (H) – Fire (invoking)

 

 

Shubhapantuvarali (C) / Gurjari Thodi (H) – Melancholy (Sombre)

 

 

Sahana (C) – Compassion

 

 

Bhimpalasi (H) – Yearning or Poignancy

 

 

Kedar (H) – Peace

 

 

Atana (C) – Bravery

 

 

Brindavana Saranga (C) / Brindavani Sarang (H) – Romance (Love)

 

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About Chitra Srikrishna 50 Articles
Chitra Srikrishna is a Carnatic vocalist and writer living in Bengaluru & Columbus. Chitra blogs for Sruti, runs the podcast Raga Ruminations and produces RaagTime, a radio show on Indian music. Her albums include devotional poetry of Tamil Alwars & Dasa kritis, & thematic compositions on Rama and Hanuman. She's the musical half of a multimedia performance duo HumRaag. Her program BHAKTHI explores the journey of the mystics of India. Her latest Antah Prerna -A Musical Telling of an Entrepreneur's Journey debuted at Bangalore International Centre in 2018.