Since early periods of Indian music history, three instruments have played an important role in the evolution of sacred music and in the context of dance and music recitals: vina, bamboo-flute und mridangam.

The refinement of their respective playing techniques is ascribed to a conscious process of unifying vocal and instrumental styles of music. 

Sarasvati (vina decoration) - photograph by Ludwig Pesch with kind assistance by Pia Srinivasan

 

Sarasvati, the goddes of the arts and learning; decorative detail of a vina; Sarasvati is seen playing the lute which is named after her (Sarasvati vina). Click the image to listen to a brief music example played by Rajeswari Padmanabhan; and listen to her daughter Sreevidhya Chandramouli who is a renowned vina and vocal performer and teacher in her own right.

Venu (Sanskrit) or pullankuzhal (Tamil), the bamboo flute of South India. Click the image to listen to a brief music example played by Ramachandra Shastry.

bamboo flute - photograph by Ludwig Pesch

Mridangam (right side) - photograph by Ludwig Pesch

Mridangam, the main drum of Carnatic music. Click the image to listen to a brief music example played by T. R. Sundaresan.

For more information on the above and related subjects, see also The Illustrated Companion to South Indian Classical Music by Ludwig Pesch, Oxford University Press (New Delhi, 1999), and the author's homepage. - Photos: Ludwig Pesch ©