Persons Associated with Musical Instruments
इस पृष्ठ को हिंदी में पढ़े
Musical Instruments in Indian History, Mythology and Culture
Indian history and mythology intertwine harmoniously with the realm of music and musical instruments. Bharat Muni, an ancient sage, is revered as the Father of Indian theatrical forms, which encompassed music as an integral component. Purandara Dasa is hailed as the founding father of Carnatic music, a significant tradition in South India. Tansen, a renowned vocalist, gained prominence during the Mughal era.
Indian mythology also showcases a strong association between deities and musical instruments. Goddess Saraswati, the epitome of knowledge and arts, is often depicted with the Veena. Lord Krishna, the divine avatar, is inseparable from the enchanting tunes of his flute. Sage Narada, the celestial musician, carries a Veena and a karthal, a unique musical instrument. Moreover, bells have long been an intrinsic part of Hindu temples, while conches are intimately linked to religious ceremonies.
Furthermore, music occupies an essential role in all rituals, fairs, and festivals. The energetic folk dance of Bhangra, originating in Punjab, finds its vivacity in the beats of the dhol. In the lively Garba dance of Gujarat, dancers gracefully move to the rhythmic accompaniment of dandiya sticks.
Table of Contents
- Persons Associated with Musical Instruments
- Gharanas of Hindustani Music
- Fathers and Children in the Field of Music
- Brothers in the Field of Music
- Types of Musical Instruments
- Types of Musical Instruments in Natya Shastra
- Musical Instruments associated with Hindustani and Classical Music
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Quiz on Persons Associated with Musical Instruments
Bharat Ratna Recipients
| Recipient | Year | Instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Ms. M.S. Subbulakshmi | 1998 | Vocalist (Carnatic) |
| Pt Ravi Shankar | 1999 | Sitar |
| Shri Bismillah Khan | 2001 | Shehnai |
| Pt Bhimsen Joshi | 2009 | Vocalist (Hindustani) |
Fellow of Sangeet Natak Akademi (Ratna Sadashya)
| Recipient | Year | Instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Shri Thanu Krishna Murthy | 2010 | Mridangam |
| Shri Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman | 2011 | Mridangam |
| Shri TH Vinayakram | 2012 | Ghatam |
| Shri Vijay Kumar Kichlu | 2014 | Vocalist |
| Shri Tulsidas Vasant Borkar | 2014 | Harmonium |
| Shri SR Janakiraman | 2014 | Vocalist |
| Shri Zakir Hussain | 2018 | Tabla |
| Shri R Visweswaran | 2023 | Veena |
| Shri Chhannu Lal Mishra | 2023 | Vocalist |
| Musical Instrument | Person |
|---|---|
| Flute | Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Pannalal Ghosh, Palladam Sanjiva Rao |
| Ghatam | T.H. Vinayakram, E.M. Subramaniam |
| Guitar | Braj Bhushan Kabra |
| Karthal | Gazi Khan Barna |
| Mandolin | U Srinivas |
| Mohan Veena | Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhat (inventor of Mohan Veena) |
| Mridangam | K.V. Prasad, S.V. Rajarao, Umalayapuram Sivaraman, Tiruvarur Vaidyanathan |
| Nadaswaram (or Nagaswaram) | TN Rajrathinam Pillai, S. Kasim, S. Babu |
| Pakhawaj | Totaram Sharma, Bhavani Shankar, Ayodhya Prasad |
| Rudra Veena | Asad Ali Khan, Asit Kumar Banerjee, Bahauddin Dagar, Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, Carsten Wicke |
| Vichitra Veena | Lal Mani Misra, Gopal Krishan, Gopal Shankar Misra, Brahm Swarup Singh, Radhika Veena Sadhika |
| Saarangi | Shakoor Khan, Pt Ram Narayan, Ramesh Mishra, Sultan Khan |
| Santoor | Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma, Bhajan Sopori, Tarun Bhattacharya |
| Sarod | Allauddin Khan, Ali Akbar Khan, Amjad Ali Khan, Buddhadev Das Gupta, Tejendra Majumdar |
| Shehnai | Bismillah Khan, Krishna Ram Chaudhary, Ali Ahmad Hussain, Rajendra Prasanna |
| Sitar | Pt Ravi Shankar, Shahid Parvez Khan, Budhaditya Mukherjee, Anushka Shankar |
| Surbahaar | Annapurna Devi, Budhaditya Mukherjee, Pushpraj Koshti |
| Tabla | Chatur Lal, Zakir Hussain, Allah Rakha, Sabir Khan, Pt. Kishan Maharaj, Pt. Jnan Prakash Ghosh, Sandeep Das, Anuradha Pal |
| Veena | Ayyagari Syamasundaram, Doraiswamy Iyengar, Suma Sudhindra |
| Violin | M.S. Gopalakrishnan, Smt M. Rajam, N.R. Muralidharan, M. Chandrasekharan, V.G. Jog, Lalgudi Jayaraman, Lalgudi Krishnan |
| Vocalist (Carnatic Music) | S. Radhakrishna Srinivasa Iyer, M.S. Subbulakshmi, M. Balamuralikrishna, D. K. Pattammal, Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, S Pinakapani |
| Vocalist (Hindustani Music) | Kumar Gandharva, Mallikarjun Bheemarayappa Mansur, Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Jasraj, Gangubai Hangal, Kishori Amonkar, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Rahim Fahimuddin Dagar, Chhannu Lal Mishra, Ramakant Gundecha, Umakant Gundecha, Rajan and Sajan Mishra |
Hindustani Vocalists and Gharanas
| Exponent | Gharana |
|---|---|
| Amir Khan | Indore Gharana (founder) |
| Abdul Karim Khan | Kirana Gharana (founder) |
| Bhimsen Joshi | Kirana Gharana |
| Gangubai Hangal | Kirana Gharana |
| Chhannu Lal Mishra | Kirana Gharana |
| Sawai Gandharva | Kirana Gharana |
| Firoz Dastur | Kirana Gharana |
| Inayat Hussain Khan | Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana |
| Rashid Khan | Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana |
| Vijay Kumar Kichlu | Agra Gharana |
| Pandit Jasraj | Mewati Gharana |
| Kishori Amonkar | Jaipur Gharana |
| Bade Ghulam Ali Khan | Patiala Gharana |
| Mallikarjun Mansur | Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana |
| Mogubai Kurdikar | Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana |
| Rahim Fahimuddin Dagar | Dagar Gharana |
| Ramakant Gundecha | Dagar Gharana |
| Umakant Gundecha | Dagar Gharana |
| Girija Devi | Banaras Gharana |
| Rajan and Sajan Mishra | Banaras Gharana |
| Note: Kumar Gandharva (original name: Shivaputra Siddharamaiyya Komkali), a renowned vocalist of Hindustani style of classical music refused to remain within the confines of any particular gharana. | |
MUSIC IN THE FAMILY
Father-Son/Daughter Associated with Musical Instruments
Allah Rakha and Zakir Hussain: Ustad Allah Rakha (1919-2000) was a renowned tabla player. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1977 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1982. Ustad Zakir Hussain (B. 1951) is his eldest son and also a well-known tabla player. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023. He was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1990, Fellowship of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, Ratna Sadsya in 2018.
Allauddin Khan and Ali Akbar Khan: Baba Allauddin Khan (1862 - 1972) was a renowned sarod player and a multi-instrumentalist. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1958 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1971. His son Ali Akbar Khan (1922 - 2009) was also a well-known sarod player. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1967 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1989.
Ravi Shankar and Anoushka Shankar: Ravi Shankar (1920 - 2012) was a renowned sitar player. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1999, Padma Vibhushan in 1981, Padma Bhushan in 1967, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1962 and Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 1975. His daughter Anoushka Shankar (b. 1981) is also a well-known sitar player. She has been nominated for the Grammy Award several times and is the recipient of many other international honours.
Lalgudi Jayaraman and Lalgudi GJR Krishnan: Lalgudi Gopala Jayaraman (1930 - 2013) was a renowned violinist of Carnatic style. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972 and the Padma Bhushan in 2001. He became a fellow of the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2010. His son Lalgudi Gopala Jayaraman Radhakrishnan (b. 1960) is also a well-known violinist. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2015. It is noteworthy that his sister, Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi is also a renowned violinist and they both perform together on many occasions.
MUSIC IN THE FAMILY
Brothers Associated with Music
Rajan and Sajan Mishra: They were brothers and singers of the khyal style of Indian classical music. They were awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2007 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, jointly in 1998. Rajan Mishra died in 2021 during the Covid pandemic.
Nasir Moinuddin Dagar and Nasir Aminuddin Dagar: They were Hindustani classical dhrupad singers. Nasir Moinuddin Dagar passed away in 1966. His younger brother Nasir Aminuddin was awarded the Padma Bhushan in in 1986 and Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1985. He passed away in 2000.
Ramakant Gundecha and Umakant Gundecha: The Gundecha brothers were Indian classical singers of the dhrupad genre of the Dagar vani from 1985 to 2019. They were awarded the Padma Shri 2012 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2017. Ramakant Gundecha passed away in 2019.
Ganesh Rajagopalan and Kumaresh Rajagopalan: They are an Indian duo of violinists in the Carnatic style of classical music. They were awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2018 for Carnatic Instrumental Music.
Subhan Kasim and Subhan Babu: The Kasim-Babu brothers from Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh are well-known players of Nadaswaram, a traditional classical instrument of South India. They were awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2018.
Types of Musical Instruments
| Wind Instruments | Percussion Instruments | String Instruments |
|---|---|---|
| Flute | Tabla | Guitar |
| Clarinet | Mridungam | Violin |
| Shehnai | Drum | Sitar |
| Saxophone | Dholak | Banjo |
| Bagpipe | Cymbal | Sarod |
| Harmonica | Xylophone | Saarangi |
| Trumpet | Ghatam | Veena |
| Piano | Pakhawaj | Surbahaar |
| Harp | Bells | Mandolin |
Types of Musical Instruments as decribed in Natya Shastra
Bharat Muni in his book Natya Shastra divided musical instruments into four groups:
- Avanaddha Vadya
- Ghan Vadya
- Sushir Vadya
- Tat Vadya
Avanaddha Vadya
These are basically percussion instruments in which a hollow box like structure is covered with animal skin or some other membrane. The membrane is struck with hand, stick or different types of devices made for the purpose to generate sound. Examples of such instruments are dhol, dholak, tabla, nagada, mridangam, damroo etc.
Ghan Vadya:
These are musical instruments made from different metals or materials which generate unique sounds when they are struck either against each other or by an external object. Bells, cymbals, ghungroo fall under this category.
Sushir Vadya
Sushir Vadya are musical instruments in which wind is blown through a hole and some other holes in the instrument help in producing notes. Flute, shehnai, nadaswaram, shankh (conch) are examples of sushir vadyas.
Tat Vadya:
Tat Vadyas are stringed instruments in which strings made of animal skin, hair or metals are struck or plucked. The sound emitted depends upon the length amd material of the string as well as of the device to which the strings are attached. Tanpura, Veena, Sitar, Sarod, Sarangi, Dilruba etc. belong to the category of tat vadyas.
Musical Instruments associated with different types of music
Each form of music, Hindustani, Carnatic, Folk and Western uses certain unique types of musical instruments which are traditionally not used by other forms. Some musical instruments are however used in 2 or more forms of music. Read below to know the musical instruments associated with each form of music.
Hindustani Classical Music
- Sitar
- Saarangi
- Santoor
- Rudra Veena
- Vichitra Veena
- Bansuri
- Shehnai
- Sarod
- Pakhawaj
- Tabla
Carnatic Classical Music
- Saraswati Veena
- Mandolin
- Nagaswaram
- Mrudangam
- Ghatam
- Flute
Both Hindustani and Carnatic Music
- Violin
- Tanpura
- Harmonium
Folk Music
- Dhol, Tumbi, Chimta, Algoza, Bugchu (Bhangra folk dance)
- Dholak, Nagara, Shehnai, Sarangi, Khartal (Ghoomar folk dance)
- Chenda, Maddalam, Edakka, Ilathalam, Shankh (Kathakali dance)
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the seven svaras in Indian classical music?
The seven svaras are sadja (sa), risabha (re), gandhara (ga), madhyama ((ma), panchama ((pa), dhaivata (dha) and nisada (ni).
What is a gharana in classical music?:
A gharana in Indian classical music, more specifically Hindustani classical music, is a musical lineage or tradition where a unique style is developed and passed down through generations of musicians.
What is the difference between Sitar and Surbahaar?:
While both the instruments may look alike, Surbahaar is much larger and produces deeper notes than Sitar. Sitar is versatile and more suitable for wide range of music.
What is the difference between Sitar and Tanpura?:
Again a Sitar and Tanpura have similar looks but are used for different purposes. Tanpura provides drone (constant pitch background) music to a recital. It typically has 4 or 5 strings which are plucked in a repetitive pattern. Sitar on the other hand is used to play melody and raga compositions. It has 6-7 strings along with sympathetic strings which are plucked with complex finger techniques.
What is the difference between Saraswati Veena and Rudra Veena?:
The instrument commonly referred to as veena is the Saraswati Veena. It is smaller in size when compared to Rudra Veena and is played with the supporting stand on the left lap and the large, hollow vibrating box down on the ground. It is typically a Carnatic music instrument.
Rudra Veena is a Hindustani music instrument and larger in size. It is played in almost vertical position with one resonating box over the shoulder and the other box on the ground.
Mohan Veena is a guitar like instrument developed by Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. It however has a stand at the end of the arm on which it rests while it is played in a horizontal position. It has 19 strings and is mainly used in Hindustani music.