Ragas for Love
47 ragas in the tradition are associated with love. Which one suits you depends on the hour you are listening and on your own chart, so the times below matter as much as the names.
Traditionally regarded as therapeutic — said to steady blood pressure and settle the emotions. Sung as lullaby and as prayer.
Night raga of waiting and love; traditionally deeply soothing before sleep.
Spring counterpart to the Malhars; lively and blossoming.
Spring raga of colour and festival.
Soft, luminous night raga; traditionally used to close the day gently.
Luminous late-night raga; traditionally used to close the day.
Monsoon-and-night raga; buoyant and songful.
Ornate midday raga with zig-zag phrasing.
Robust, festive night raga.
Bright, buoyant pentatonic.
Late-evening raga of rarefied beauty and yearning.
Warm and expansive; traditionally linked with affection, contentment and devotional sweetness.
Homely, affectionate night raga.
Central, comfortable night raga; traditionally cooling and steadying.
Light evening pentatonic, close to Valaji.
Light evening pentatonic.
Sweet, romantic and devotional; a staple of Krishna-bhakthi repertoire.
Majestic and expansive evening raga; traditionally regarded as noble and benefic.
Said to help lift low mood and anxiety and to reduce absent-mindedness.
Night raga of Shiva; broad and restful.
Open and songful; a favourite for narrative devotional song.
Sweet, lyrical night raga associated with thumri and bhajan.
Named for the koel; bright and lyrical.
Ornate and graceful; traditionally associated with charm and poise.
Tender late-afternoon raga; traditionally used for wistful, softening moods.
Late-afternoon raga of gentle yearning.
Rajasthani folk-derived light raga; warm and celebratory.
The 'enchanting' pentatonic. Traditionally used to lift mood, pacify anger and invoke Krishna (Mohana).
Tender and folk-tinged. The Budha (Mercury) kriti is set in this raga — traditionally linked with intellect and speech.
The classical lullaby raga — traditionally said to induce sleep. Best used at night only.
Lullaby raga; traditionally sleep-inducing.
Hill-folk melody; open-hearted and easy on the mind.
Festive late-evening raga. The Shukra (Venus) kriti is set in the Carnatic Paras.
Free, all-note light raga of thumri; traditionally used to lift low mood.
Pa-less night raga; tender and enveloping.
Delightful, as the name says; a modern favourite.
The seventy-second melakarta; rich and unusual.
Traditionally held to pacify anger; its name itself means forbearance. Soothing at any hour, especially late night.
The raga of Shanmukha (Kartikeya). Traditionally used for protection, focus and fearlessness.
For a healthy mind and body — love, gentleness, peace, tranquillity and serenity. A bhashanga raga using all twelve swaras; sung at dawn and as a concluding piece.
Free-moving raga used to conclude; traditionally consoling and integrative.
High-lying, ecstatic late-evening raga.
Light, festive night raga.
Light, joyful pentatonic evening raga.
The spring raga; traditionally associated with renewal and blossoming.
Grave-sweet and consoling. The Shani (Saturn) kriti is set in this raga.
Yaman with a touch of shuddha Ma; softer and sweeter.
Two people cannot use the same raga for the same problem
The tradition matches sound to the chart, not to the symptom. Jeevanii reads your Moon's condition, your current dasha and your nakshatra, then names the ragas. Free, no signup.
Get your free chartRaga therapy is a traditional and complementary practice for emotional well-being, not a substitute for professional medical or mental-health care.