Classical music
Indian Music had its origin in the "Vedas" (4000 B.C - 1000 B.C ). Four in number, the Vedas are considered the most sacred texts which contain about a thousand hymns. All the four Vedas were passed down by oral tradition and it is remarkable that both the text and the rituals remain unchanged to this day.The two main traditions of classical music which have been Carnatic music, found predominantly in the peninsular regions and Hindustani music, found in the northern and central parts. While both traditions claim Vedic origin, history indicates that the two traditions diverged from a common musical root since
Although there are stylistic differences, the basic elements of śruti (the relative musical pitch), swara (the musical sound of a single note), rāga (the mode or melodic formulæ), and tala (the rhythmic cycles) form the foundation of improvisation and composition in both Carnatic and Hindustani music. Although improvisation plays an important role, Carnatic music is mainly sung through compositions, especially the kriti (or kirtanam), a form developed between the 16th and 20th centuries by composers

