A Garland of Melodies: Ragamala Paintings from India and Nepal

A ragamala is a pictorial illustration of a musical mode; melodies are personified as male (raga) or female (ragini) and evoke a particular emotion, element of devotion or mythological episode.  Often accompanied by a poem that further expounds upon the theme, each painting is thus a combination of three forms of artistic expression, music, poetry and painting. This exhibition draws upon the Museum’s rich collection of ragamala paintings from Nepal and India and opens in the new rotating Asian gallery on the lower level of the Museum.