Amrita Priyamvada Encyclopaedia of Indian Musical Instruments

Annotation

Revered Hindu religious scriptures of the Vedas speak of the use of musical instruments in worship. The fact that Indian musical instruments are mentioned in such ancient religious works is indicative of the fact that music had an important role in ancient India. The foundation of Indian music was rooted in three different forms of performance-art. These were Vocal music or singing, instrumental music and dance. Today, many ancient musical instruments are hard to locate and some rare musical instruments that were once an important part of Indian musical tradition are no longer used at all. The been, a traditional blowpipe as is usually depicted in pictures of snake-charmers and the bhopung, a one-stringed musical instrument are some examples of these. India is a country of diverse tribes, cultures and languages. As such, the Indian sub-continent plays host to many varied forms of art and culture, which differ from region to region in the country. This leads to a great diversity in the area of folk music and musical instruments. This book is recommended for all those who have genuine interest in Indian music and instruments.