List of top Performing Arts Questions on Indian Music

Percussive Musical Instruments of India 
India is very rich in the number and variety of musical instruments. From time immemorial, musical instruments have been connected with various Gods and goddesses according to mythol ogy. Musical Instruments have been classified into Thata, Avanadha, Ghana and Sushira. We came across this classification first in Natyashastra. Thata variety, is an instrument with strings and played by plucking or bowing. The instruments like Veena, Sitar, violin, Sarangi etc. come under this category. The Avandha variety are instruments with skin-covered heads, and are played by beating on both sides or one side. Mridangam, Pakhawaj, Tabla etc. come under this category. Ghana vadyas are those made with metal content. Manjira, Ghatom etc. are some of the examples of Ghana Vadya. Sushira Vadya are those instruments with holes and make the sound by blowing air through the holes. Flute, Nagaswaram, Saxophone, Clarinet are some of the examples.

Passage: Prabandh
As Sarangadeva describes in his book ”Sangit- Ratnakar”, Prabandh had two prime forms, namely Nibaddha gana and Anibaddha gana. The components of Prabandh is called as Dhatu. There are four Dhatus or parts of a Prabandh. The first one is called Udgraha, the second is Melapak, third is Dhurva and Fourth is Abhog. There is another part called Antra which was not essential to Prabandh. It was inserted in between the Dhruva and the Abhoga in a particular variety of Prabandh. Prabandh also has six Angas: 1. Swara, 2. Viruda, 3. Pada, 4. Tenak, 5. Paat, 6. Tala. The Prabandh has five Varieties or Jatis namely: Medini, Anandini, Dipani, Bhavani, and Taravali. The Jati having all six Angas is known as Medani, the jati having five Angas is known as Anandini, the Jati having four Angas is known as Dipani, the Jati having three Angas is known as Bhavani, the Jati having two Angas is known as Taravali.