Ragamala paintings are arranged in albums organised in the format of families. Each family is headed by a male raga, having six female consorts called raginis. Which of the following is one of the six main ragas?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Malkos
Option (1) Malkos — Correct. Malkos is one of the six main ragas that head the families, with Bhairava, Hindol, Dipak, Megha and Shri.
Option (2) Khandita — Incorrect. Khandita is an emotional state of heroines in Bhanu Datta’s Rasamanjari. It is not a raga.
Option (3) Baramasa — Incorrect. Baramasa is the tenth chapter of Keshav Das’s Kavipriya, on the 12 months of the year. It is not a raga.
Option (4) Chitrini — Incorrect. Chitrini is a physiognomic type of heroine in the Rasamanjari. It is not a raga.
NCERT (2026-27): “Themes of Paintings – An Overview …Ragamala paintings are pictorial interpretations of ragas and raginis. Ragas are traditionally envisioned in divine or human form in romantic or devotional contexts by musicians and poets. Each raga is associated with a specific mood, time of the day and season. Ragamala paintings are arranged in albums invariably containing 36 or 42 folios, organised in the format of families. Each family is headed by a male raga, having six female consorts called raginis. The six main ragas are Bhairava, Malkos, Hindol, Dipak, Megha and Shri.” |