Indian musical instruments are traditionally classified into five categories based on the ancient system described in texts like the Natya Shastra, which is closely related to the broader Hornbostel-Sachs organological classification used worldwide. The five classifications are:
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Tata Vadya (Chordophones/String Instruments) – Instruments that produce sound through vibrating strings. These can be plucked, bowed, or struck. Examples include the sitar, veena, sarod, tanpura, and sarangi.
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Sushira Vadya (Aerophones/Wind Instruments) – Instruments that produce sound when air is blown through them, causing vibration. Examples include the bansuri (flute), shehnai, nadaswaram, and harmonium (though the harmonium also has some mechanical elements).
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Avanaddha Vadya (Membranophones/Percussion Instruments with Membrane) – Instruments that produce sound through a stretched membrane or skin being struck. Examples include the tabla, mridangam, dholak, pakhawaj, and dhol.
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Ghana Vadya (Idiophones/Solid Percussion Instruments) – Instruments made of solid, naturally sonorous material that produce sound through the vibration of the instrument itself, without strings or membranes, typically by being struck, shaken, or scraped. Examples include the manjira (cymbals), jal tarang, ghatam (though this is sometimes debated as it has a hollow cavity), and gongs.
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Ghana Vadya is sometimes split, but the widely accepted fifth category in modern contexts is often considered under electronic instruments; however, traditionally, some classifications add a category for "Sushira with reed" separately — though most traditional texts stick to four core categories (Tata, Sushira, Avanaddha, Ghana), with a fifth sometimes added for electrophones in modern adaptations, referring to electronic instruments like synthesizers used in contemporary Indian music.
This system reflects both classical Sanskrit musicology and practical categorization still used in Indian music education today.