Architecture and the Language of Raaga

Architecture is a narrative of multiple stories woven together and communicated. These stories must evoke a collective unconscious—while there is room for subjectivity, strong objectivities remain. For example, witnessing a mother with her child will almost universally evoke compassion, though the degree or form of that compassion may vary. Similarly, observing a conversation between two individuals naturally evokes the sense of listening.

Raaga: A Dialogue of Notes

The personality of a Raaga is shaped by the conversation between its swaras (musical notes). A Raaga is not just a sequence of sounds; it is born from a dialogue—a dynamic interplay between each note and the shadaj (the foundational tonic). Maintaining the Raaga persona requires that all swaras sustain their dialogue with one another and with the shadaj.

“A Raaga is a dialogue. In order to preserve its essence, all swaras must remain in conversation—not only with each other but also with the fundamental note that anchors them.”
— Ramakant Gundecha

Melody and Percussion: Peripheral vs. Focal Vision

• Melody is like peripheral vision—it surrounds, envelops, and flows.
• Percussion is like focal vision—it punctuates, directs, and anchors.

The Dialogic Nature of Sound and Space

Music, like architecture, is built on relationships—each note establishes a connection with the next, linking us to both a tangible past and an imagined future. A Raaga’s personality emerges from this continuous dialogue, much like the relationship between architectural elements.

As Ramachandra Gundecha observed:
“The essence of a Raaga is its dialogue—a conversation where each note maintains its bond with the next, creating an unbroken experience that is both partially real and partially imagined.”

This concept resonates with Bill Hillier’s Space Syntax, where space functions as a machine—each element exists in a meaningful relationship with the next. Whether in music or architecture, structure is not just about individual components but about the connections that bind them together.