Tansen and the Raga of Fire
Legend says the great musician Tansen sang a raga so powerful that the lamps of Akbar's court burst into flame.
What was reported
Tansen was one of the most celebrated musicians in Indian history, a singer at the court of the Mughal emperor Akbar in the 16th century. He is buried in Gwalior, where a music festival is held in his honour every year.
A famous legend says that when Akbar asked him to sing Raga Deepak, the raga of fire, the lamps in the hall lit by themselves and the air grew so hot that Tansen's body burned, until a woman singing Raga Megh Malhar, the raga of rain, brought a downpour that cooled him.
Explanations offered
The story is a legend, told to show the power that Indian classical music was believed to hold over nature, with ragas linked to times of day, seasons and moods. There is no historical record of the event, but the tale is still told by musicians and taught to students.
- When
- 16th century
- Where
- Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India
- Witnesses
- Musicians and storytellers through the centuries
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.