What are ragas in indian music and what are some beliefs about them?
Ragas are a type of mode used in Indian music to make melodies. Similar to western scales, but they are thought to be very different. They use a lot of gamaka (ornamentation), and tones that are sharper or flatter than those in western scales. Ancient texts define a raga as “that which colors the mind”. This kind of shows how it is thought to be different, because there is a spiritual connection to ragas that western scales don’t have. Specific raga’s are often associated with specific emotions, colors, dieties, times of day, seasons, etc. That’s a start, hope it helps.
