One of the most poetic ideas in Indian classical music is that music has a time. Certain raags are meant for dawn, some for the deep of night, some for the burning afternoon, and some for the romance of monsoon.
This idea is called the Samay Chakra – the “time wheel” of raags. The 24 hours of the day are divided into eight three-hour segments called prahars. Each prahar is associated with specific raags whose mood and note-combinations resonate with that time.
Prahar-based time division
Very roughly:
- Early dawn – meditative, serious raags like Bhairav.
- Morning – fresh, bright raags.
- Afternoon – more relaxed or playful raags.
- Evening – romantic or devotional raags.
- Late night – deep, introspective, sometimes intense raags.
Some raags are called Sandhi Prakash raags – they belong to the “junctions” of day and night (dawn and dusk). Raag Yaman, for example, glows in the early night; singing it at sunrise feels like serving mango ice cream at breakfast – technically possible, but a bit out of character.
Why this time theory? Old texts and musicians suggest that the human mind and body respond differently at different times of day, and certain combinations of swars psychologically “fit” those states better.
In modern life, strict adherence to samay is not always practical – festivals might feature any raag at any time, and shorter concerts make scheduling tricky. But many artists still cherish the samay chakra and try to honor it, especially for serious, traditional performances.
Even if you don’t follow it rigidly, thinking about time and mood adds another lovely dimension to how you experience raags.