The tradition of Hindustani music dates back to Vedic times where the hymns in the Sama Veda, an ancient religious text, were sung as Samagana and not chanted. It diverged from Carnatic music around the 13th-14th centuries CE, primarily due to Islamic influences. Developing a strong and diverse tradition over several centuries, it has contemporary traditions established primarily in India but also in Pakistan and Bangladesh. In contrast to Carnatic music, the other main Indian classical music tradition originating from the South, Hindustani music was not only influenced by ancient Hindu musical traditions, historical Vedic philosophy and native Indian sounds but also enriched by the Persianperformance practices of the Mughals. Classical genres are dhrupad, dhamar, khyal, tarana and sadra, and there are also several semi-classical forms. In the earlier days, when Indian music was just coming of age, the music was devotional in nature. It was restricted only to temples and used for ritualistic purposes.

Nagendra Jha is a Professor of Sociology, University of Hyderabad. He achieved his degrees M.A. (Sociaology) and PhD (Moral Values of Hinduism in Veda) from BHU, Varanasi. He is a teacher of Dance, Music and Indian Philosophy. He has specialized in Indian Dance and Music. He has also specialized in Indian Philosophy, Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. He has authored more than three books and over twenty five research papers and articles published in national and international journals. He has travelled widely teaching Indian philosophy and culture.