What does desire sound like – and what would it look like if it were a person? What does the call of a peacock signify? The Ragamala miniatures depict lovers in nature, lords in royal chambers, men and women in combat and hidden details waiting to be discovered and deciphered. The exhibition “Ragamala – Pictures for All Senses” presents fifty masterpieces of Ragamala painting and invites viewers to experience the interplay of imagery, music, poetry and fragrance for the first time.

Ragamala: A garland of melodies

In the 15th century, painters at India’s royal courts began creating picture series that were said to visually depict music. Ragamala, which literally means “garland of Ragas”, shares close ties with classical Indian music and are essentially melodic structures that produce certain moods in the audience. Ragamala painters translated these moods into a visual language. They drew on verses of poetry which described the musical Ragas as human characters, thereby interweaving various art forms. In this way, they seamlessly combined sound and imagery, colours and pitches to create a unique sensual experience within the observer.

Immersion in pictures, sounds and scents

Each picture tells a story, brought to life through the combination of music, poetry and painting. The royal patrons viewed the pictures in their stately chambers together with their esteemed visitors. All the while, surrounded by fine food, drinks and fragrances, they would listen to music and verses of poetry. Viewing Ragamala painting was akin to a multimedial experience for all the senses.

The exhibition “Ragamala – Pictures for All Senses” offers visitors the opportunity to experience the many facets of this artistic pleasure for the very first time. In addition to around 50 Ragamala pictures from the museum’s collection created between the 17th and 19th century, the exhibition includes two contemporary paintings from Southeast Asia. In video interviews, the two painters Manish Soni and Murad Mumtaz explain how they went about creating their images and how they reinterpreted two Ragas.

Visitors are invited not only to carefully study the details of these images, but to also listen to music and smell the scents hidden within them. Featuring newly arranged music compositions, perfumes and films, the exhibition allows viewers to immerse themselves in the sensual world of Ragamala painting. Together with the musician Tara Kini, 30 Ragas have been rerecorded, and researchers Bharti Lalwani and Nicolas Roth have created new fragrances especially for the exhibition.