The practice of singing was popular from the Vedic times (5000 BC) where the hymns in Sama Veda, an ancient religious text, were sung as Samagana. Ever since, it has developed over centuries, imbibing traditions from across the Indian subcontinent to form a rich cultural tradition named as Indian Classical Music. Hindustani music (diverging from Carnatic music during AD 13th century) was not only influenced by ancient Hindu musical traditions, historical Vedic philosophy and native Indian sounds but also enriched by the Persian, Multani, Chinese, Arabic musical practices as well. Today it consists of classical genres like dhrupad, dhamar, khayal, tarana, sadra, thumri, and folk genres like kajri, chaiti, lori, dandiya, bihu, langa, bhopa, jogi, lavani, etc. It has further influenced other forms of Indian music including Tagore songs, Film Music, Indian Pop, Raga Rock, etc. Through parampara, the tradition of music continues over the ages, as a fine string through the numerous musical forms, like the flowers of a garland.
