Ragamala
/ˌrɑːɡəˈmɑːlə/noun
A traditional South Asian painted series that personifies musical modes, especially in Indian art.
Did you know?Ragamala comes from Sanskrit rāga (“melody,” “passion,” or “color”) + mālā (“garland”), so the term literally frames music as something strung together like a sacred floral offering.
Etymological Timeline
Sanskrit
Sanskrit
rāgamālā
“a garland or series of ragas; a cycle of musical modes personified in art”
Medieval Indic
Prakrit/Indic
rāga
“melody, musical mode, passion, color”
Sanskrit
Sanskrit
mālā
“garland, wreath, rosary”
Modern English
English
ragamala
“an Indian pictorial or literary series depicting musical modes”