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Raagmala — the six families

The Raagmala — a garland of Raags — is the painting tradition that gave every Raag a face: six parent Raags, each with a family of Raaginis (consorts) and Raagputras (sons). Every folio below is a real catalogued museum painting from Mughal South Asia — and every Raag can be heard.

Choose a family to walk its lineage, or browse the whole catalogue beneath.

The six parent Raags · choose a family

Meghthe monsoon Raag
The Raaginis · consorts
KakubhaKakubhaconsortSeth MalhaarSeth MalhaarconsortGujriGujriconsortMalhaarMalhaarconsortDesakhDesakhconsortBangalaBangalaconsort · Rajasthani traditionGujriGujriconsort · Rajasthani tradition
Raagputras · sons of the Raag

Sons of Megh itself — the line passes around the consorts, for no son is tied to any one of them.

JalandharaJalandharason

The whole garland

Every entity in the catalogue — the six families first, then the Raags painted outside them, then the Mughal miniatures that travelled with the albums.

The Bhairon family

BhaironBhaironraag · 4 foliosPunyakiPunyakiraaginiVairariVairariraaginiLalitLalitraagini · 3 foliosBhairviBhairviraaginiBangalBangalraaginiBangalaBangalaraaginiNataNataraagini · 3 foliosBilavalBilavalraagini · 2 foliosSandehiSandehiraaginiVilavalVilavalraaginiPatamanjariPatamanjariraagini · 2 foliosBangaliBangaliraaginiVilavalVilavalraagputra

The Maalkons family

MaalkonsMaalkonsraag · 7 foliosGunkaliGunkaliraagini · 4 foliosGauriGauriraagini · 2 foliosMaruMaruraaginiKhambavatiKhambavatiraagini · 2 foliosGaudiGaudiraagini · 2 foliosRaamkaliRaamkaliraagini · 3 folios

The Hindol family

HindolHindolraag · 3 foliosMadhumadhavaiMadhumadhavairaaginiTodiTodiraaginiRaamkaliRaamkaliraagini · 3 foliosMadhu MadhaviMadhu Madhaviraagini · 2 foliosDevgandhariDevgandhariraagini · 2 foliosDesakhyaDesakhyaraaginiVilavalVilavalraaginiBhaskaraBhaskararaagputraChandravimbaChandravimbaraagputra

The Deepak family

DeepakDeepakraag · 5 foliosDesvaratiDesvaratiraaginiKamodKamodraagini · 4 foliosBasantBasantraagini · 4 foliosDesavaratiDesavaratiraaginiDes VaririDes Variriraagini · 2 foliosDesavarariDesavarariraaginiDhanyashriDhanyashriraaginiKanhraKanhraraaginiBasantiBasantiraaginiGujriGujriraaginiKaccheliKaccheliraaginiKanharaKanhararaaginiDhanashriDhanashriraaginiVairariVairariraaginiGujriGujriraagini · 2 foliosKamalaKamalaraagputraLahulaLahularaagputraShri Rama PutraShri Rama Putraraagputra

The Shree family

ShreeShreeraag · 2 foliosSaindhaviSaindhaviraaginiPanchamaPanchamaraaginiKedaraKedararaagini · 6 foliosAsavariAsavariraaginiSanveriSanveriraaginiKarnatiKarnatiraaginiRaamkaliRaamkaliraagini · 3 foliosSeth MalhaarSeth MalhaarraaginiSaindhavaSaindhavaraagputraBihagBihagraagputra

The Megh family

MeghMeghraag · 2 foliosKakubhaKakubharaagini · 4 foliosSeth MalhaarSeth MalhaarraaginiGujriGujriraagini · 2 foliosMalhaarMalhaarraaginiDesakhDesakhraaginiBangalaBangalaraaginiGujriGujriraaginiJalandharaJalandhararaagputra

Raags painted beyond the six families

BhopaliBhopaliraaginiPanchamPanchamraagSolankiSolankiraagBairadiBairadiraaginiVivacaVivacaraagputraAndhrayakiAndhrayakiraaginiSindhuSindhuraagKamodKamodraagSuramanandaSuramanandaraagMandalikaMandalikaraagPooriyaPooriyaraagputraDesiDesiraaginiRaaginiRaaginiraagini

Mughal miniatures of the albums

Portraits, calligraphy and court scenes catalogued alongside the Raagmala folios — not Raag paintings, kept honestly apart.

Laila and Majnun in SchoolLaila and Majnun in SchoolminiatureShah Jahan on a Terrace, Holding a Pendant Set With His PortraitShah Jahan on a Terrace, Holding a Pendant Set With His PortraitminiatureAkbar With Lion and CalfAkbar With Lion and CalfminiatureShah Shuja with a BelovedShah Shuja with a BelovedminiatureJahangir and his Father, AkbarJahangir and his Father, AkbarminiatureThe Emperor Aurangzeb Carried on a PalanquinThe Emperor Aurangzeb Carried on a PalanquinminiatureA Muslim Pilgrim Learns a Lesson in Piety from a BrahmanA Muslim Pilgrim Learns a Lesson in Piety from a BrahmanminiatureRosette Bearing the Names and Titles of Shah JahanRosette Bearing the Names and Titles of Shah JahanminiatureA Nighttime GatheringA Nighttime GatheringminiatureAnxious Heroine (Utkanthita)Anxious Heroine (Utkanthita)miniatureForlorn Heroine (Proshitapriyatama), Nayika Painting Appended to a RaagmalaForlorn Heroine (Proshitapriyatama), Nayika Painting Appended to a RaagmalaminiatureHeroine Going to the Tryst (Abhisarika) 1650 Nepal, Nayika Painting Appended to a RaagmalaHeroine Going to the Tryst (Abhisarika) 1650 Nepal, Nayika Painting Appended to a RaagmalaminiatureMaharana Amar Singh II with Ladies of the Zenana outside the Picture Hall at RajnagarMaharana Amar Singh II with Ladies of the Zenana outside the Picture Hall at Rajnagarminiatureby Sahab ud Dinby Sahab ud DinminiatureLadies in a PavilionLadies in a PavilionminiaturePortrait of Raja Ram Singh of AmberPortrait of Raja Ram Singh of AmberThe Cleveland Museum of ArtLadies on a TerraceLadies on a TerraceminiatureA lady playing the TaanpuraA lady playing the TaanpuraminiatureMelancholy CourtesanMelancholy CourtesanminiatureFigures on a TerraceFigures on a TerraceminiaturePrincesses Gather at a FountainPrincesses Gather at a FountainminiatureIllustration with cloudsIllustration with cloudsminiatureFolio from a manuscript of the Raga Darshan of AnupFolio from a manuscript of the Raga Darshan of AnupminiatureSinger & SarindaSinger & SarindaminiatureA female musician charms an antelopeA female musician charms an antelopeminiatureDouble Sided RaagmalaDouble Sided Raagmalaminiature

Our catalogue ties every son to the parent Raag itself — so each family’s line passes around the consorts before reaching its sons. Raag time-of-day associations follow the classical Raagmala tradition. Museum records are quoted as catalogued, never invented.

Raagmala — the six families of Raags in miniature painting | Saarey Music