Indian Musical Instruments
India has the most ancient and evolved music system in the world. The earliest evidence points to this discovery in the cave paintings showing musical activity and instruments at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh (Central India), dating back 10,000 years ago. Similarly, during the later excavations of the Harappan civilization, evidence of musical activity and dance was uncovered. The study of such evidence helps us understand the evolution of music and several cultural aspects of the people who used these instruments.
The Natya Shastra, an ancient encyclopedia of the arts, compiled by Bharat Muni (200 B.C.- 200 A.D.), categorized musical instruments (vadya) into four main categories:
Tantu Vadya - Chordophones or Stringed instruments
Sushira Vadya - Aerophones or Wind instruments
Avanaddha Vadya - Membranophones or Percussion instruments
Ghana Vadya - Idiophones or Solid instruments that do not require tuning.
There have been many instruments of the distant past, of which we only know names. There are numerous instruments used in folk music too. The focus of this article is to describe instruments used in Indian Classical music.
Tantu Vadya
This is the category of string instruments. In this category, the sound is produced by the string's vibration through plucking or bowing on the string. The pitch and the sound vibration depend on the string's length and how tight it is wound to the instrument.
The Tantu Vadya are divided broadly into three categories:
Tat Vadya - The plucked instruments such as Tanpura, Veena, Sitar, Sarod, of which Veena and Sitar are fretted, whereas Sarod is non-fretted.
Vitat Vadya - The bowed instruments such as Violin, Sarangi, Dilruba and Esraj or Israj
The only string instrument that is neither plucked nor bowed is the Santoor, which is played by hammering on the strings.
Scroll through the following images of stringed instruments to learn more.
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![Veena musical instrument]()
Veena
Veena, a plucked string instrument is one of the most ancient Indian musical instruments.
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![violin musical instrument]()
Violin
The violin originated in the 16th century in Italy. The western Violin was adapted to Indian classical music in the last century.
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![Sarangi musical instrument]()
Sarangi
The Sarangi is a highly expressive instrument. Its name means 'a hundred colors,' referring to the range, depth, and subtlety of its sounds.
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![Santoor musical instrument]()
Santoor
The Indian Santoor instrument is a trapezoid-shaped hammered dulcimer.
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![Swar Mandal musical instrument]()
Swar Mandal
Swarmandal is a harp-like drone instrument used by a Hindustani classical vocalist for accompaniment.
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![Dilruba musical instrument]()
Dilruba
Dilruba is a bowed string instrument that is very close to the combination of Sitar and Sarangi.
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![Tanpura]()
Tanpura
Tanpura is a drone instrument that has four strings. It produces a vibrant sound and is used for accompaniment by both vocalists and instrumentalists.
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![Sarod]()
Sarod
The word Sarod comes from the Persian word “Sarood”, which means "melody." It is believed that the Sarod originated by combining the ancient Chitravina with the medieval Indian rabab and the Sursingar.
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![Sitar musical instrument]()
Sitar
Sitar has a rich cultural heritage; it originated from the ancient Veena. Its origins can also be traced to the Persian word "Sehtar."
Sushir Vadya
Sushir Vadya or aerophones are wind instruments. These instruments use air as the primary vibrating medium for producing sound. They are diverse in structure and have been used in the music of all cultures since prehistoric times. A wind instrument has a tube, which is the resonator, in which a column of air is set into vibration. The player blows into the mouthpiece, which is set at or near the end of the resonator. In some instruments, the air can be pumped mechanically.
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![Flute musical instrument]()
Flute
The flute is made of bamboo, and it has a cylindrical tube-like body with a uniform bore and is closed at one end.
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![Shehnai musical instrument]()
Shehnai
Shehnai is a quadruple reed instrument with a wooden tube-like body that narrows at the blowing end and widens towards the other end.
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![Harmonium musical instrument]()
Harmonium
The harmonium is a keyboard musical instrument often used as an accompanying instrument by Indian classical vocalists.
Avanaddha Vadya
These are membrophones or percussion instruments.
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![Tabla musical instrument]()
Tabla
Tabla is the most popular percussion instrument used as an accompaniment in Indian music.
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![Pakhawaj musical instrument]()
Pakhawaj
Considered a descendant of Mridangam, the Pakhawaj is mainly used to accompany the Dhrupad style of Hindustani classical music.
Ghana Vadya
These are idiophones which make a sound when struck or shaken. They are solid instruments that do not require tuning.
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![Manjira musical instrument]()
Manjira
Derived from the Sanskrit word, Tālà, which means rhythm, the Taal/ Kartaal or Manjira is a pair of clash cymbals made of bronze, brass, copper, or zinc
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![Ghungroo musical instrument]()
Ghungroo
Several metallic bells are strung together on a thick cloth to make Ghungroo.
