Glancing at the amaranth’s
blossoming sprays
Glowing in exquisite loveliness just-revealed
Loveliness that rightly belongs to the beloved’s face
How can a responsive heart not flutter in pain
Stung by proud Love’s flying arrows, my love?
These radiant, finely
crafted, lines might come from Kalidasa’s classic work, the Ritusamharam,
but, reading them, come rushing into mind, instantly, miniature paintings, made
in Rajasthan or the Pahari area, centuries later. The setting is always
intimate, romantic: lovers seated in a balcony or on a marble terrace, gazing
into each other’s eyes while the beauties of the seasons .......click ...
HERE.
Barahmasa meaning
twelve months are based on the lunar calendar comprising months of Chaitra,
Vaishakha, Jyestha, Ashadha, Shravana, Bhadrapada, Ashvina, Karttika,
Agrahayana, Paushya, Magha and
Phalguna. Each two of them
are respectively the ritus or
seasons of Vasanta, Grishma, Varsha, Sharada, Hemanta and Shishira.
Winter called Shishir - in the months of Magh
and Phalgun
English calendar months are Jan and Feb [approximately]
Magha: forests and gardens echo with the sweet notes of peacocks, pigeons and
koel and bees hum as if they have lost their way, all ten directions are
scented with musk, camphor and sandal, sounds of Mridangam are heard through the
night.
Phalguna: the fragrance of scented
powders fills the air and young women and men in every home play holi with
great abandon
Barahmasa Music
The raga melodies of
classical Indian music are in harmony not only with the time of the day or
night but also with the seasons of the year.Each raga is personified by a
color, the overall mood bhava, the nature
surrounding the hero and heroine (nayaka and nayika). The raga
elucidation as envisioned in Indian music is a delightful amalgam of art,
color, poetry and music.
As regards the seasons
and the ragas,most of the ragas in the classical music are set in accordance to
various seasons. In this month of winter:
Shishira (Magha - Phalguna): the transitory
season of cool days; the diminishing phase of winter; the season of cool
comfort gladdening the hearts of lusty women with Malkaush
Raga sung in the chill and silent nights of winter .
It is said; the Seasonal Ragas
can be sung and played any time of the day and night during the season with
which they are associated despite the usual rule.
I love the song ˜Door reh kar na karo baat (Muhammad
Rafi based on the raga from the movie Amaanat, Starring Manoj Kumar and Sadhana. The song sung
by Rafi sahib. Rafi’s music has a
strong aesthetic appeal. It touches the soul and has the power to lift us out
of the ordinary, to elevate our experience beyond the everyday and the
commonplace. His love for soft ragas like Malkos exemplifies this. It produces a therapeutic effect on the listener
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