Ragas and Raginis: A Pictorial and Iconographic Study of Indian Musical Modes Based on Original Sources c8.4

c8.4

The allocation of the six rāgas to the six seasons was never perhaps an invariable injunction and the practice must have varied time to time throughout the ages. Thus, according to the *Saṅgīta-kaumudī*, Vasanta is to be sung during the period between the festival of Śrī-Pañcamī (now identified with the festival of the worship of the goddess Saraswatī) and the great festival of Durgā, and Mālava belongs to the months between the festival of Indra up to the time of the worship of the Regents of the Four Quarters. Various authorities have given varying suggestions for the seasons for the melodies, certain practices are proper to certain regions, and the singers should honour local or regional practices.²