Wikipedia describes a raga thus: A raga is sometimes explained as melodic rule set that a musician works with, but according to Dorottya Fabian and others, this is now generally accepted among mu...
Moreover, the raga may be associated with a certain time of day, a certain season, etc. (The “feeling” is really more important than any technical definition. An anecdote: my father is a great lover and listener of (Indian classical) music, but has no musical training.
A Raga is more like a set of rules as to how you progress though the mode than a melody in its own right. Certain notes are designated for emphasis or avoidance, and for being approached or left in a particular manner.
Mayamalavagowla is the first raga taught to students who learn South Indian Carnatic Music. But I wonder what is the western scale used to represent this Raga ? Why did Carnatic Music system select...
Explain the 'Thaat' of different kinds of raga Sarang. Which type of raga Sarang belongs with which Thaat?
indian classical - Explain the types of Raga Sarang - Music: Practice ...
A raga is a collection of notes, musical phrases and rules that give an emotion or feeling and are often associated with a time of day or season. A performance generally consists of the Alap, a free form and free rhythm introduction to each of the notes and key phrases in the raga.
Javanese gamelan, at least, has two scales, though I don't know how they compare to raga or maqam as "forms of improvisation." If I understand correctly, however, the scales aren't systematic in the way of maqam, raga, and European modes and scales, and each gamelan may be tuned uniquely.