/ Research & Publications / The Doctrine of Raga
The Doctrine of Raga in Indian Music: With Nava Gana Raga System is an ambitious and thought-provoking contribution to the field of Indian musicology. In this work, Dr. Vinod Vidwans moves beyond the conventional descriptive treatment of Raga and seeks to develop a systematic theoretical framework that explains the generative principles underlying the Raga tradition. Building upon his broader research in computational music and the Generative Theory of Indian Music, the author introduces the Nava Gana Raga System as a novel method for analysing and classifying Ragas.
One of the book's greatest strengths is its interdisciplinary approach. Dr. Vidwans successfully integrates insights from traditional Indian musicological texts, logic, mathematics, cognitive science, and computational thinking. Rather than treating Ragas merely as collections of notes or melodic patterns, he presents them as structured musical entities governed by coherent generative principles. This perspective encourages readers to reconsider long-held assumptions about the organization and evolution of Indian classical music.
The book is firmly grounded in the classical musicological tradition. References to ancient treatises and established concepts demonstrate the author's respect for historical scholarship while simultaneously highlighting areas where contemporary analytical methods can expand existing knowledge. This balance between tradition and innovation distinguishes the work from many modern writings on Indian classical music, which often favour either historical description or performance practice without attempting a unified theoretical synthesis.
Overall, The Doctrine of Raga in Indian Music: With Nava Gana Raga System is a significant scholarly contribution that expands contemporary discourse on Indian classical music. By combining rigorous theoretical inquiry with innovative classification methods, Dr. Vinod Vidwans offers a fresh perspective on one of the most sophisticated melodic traditions in the world. The book deserves careful attention from musicologists, researchers in computational music, advanced students of Hindustani and Carnatic music, and anyone interested in the theoretical foundations of the Raga system. It stands as an important work that bridges classical musicology with modern analytical thought and has the potential to influence future research in Indian music theory.
MLBD Link: https://www.mlbd.in/collections/new-releases/products/the-doctrine-of-raga-in-indian-music-with-nava-gana-ragas-system-by-vinod-vidwans-9789371000338-9371000333-9789371008730-9371008733
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.in/Doctrine-Raga-Indian-Music-System/dp/9371008733
Dr. Vinod Vidwans
Professor,
Department of Design, Art and Performance,
FLAME University,
Pune, India
Email: vinodvidwans@gmail.com