Manifestation of Buddhist Iconography on the Evolution of Modern Musical Instruments in India: An Organological Study of Stringed Instruments through South Asian Buddhist Art

This study examines how musical instruments are depicted in Buddhist art in South Asia and how these representations influence the design and performance practices of modern Indian musical instruments. The methodology combines a qualitative iconographic analysis of Buddhist art, focusing on sculptures, frescoes, and engravings that feature musicians and musical instruments in selected Buddhist sites where the climax of the Buddhist art is evident. Ajanta, Pitalkhora, Sanchi, Bharhut, Mathura, Amaravati, Nagarjunakonda, Gandhara (Pakistan), and Anuradhapura (Sri Lanka) are selected based on the peak. In parallel, a historical and contextual study of Indian musical instruments provides deeper insights into the evolution of their physical design and playing techniques. Evidently, ancient sculptures from Bharhut, Mathura, Gandhara, Amaravati, Nagarjunakonda, Pitalkhora, Sanchi, and Anuradhapura (Sri Lanka) and the murals and ceilings of Ajanta depict a wide variety of stringed instruments. The representations of stringed instruments in selected Buddhist artworks are categorized into two types: arched or bow-shaped design, with the neck curving from the body, fingerboard resembling that of the modern Sarod or Rabab. The study concludes that these depictions offer valuable insights into the history, structural design, playing techniques, and cultural and religious contexts of modern Indian musical instruments.