Musical Instruments: An Insight

Indian classical music find its origin in Sama Veda, which is the third Veda of the four Vedas, that generally incorporates melodies, mantras and chants, in simple words; it is full of music. Similarly, there are many pictures and sculptures from the period of Harappan civilization that showcases the usage & popularity of musical instruments in that era. Also, there are references of Indian music & instruments in Rig Veda. Thus, it comes to our knowledge that India has got one of the oldest musical culture and practice.

Whereas, in the present scenario, sitar, sarod, sahnai, sarangi, veena, mridangam etc. are some the ancient instruments that are played in different parts of the country. However, it is needless to say that Indian classical and instrumental music has always been embraced and loved by the global audiences very much. Another interesting fact is that, today, many Indian artists are creating fusion music through the usage of traditional & modern musical instruments, not just in India but across the world. This type of fusion music is increasingly gaining popularity everywhere.

References to the historical usage of musical instruments are manifold. The Ancient Egyptians created and used to play many instruments like drums, bells, castanets; string instruments like harp and wind instruments like trumpets and flutes.

Whereas, in the middle ages, pipe organs were used for church music and the usage of bagpipes was also widely prevalent. A confounding & somewhat shocking incident happened in the year 1995, when archaeologists found supposedly the world's oldest flute named as the Divje Babe Flute in Slovenia. Researchers have claimed its age to be in between 43,400 to 67,000 years.

Origin Of Musical Instruments

• Tabla :- Belongs to a family of drum and percussion instruments, it's
  
  
  sketches and carvings in the old caves of Maharashtra date back to 200 BC and also indicate that it originated in the Indian subcontinent.
• Harmonium :- Its origin belongs to the western world, it was first

introduced by Alexzandre Dabin in the year 1840 in Paris.

• Guitar :- The very first mention of guitar in the chronological
  
  
  records date back to the year 1265.
  
  
• Drums :- The emergence of drums belongs to China and dates back to
  
  
  period of 5500- 2350 BC. These were used in religious rituals.
  
  
• Drum Set Or Drum Kit :- During the1860s, it became common to let
  
  
  one person play bass drum, snare drum, cymbals and other percussion instruments with hand held drum sticks simultaneously.
  
  
• Gramophone :-The phonograph device was invented in 1887 for sound
  
  
  recoding by Thomas Edison, later its changed version was introduced by Emile Berliner, who named it as a Gramophone.

Benefits Of Playing A Musical Instrument

• It can reduce stress, build confidence, develop creativity, increase productivity & can make you smarter.
• Playing a musical instrument can change the shape & power of the brain, as per a new research. It's like a therapy which can improve cognitive skills & can even increase IQ by seven points in children as well as grown-ups.
• It can increase the capacity of your memory, better your mathematical ability and refine your time management & organizational skills.
• It can boosts your team skills and enhance your coordination.
• It is known to teach you perseverance and improve your reading and comprehension skills.
  

Crystals: Perfect Gifting Items For Every Occasion

When it comes to decorating our homes, we usually prefer materials that attract the attention of everyone, materials that glimmer and shine even in minimal light. This is the primary reason why objects made of crystal are the perfect home decoration items.

Another interesting thing all of us would recall is that crystal items are the perennial favourite for gifting purposes, mainly because they look sophisticated and are adored by everyone. Some famed crystal items which we all would surely have come across are idols of gods, replicas of famous buildings, flowers etc. Apart from all this, crystals are also used for making trophies, feng shui artifacts and jeweleries such as crystal studded pendants or earrings.
A Crystal is composed of atoms, ions or molecules which is arranged in microscopic structure and is solid in nature. It is however characterized by its unit cell which is a small imaginary box consisting of one or two atoms in a spatial arrangement.

Generally, crystal is formed in a regular repeated pattern of molecules and because of this repeated nature, it can easily take any form or structure. Some notable examples are cubical structures and double pyramids to hexagonal and big spires etc.

Usage of Crystal in Ancient History
According to chronological references, the Ancient Sumerians during 4th millennium BC used crystals in their magic rituals. The term crystal is derived from Krustallos, an ancient Greek word that basically means ice.

Some more references to the use of crystals can be found during the ancient Egyptian era, where people used crystals for protection, health as well as for cosmetic purposes. Moreover, almost 5000 years back, crystals were also used for healing purposes in China.

• Crystal Gift Items
• Crystal Handle Holder
• Crystal Paper Weight
• Crystal Box
• Crystal Pyramids
• Crystal Bowl

Interesting Facts About Crystals

• Diamonds and snow flakes are also a form of crystal,
• One form of crystal we use in our daily life is sugar,
• Zircon crystal is the oldest known piece of our earth's crust which is 4.4 billion-years-old,
• The largest crystal in the world was found beneath Naica mountain in Chihuahua, Mexico, it has been stored 1000 feet below the surface
  You can find crystals in some electronic items such as radios, watches and computers.