India’s musical heritage is one of the oldest and most sophisticated in human history. For over 3,000 years, Indian musicians have developed an extraordinary range of instruments — each with its own technical complexity, regional identity, and philosophical significance. From the meditative drone of the tanpura to the explosive virtuosity of the tabla, Indian musical instruments span the full spectrum of human emotion and expression. Here is a guide to the most iconic and beloved instruments of India.
Chordophones — String Instruments
Sitar
The sitar is perhaps the most internationally recognised Indian instrument, brought to global attention by Pandit Ravi Shankar. With 18–20 strings — including sympathetic strings that vibrate in resonance — and movable frets that allow microtonal inflections, the sitar is capable of extraordinarily nuanced expression. Its pear-shaped gourd body and long neck are instantly recognisable. The Maihar gharana and the Imdadkhani gharana represent the two most influential stylistic traditions in sitar performance.
Sarod
The sarod is a plucked string instrument with a distinctive metallic body and a skin membrane stretched over its base. Unlike the sitar, the sarod has no frets — the player slides their nails along the strings to produce notes, demanding exceptional precision. Maestros Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan and Ayaan are among the foremost sarod performers today. The instrument’s haunting, introspective quality makes it particularly suited to the deeper, reflective ragas.
Sarangi
The sarangi is the most expressive bowed string instrument in Indian classical music. Its three main gut strings, bowed with a horsehair bow, are capable of mimicking the human voice with remarkable fidelity — earning it a name that roughly means “hundred colours.” It is traditionally used to accompany vocalists in Hindustani music. Pandit Ram Narayan is revered as a master of this demanding instrument.
Veena
The veena is the quintessential string instrument of Carnatic (South Indian) classical music and is considered the mother of all Indian string instruments. Its image adorns Indian currency notes and the emblem of All India Radio. The goddess Saraswati is traditionally depicted playing the veena, symbolising the divine nature of music. The Saraswati Veena — the most common form — has four main strings and three drone strings stretched over a long fingerboard.
Tanpura
The tanpura (or tambura) is the foundation of Indian classical music — a four-stringed instrument played in a continuous cycle to produce the harmonic drone that underpins every raga performance. Its acoustic properties — the complex overtones produced by the slight imperfection in the string’s contact point — create the rich sonic environment within which ragas unfold. The tanpura is present in virtually every Hindustani and Carnatic classical performance.
Aerophones — Wind Instruments
Bansuri
The bansuri is a transverse bamboo flute associated with Lord Krishna, who is almost always depicted playing one. Made from a single piece of bamboo with six or seven finger holes, the bansuri’s breathy, warm tone is one of the most evocative sounds in Indian music. Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia elevated the bansuri to the status of a major concert instrument and is considered its foremost living master.
Shehnai
The shehnai is a double-reed woodwind instrument associated with auspicious occasions — weddings, temple ceremonies, and festivals. Ustad Bismillah Khan dedicated his life to the shehnai and elevated it from a folk instrument to concert stage prominence, famously performing at India’s independence ceremony at the Red Fort in 1947 — a moment immortalised in Indian history.
Membranophones — Percussion Instruments
Tabla
The tabla — a pair of hand drums played with the right and left hands — is the primary percussion instrument of Hindustani classical music. Its extraordinary tonal range and the vast vocabulary of strokes and rhythmic patterns (thekas) make it one of the most complex percussion instruments in the world. Ustad Zakir Hussain is the most celebrated tabla player of his generation and has brought the instrument to global audiences through collaborations with world musicians.
Mridangam
The mridangam is the principal percussion instrument of Carnatic classical music, a two-headed barrel drum played with both hands. Its intricate rhythmic language — with sophisticated rhythmic compositions (korvais) and complex cross-rhythms — is the backbone of the Carnatic concert experience. Palakkad Mani Iyer and Palghat Raghu are among the greatest mridangists in history.
Dholak
The dholak is a two-headed folk drum used across a wide variety of folk and popular musical traditions throughout the Indian subcontinent. Unlike the tabla and mridangam, it is accessible to musicians without formal classical training and is ubiquitous at weddings, Holi celebrations, Bhangra performances, and devotional singing — its cheerful, driving rhythm instantly associated with celebration.
Idiophones — Self-Sounding Instruments
Ghatam
The ghatam is a clay pot used as a percussion instrument in Carnatic music. The player strikes the outer surface with fingers and palms, producing a remarkable range of tones. Despite its humble appearance, the ghatam in the hands of a master like Vikku Vinayakram produces music of extraordinary complexity and expressiveness, featured in both classical concerts and global fusion projects.
India’s Living Musical Tradition
India’s musical instruments are not museum pieces — they are living objects in the hands of masters who have trained for decades and who continue to push the boundaries of their respective traditions. Whether encountered in a concert hall, at a street performance during a festival, or through recordings by the great maestros, the instruments of India carry within them the accumulated musical wisdom of thousands of years of human civilisation.
