It is well-known that with the ālapana (elaboration) of Deepaka raga, oil lamps are automatically lit. Once when Tyagaraja swami went to the Balaji temple, the curtains were drawn and he could not see the Lord. He sang the musical composition ‘tera teeyuga rāda’ and it is said that the curtains simply vanished!

Similarly, when Purandaradasa went to have the darshan of Lord Krishna at Udipi, he was not allowed inside the temple as he belonged to the lower caste. At this point, Purandaradasa wept and pleaded the Lord through his song. The idol turned around so that Purandaradasa could have the darshan. There are similar instances in the life of Mutthuswami deekshitar.

There is yet another story in the life of Mooka kavi. When the king approached him and enquired as to which day of the fortnight it was, Mooka kavi who was lost in his thoughts about the Divine Mother, casually replied that it was a Full Moon day when in reality, this was a New Moon day. The angered king wanted to punish him, but at this point, poet sang praising Divine Mother. Due to the aalapana (elaboration) of this raga, the nose ring of Divine Mother shone in the dark sky. It resembled a Full Moon!

Have we not heard of trees growing quickly and of plants flowering due to playing of musical notes? Similarly, music can cause rainfall. When played in the vicinity of the patient, he forgets about the disease, even if it is life threatening.

(Bhaktimala 1991)