Full Moon| Raga Hindolam| Saraswati Veena

The Golden Strings| Raga Hamsadhwani| Saraswati Veena

‘Silhouettes’ is composed in the magnetic and meditative scale ‘Rasikapriya’, which is going to be the first Complete Raga (It has 7 notes/heptatonic in both ascending and descending scales) introduced in 'Chordae Tendineae'. ‘Rasikapriya’ means connoisseur’s favorite! I still can’t fathom my relationship with this scale. Sometimes she puts me into sleep, on other times she makes me meditative. It’s multilayered, with a slight poignant wave that bestows a transcendental experience!

Silhouettes| Raga Rasikapriya| Saraswati Veena

’Hues of Nightfall’ is set in the 53rd Raag ’Gamnashrama’ of South Indian/Carnatic Classical Music. A few weeks ago I happen to listen to a playback score set in the Hindustani/North Indian Classical Music analogous scale to 'Gamanashrama', Raag 'Marwah'! I was galvanized by the beauty of this gorgeous ’sunset’ musical scale & its prowess to evoke the sense of (pain of) separation and it fits in perfectly well with the backdrop of the story. I was moved, deeply!

Hues of Night fall| Raga Gamanashrama| Saraswati Veena

The Goddess of Music and knowledge according to Hindu mythology is ‘Saraswati’ and she is always pictured in a White Saree seated on a white lotus holding the musical instrument ‘Saraswati Veena’, surrounded by Swans 🦢. There is a late evening, gorgeous musical scale/Raag in her namesake and this exists in both south and north Indian classical musical lineages. ’Shades of Twilight’ is composed in ’Saraswati’.🦢🎶

Shades of twilight| Raga Saraswati| Saraswati Veena

Just like the umbral & penumbral shadows, Raag Pantuvarali (Carnatic)-Puriya Dhana Shree (Hindusthani) casts several shades of a shadow.🌘 This is one of the most intricate scales I have come across, in terms of the emotions it evoke. Not like the mildly fragrant red rose, it's rather that wild white intensely fragrant flower that blooms under the 🌙moonlight. Doesn't make you joyous but it might take you to a trance-state and later into sleep. Moderately poignant, arresting & bewitching; presenting Eclipse!🌒

Eclipse| Raga Pantuvarali| Saraswati Veena

During my school days, I used to keep white camphor balls inside my pencil box and I often opened the box to inhale the fragrance of the contained camphor. The scent is earthy, pure and auspicious. It's a piece of my heart, a piece of my childhood. Just like, Raag ’Shudh Sarang’ which I grew up listening to. Presenting ’Camphor,’ set to my favorite fragrance, the romantic scale ’Shudh Sarang.’ 🌸

Camphor| Raag Shudh sarang| Saraswati Veena

‘Bluesy’ is set in the late evening, North Indian classical Raag ‘Jog’, which means ‘Enchanting’! Let the layered and mesmerizing ‘Jog’ bloom in the hearts like an exquisite, fragrant blue lotus!

Bluesy| Raag Jog| Saraswati veena

I first listened to Raag Ahir bhairav when I was 4 years old. Perhaps the scale got popularized with the Bollywood version of the bandish ’Albela sajan ayo re’ presented by the superhit 1999 Sanjay Leela Bhansali film, #humdildechukesanam. The Raag has a commanding element in it. The visual imagery that comes to my mind is of the arial view of the first sun rays diffusing across. 🌅

Hues of Morning Sky| Raag Ahir Bhairav| Saraswati Veena

'Sacred ash' is set in Raga Shanmughapriya. It's said that it could evoke 6 types of emotions, and I am illustrating pathos, here. The fragrance of sacred ashes is one of my favorites from growing up. It reminds me of my frail grandfather who used to apply some on his forehead on summer evenings, with a quiet murmur of 'Namashivaya'. He vividly narrated the stories from the Hindu mythology, such as how Dhruva becomes a star, how Lord Siva protects Markandeya from the clutches of Yama- the God of death, how the demon Hiranyakshipu is killed by Lord Narasimha, and Raja Harischandra- a noble and truthful king. Raga Shanmughapriya reminiscences of those indelible evenings where the fragrance of sacred ash wafted through thin air.

Sacred Ash| Raga Shanmughapriya| Saraswati Veena

Physician-Classical musician-TEDx speaker-Author

Tara Rajendran

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