Development of Raaga in North Indian Classical Music took place because of great musicians who left their own personalities on the raagas they perform. Raaga is the most important concept in Indian classical music. Raaga has been derived from the Sanskrit Language word `Ranja`, standing for an element that delights and enthralls the mind. Raaga is a combination of notes illustrated by melodic movements.

Growth of Raagas
The raaga Marwa, for instance, was performed largely as an aroha-pradhana raga with its centre of melodic gravity in the uttaranga until its rendering by Ustad Ameer Khan on a long-playing record. Since then, Marwa has acquired a strong purvanga-pradhana melodic identity.

A more significant case of raaga evolution is raaga Lalit, which, according to Bhatkhande, uses the suddha dh svara. In fact, a lot of contemporary musicians consider the use of the suddha dh in Lalit. Kesarbai Kerkar`s two available recordings of Tilak Kamod also stand as an important example. In one of them, she has performed the early twentieth century form of the raaga which deploys the suddha as well as komala ni svaras, while in the second, she performs the new form, with only suddha ni.

Another facet of raaga evolution is the tendency amongst musicians to simplify the performance of ragas by introducing phrases which current grammar does not permit, but are con-textually not inconsistent with the raga`s melodic personality.

The uttaranga ascent of Kedara is also another example. The theoretical position approves of maA-pa-sa`. Over the years, musicians have varied this ascent to include maA-pa-dh-ni-sa as well as maA-pa-ni-sa.

Raagas are thus not static melodic entities. Their potency lies in their ability to develop in reaction to the creative visions of maestros and the acceptance of it by changing audience tastes.

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