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Today's Raagas
In today's  classical music Raag is the backbone. The word raag comes from Sanskrit word "Ranj" which means to delight to make happy and to satisfy. Here it's necessary to clarify that not all raags project a happy mood. The raag can produce various moods such as Shant (serenity), Shrungaar (erotic), Bhakti (devotion to God), Veer (gallantry, bravery, aggressive)
Raag is neither a scale, nor a mode. It is, however, a scientific, precise, subtle, and aesthetic melodic form with its own peculiar ascending and descending movement which consists of either a full octave, or a series of six or five notes. An omission of a jarring or dissonant note, or an emphasis on a particular note, or the slide from one note to another, and the use of microtones along with other subtleties, distinguish one raag from the other.

Raag has its own principal mood such as tranquillity, devotion, eroticism, loneliness, pathos, heroism, etc. Each raag is associated, according to its mood, with a particular time of the day, night or a season. Improvisation is an essential feature of Indian music, depending upon the imagination and the creativity of an artist; a great artist can communicate and instill in his listener the mood of the raag.

Each melodic structure of raag has something akin to a distinct personality subject to a prevailing mood. Early Indian writers on music, carried this idea further and endowed the raags with the status of minor divinities, with names derived from various sources, often indicating the origin or associations of the individual raags. In theoretical works on music each raag was described in a short verse formula, which enabled the artiest to visualize its essential personality during meditation prior to the performance.

Some Terms Regarding the Raag

There are 3 Raag Bhed (Types of Raag )

1> Shuddha Raag : The raag in which even if any notes that are not present in it are used, it's nature and form does not change.

2> Chhayalag Raag : The raag in which if any notes are taken that are not present in it, it's nature and form changes.

3> Sankeerna raag :The raag in which there is a combination of two or more raags.
 

Terms describing the properties of a Raag

Vaadi ,Samvadi, Anuvaadi and Vivadi swar

Vaadi : The most prominent note of the raag which gets emphasized in the raag and used very often.

Samvaadi : The second most important note of the raag. It used lesser than the vaadi but more than the other notes of the

raag. This is the fourth or fifth note from the Vaadi.

Anuvaadi : The other notes of the raag (other than Vaadi and Samvaadi)

Vivadi : The meaning of vivadi is "one which produces dissonance".Which is not present in the raag. But still a vivadi swara is used in a raag by able singers in such a way that it enhances the beauty of the raag. This is done very rarely.
For example some times in the raag "Yaman" Shuddha Madhyam is used in between two Gandhar (Ga)

Aaroha : Ascend of the notes. Here each note is higher than the preceding note.
Example : Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni

Avaroha : Descend of the notes Example : Ni, Dha, Pa, Ma, Ga, Re, Sa

Pakad : A small group of notes which describe the unique features of the raag.

Jaati : Gives the number of notes in Aaroh as well as the Avaroha of the raag. Odav has 5 notes. Shadav has 6 notes and Sampoorna has 7 notes. Thus there are 9 jaati based on Odav, Shadav, Sampoorna in Aaroha and Avaroha.(i.e. making combinations of either odav or shadav or sampoorna in aaroha and odav or shadav or sampoorna in avaroha.

Thaat : The system of classification for the raags in different groups. The set of seven notes or scale which can produce a

The Raag Time Cycle - Raaga Samay Chakra
In  classical music, each raag is rendered only at a specific time. The time of the raag depends on the vaadi swar and the anuvadi swars . This is so as each raag with it's particular swar is more effective if performed at a particular time. It is supposed to enhance the ras (mood) of the raag that the artiste is responsible for evoking.

But,some raags are seasonal in nature. For example raags that belong to the Malhar category can be sung at any time during the mansoon season. The traditional associations with respect to the season are - Monsoon - Raag Megh, Autumn - Raag Bhairav, Winter - Raag Malkouns, Spring - Raag Hindol.

In the  image of Raag time cycle (Raag Samay Chakra) ,The 24 hours of a day are divided into 2 parts

1> From 12 P. M. to 12 A.M.--This is called Poorva Bhaag and raags sung in this period are called poorva raags.

2> From 12 A.M. to 12 P.M.--This is called Uttar Bhaag and the raags in this period are called uttar raags.

The part of the saptak(octave) from Sa to Ma (sa re ga ma ) is called poorvang (earlier part) of a raag and from Ma to taar saptak Sa (pa dha ni sa) is called uttarang (later part) of the raag.

Poorvang Vaadi raag : The raags in which the vaadi swar lies in the poorvang are called poorvang vaadi raag. These raags are rendered in the poorva bhag of the day i.e. 12 A. M. to 12 P.M.

Uttarang Vaadi raag : The raags in which the vaadi swar lies in the poorvang are called poorvang vaadi raag. These raags are sung in the poorva bhaag of the day i.e. 12 P. M. to 12 A.M.

So if we know a vaadi swar of the raag we can estimate the time the raag will be rendered.

The raags in  classical music are divided in to 3 categories taking into account their swar (notes)--whether komal or teevra and samay(time)

1 : Raags with Komal Re and Komal Dha :

The sandhi prakaash (dawn and dusk time) raag: These again falls into 2 categories

a : pratah kaalin sandhi prakaash raag : raags sung at dawn

b: saayam kaalin sandhi prakaash raag : raags sung at dusk

In sandhiprakaash raags ma plays very important role.

Most of pratah kaalin sandhi prakaash raags (dawn time) take the shuddha ma
Ex . raag Bhairav

Most of the sayam kaalin sanhdi prakaash raags(dusk time) take teevra ma.
Ex : raag Maarva

Also, in most of the sandhiprakaash raags, Re is komal and Ga, Ni are shuddha. Dha can be komal or shuddha.

2 : Raags with shuddha re and shuddha dha:
The time at which these raags are rendered is after the sanhdi prakaash raags. They belong mainly to Kalyan, Bilaval, Khamaaj thaat.

After the pratah kaalin sandhiprakaash raags the influence of shuddha Re and shuddha Dha starts rising. Hence the raags of this category are rendered from morning 7.00 to morning 10.00 and from evening 7.00 to evening 10.00

In this category Ga is essentially shuddha.

In the morning 7.00 to 10.00 category shuddha ma is prominent Ex.: Bilaval, Deskaar, Todi

In evening 7.00 to 10.00 category teevra ma is prominent Ex.: Yaman, Shuddha Kalyan, Bhoopali

3 : Raags with komal Ga and Komal Ni :

These raags are sung after the shuddha Re and shuddha Dha raags. They are sung from morning 10.00 to afternoon 4.00 eg. : Aasaavari, Jounpoori and night 10.00 to dawn 4.00 eg. : Bageshree, Jayjayvanti, Malkouns

In these raags Ga will surely be komal , the Re and Dha can be shuddha or komal.
Importance of Ma (Maddhyam) with regard to the time of the raag.

Normally , in the morning time raags shuddha Ma is prominent. In the raags with Komal Re and Komal Dha if shuddha Maddhyam is prominent then they are called Pratah Kaalin Sandhi Prakash raag.

In the evening raags teevra Madhyam is prominent. Thus in the evening with the raags such as Poorvi, Shree, Multaani, teevra Maddhyam comes into use which goes on till the 2nd prahar of the night. At that time with raags such as Bihaag, shuddha Madhyam starts getting prominence.

In the Pratah Kaleen Sandhi Prakash Raag the raags with the shuddha Madhyam ( Raag - Bhairav, Kalingada) come first followed by raags with both the Maddhyam although Shuddha Maddhyam is prominent. (raag - Ramkali, Lalit)

After this is the time to sing raags with Shuddha Re and Shuddha Dha.. In these also Shuddha Maddhyam is prominent.( Raag Bilaval)

Then comes the time for Komal Gandhar raags. In this both the maddhyams are used. In some of them shuddha Maddhyam assumes prominence whereas in others teevra Maddhyam assumes prominence.