The origins of Indian music go back 6,000 years to the sacred Vedic scriptures when chants developed into a system of musical notes and rhythmic cycles. In Hindu mythology, the creation of Indian music is attributed to many Gods. Lord Brahma created the four Vedas - Rigveda, Samveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda - of which Samveda is considered to be the Veda of music. Lord Brahma passed the knowledge to Lord Shiva who passed it to Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and learning. At our Online Talk #DivineSounds, Musicologist Dr Archana Mhaskar traces the journey of Indian music from the Vedic times to the Mughal courts with both words and melodies.

About the speaker

Dr Archana Aditya Mhaskar graduated in Pharmacy from Pune University, but switched over to the study of music. She has a post-graduate degree with a Gold Medal in vocal music and a Ph.D. in Musicology, both from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Her doctoral thesis is on the biological and mathematical aspects of Sangeet Shastra. She has been a disciple of Padmabhushan Pandit Rajan and Pandit Sajan Mishra, as well as Pandit A. P. Narayangaonkar. She has been awarded with the Rajiv Gandhi award and Banaras Shree in the field of Education and Music. She resides in Pune where she teaches music in the Guru-shishya parampara.