Ragamala

Ragamala paintings are highly symbolic visual interpretations of Indian music previously envisioned in divine form by musicians and poets. They generally depict romantic and devotional situations in an aristocratic setting. The word ‘raga’ derives from the Sanskrit root – ranj – which means to tinge or to colour and evokes love, passion and beauty. The symbolism used in Ragamala is complex and extensive and this guide aims to offer a flavour of some of the characters and themes you will encounter in this exhibition. Note: the phonetic spelling of names of individual ragas in the paintings is different from the standard transcription used in this handout. The phrases in quotation marks have been derived from Indian poetry.

Jaipur Ragamala Rajasthan c. 1842

1. Hindola raga: Generally Hindola raga is associated with the spring, but it may also be linked to the monsoon season as in this case. Against a background of rain-laden clouds, Krishna and Radha sit on a swing surrounded by a posse of girls carrying fly whisks and other objects. India depends on the monsoon; therefore black clouds are not an ominous sign, but rather a source of celebration. People rejoice at the first monsoon.

2. Vasanta ragini: Vasanta is the spring, whose advent is marked by the Holi festival. This painting shows one of the most characteristic features of Holi, the throwing of coloured powders at people. In a secluded courtyard Krishna and Radha are richly attired and celebrate in style, surrounded by a group of girls. This painting is particularly important as it bears the following caption written in English: Vasunt Rag Holley Exhibition. To be presented for Her Majisty the Queen Victoria & Presence… from Calcutta by Kristna Nund Ragasgur 1842.

3. Desakh ragini: A lightly clad female acrobat climbs down, head first, from a pole. She represents a woman who is energetic and resourceful and who keeps her lover under control so that he remains faithful to her. This is the only depiction of athletic feats in Rajasthani Ragamala iconography.

4. Devagandhara ragini: see no. 12.

5. Asavari ragini: see no. 17.

6. Todi ragini: It is believed that originally the folk song from which this ragini derives was sung to keep the deer out of the ripening fields. Through the course of time poets interpreted Todi as a girl pining for her lover. She plays a vina to an audience of deer in an idyllic landscape of rolling hills and lakes.

7. Nata ragini: Only occasionally in renderings of Nata ragini is the armor-clad warrior mounted on the horse a woman. Valiantly fighting her adversary this character evokes the ‘strong woman’ type appearing in the Desakh ragini, no. 3.

8. Gauri ragini: A young woman is waiting in vain for her lover, plucking petals off a flower. Dramatically contrasting with the exuberantly flowering trees and shrubs, her loneliness is emphasized by the leafless tree to the right and by the empty meadow in which she is seated.

9. Kedara ragini: The painting conveys an atmosphere of peace and inspires meditation.

10. Kanada ragini (Kanhra ragini): see no. 22.

Hyderabad Ragamala Andhra Pradesh (formerly Deccan) c. 1770s

11. Ramakali ragini of Bhairon: On a terrace softly lit by the moon, a lover kneels before his beloved and presses her foot to his forehead seeking to appease her wrath. Touching the feet of parents, teachers and other respected persons is customary in Indian Culture. The beloved looks away drawing her veil to her face. The heroine’s companion appears to comfort the youth.

12. Devagandhara ragini of Bhairon: A powerfully built ascetic with long hair, flowing white beard and magnetic eyes sits on a tiger skin under a tree, staring out of the picture at some distant point. Ascetics are often depicted sitting on tiger skin or deer skin; some argue that this represents their will over nature. His only companions are two birds nesting in the tree and two jackals in the foreground.

13. Bihas ragini of Megha Malar: ‘Seated on his wife’s bed he engages in love’s sports.....Vibhasa raga’.

14. Desakh ragini of Hindola: Two women sit together, one writes a letter to an absent lover.

15. Malasiri ragini of Hindola: A typical depiction of a woman separated from her lover: alone in a landscape.

16. Malkos raga: ‘He is fair and young, expert in amorous pleasures, his heart rejoices at the sight of the women...’

17. Asavari ragini of Malkosh: A girl dressed in a diaphanous veil sits on a boulder amid a landscape of rolling hills and lotus lakes. She holds a cobra firmly in her left hand, wielding a stick in her right. It is possible that this musical mode might originate from the Sabara people, who traditionally lived in the jungle and whose occupation it was to catch and charm snakes. The painter here depicts the girl as a courtly lady rather than in the typical leaf skirt of the Sabara tribe. (A second example of this theme is reflected in the Jaipur series, no.5).

18. Dipaka raga: ‘An effulgent light emanates from his head; he is immersed in passion and dalliance...’

19. Kakubha ragini of Dipaka: ‘Tortured by separation, repeating his name, she has gone to the forest...’

20. Kanhyavati ragini of Dipaka: ‘Desiring a boon... she makes offerings to Brahma gazing intensely at the image’.

21. Patamanjari ragini of Dipaka: Startled by the lightning and thunder of the monsoon, a young woman rises swiftly from her couch on a terrace and rushes towards her house preceded by her fleeing cat. This image derives from a standard scene where typically a nurse character would pull the young woman inside. In Indian poetry and painting the image of clouds and lightning can be a metaphor for sexual union.

22. Kanhra ragini of Megha Malar: Krishna rests a long sword on his right shoulder while in his left hand holding the blood-stained tusk of an elephant that he has just wounded. In his childhood and youth Krishna was confronted by a number of demons assuming the most different shapes. One of them appeared as an elephant and was killed by the young god. (See no. 10 for the Jaipur example of this theme).

23. Sri raga: The painting conveys a mood of calm contemplation.

24. Kalyana ragini of Megha Malar: This evening ragini is considered luck-bringing and soothing.

25. Bisakhra ragini of Sri: ‘Splendidly dressed the fair mistress lies exhausted upon her bed at dawn...’