Revered Hindu religious scriptures of the Vedas speak of the use of musical instruments in worship. The fact that lndian musical instruments are mentioned in such ancient religious works is indicative of the fact that music had an important role in ancient lndia. The foundation of lndian 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 lndian 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, lndia is acountry of diverse tribes, cultures and languages. As such, the lndian 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 lndian music and instruments.
