An Introduction to Indian Classical Music

The origins of Indian classical music lie in the cultural and spiritual values of India and go back to the Vedic Age (Sam Veda). Even in those times, music was handed down orally from the guru (teacher) to the shishya (disciple). The art was called sangeet and included vocal music, instrumental music, and dance. The great sages who dwelt in ashramas (hermitages) imparted instruction to their students who lived with them on the premises. The art of music was regarded as holy and heavenly. It not only gave aesthetic pleasure but also induced a joyful religious discipline. Devotional music was intended to take man towards God and give him an inner happiness and self-realization. Subsequently this art branched off into three separate streams: vocal music (geet), instrumental music (vadya), and dancing (nritya).