Indian Classical Music

Music is an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythms, melody, harmony and color. Two main traditions of Indian Music are Carnatic Music and Hindustani Music.

Hindustani Classical Music is found throughout North India and is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shastriya Sangeet. It is a mixture of traditional Hindu musical concepts and Persian performance practice.

Carnatic Classical Music is found in southern part of the Indian sub-continent in the four modern states of India i.e. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamilnadu. It is also known as Karnataka Sangeetham. Vocal music is the main emphasis of Carnatic music , where most compositions are written to be sung.

India Post has tried to capture the essence of the Indian Classical Music from time to time through its postage stamps. India Post will shortly release a set of 8 Commemorative Postage Stamps recognizing the contributions of eight doyens of Indian Classical Music.

President released Commemorative Postage Stamps on Indian Musicians






  

     Department of Posts has brought out a set of eight stamps on Indian Musicians. The set of stamps featuring musical maestros Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Ms. D.K. Pattammal, Ms. Gangubai Hangal, Pt. Kumar Gandharva, Pt. Mallikarjun Mansur, Pt. Ravi Shankar and Ustad Vilayat Khan was released by the Hon’ble President of India at a stamp release function organized at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in the presence of Sh. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Hon’ble Minister of Communications & IT and Law & Justice and Ms. Kavery Banerjee, Secretary(Posts). The function was attended by the family members of the musicians, eminent personalities from the field of music & art, and the officers of the Department of Posts.

     Reminiscing his childhood, Sh. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Hon’ble Minister of Communications & IT and Law & Justice, shared his experiences of hearing Pt. Kumar Gandharva and Ms. Gangubai Hangal, who enthralled the audience with their powerful voices and touched the hearts of millions of people. He underlined the importance and contribution of Indian Classical Music, which has travelled beyond the boundaries of the nation and made its mark on the world stage. He further stated that music is the essence of the society which can bring and create peace, harmony and brotherhood.

     Speaking on the occasion, the President stated that as we pay tribute to eight of the greatest music maestros of contemporary India, we celebrate their life and work and their matchless legacy. These eight maestros are, without a doubt, among the tallest luminaries in the history of world music. They have not only achieved personal perfection, but have made extraordinary contributions, in their respective fields, to the development and evolution of the schools of music in which their talents were nurtured and honed. Their contribution, and its enrichment of our cultural heritage cannot be quantified or estimated. It is infinite in its resonance and their names will be mentioned with great reverence. He further added that their music will be cherished by the young and old, for many decades to come.