A ‘raga’ has been defined as “a permutation and combination of notes or frequencies illustrated by melodic movements which are capable of producing a pleasant sensation, mood or an emotion in the mind of the listener”. There are six main ‘ragas’ and each ‘raga’ has five ‘raginis’ or wives and 8 ‘ragaputras’ or sons. The 6 main ragas are Bhairava, Dipaka, Sri, Malkaunsa, Megha and Hindola. During the 14th century, musical literature included a description of the ragas in short Sanskrit verses called ‘dhyana’ (meditation). This highlighted the characteristics of the raga giving them a personality. This led to the ‘raga-ragini’ system and saw the growth and profusion of Ragamala painting on various media. The Ragamala paintings show the raga as a human, divine or semi divine being. The themes cover the ‘rasas’ (essence) ‘shringara’ and ‘bhakti’ among others, with the ‘raga’ or ‘ragini’ name inscribed along with the ‘dhyana’ or the verse. This art form is a thus a depiction of music in art, a symphony which creates a different experience for the viewer gazing upon it, especially if he knows about the musical modes.