Ragas and Raginis: A Pictorial and Iconographic Study of Indian Musical Modes Based on Original Sources c6.39

c6.39

The next available evidence of the currency of the grāma-rāgas is furnished by the inscription of Kuḍumiyamālai¹ in the Pudukkottai State (Southern India), written in characters of the seventh century. Though not designated as such, seven different varieties of melodies are given in the form of notations namely: (i) Madhyama-grāma (ii) Saḍja-grāma (iii) Sāḍava (iv) Sādhārita (v) Pañcama (vi) Kaiśika-madhyama (vii) Kaiśika, which seem to correspond to the grāma rāgas given in the Nāradīyā Śikṣā the text of which should, therefore, be considered as earlier than the seventh century.