The Origin of Indian Classical Music

Indian classical music is said to have its origins in the Vedas, the oldest scriptures in the Hindu culture. It is different from the western music style, inter alia, due to the fact that the music principle doesn't focus on the harmony but rather on the melody itself.

Already in 2500B.C., in the time of the Indus Valley civilization, archaeological evidence proves the presence of the musical culture as identified from ancient terracotta and bronze figures as well as ancient seals. The figures and images feature the presence of music in the culture at this time, portraying musical instruments such as drums and harps as well as dancing people.

With the arrival of the Aryans around 1500 B.C., the Indus Valley civilization was pretty much submerged. The culture in the area took a turn toward chanted poetry addressed to the gods, a relic of which are the hymns of Rigveda, as well as other compositions such as the Yajurveda and other Vedas. The Vedic religion was based on sacrifices to the gods, with music being an essential part.

Starting from 500 B.C., Indian epic music evolved, with the introduction of the Ramayana, written in shloka form, referring to a type of metrical composition. In addition, the term Pathya was developed, which laid down the basics of making music, consisting of the number of notes to be used, the form of tone production, tonal arrangements, intonation modes and more.

The 500 years between 200 B.C. and 300 A.D. reveal an interesting development to music: with the historical and religious tradition which was related to making music, Indian mythology itself held music to be divine. Traditionally, the person Narada is considered to be the first who was exposed to the laws of music, given from the gods. At the time, Bharata was considered the first to establish specific rules for theater composition, which mainly contained music. This period was followed by a great many other developments of musical diversity.

The modern era, starting from 1700, saw Indian music change into the Hindustani music that is prevalent today. As Indian music and Indian culture are inseparable, there are efforts today to convey some of the greatness of this music by pushing students to learn Hindi. An Indian summer camp, such as Jano India, helps keeping this rich culture alive by bringing children closer to a music tradition that has been living and breathing for a few millennia.