NCERT Textbook: Inspiration and Imagination | Arts (Kriti) Class 8 - New NCERT PDF Download

 Page 1


8 
INSPIRATION  
AND IMAGINATION
INSPIRING ARTISTS
We may assume that 
musicians and artists are 
born with a natural talent or 
gift, and that they are lucky 
to be on stage and perform in front of people. But, 
many musicians had to overcome a disability or 
a di??cult circumstance in their lives to achieve 
success. 
Ra vindra Jain (1944 – 2015)
Ravindra Jain was a well-known 
music composer and songwriter, 
who mainly worked in Hindi 
??lms. Despite being blind, he 
became one of India’s most loved 
musicians. He composed music for 
more than 200 Bollywood ??lms, 
and also composed music for the 
popular television series, Ramayan. Ravindra Jain 
won the Filmfare award for Best Music Director for 
Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), and also performed 
in hundreds of live and TV shows. 
ACTIVITY 8.1: ARTISTS WHO 
OVERCAME CHALLENGES
 ? Do you know about any artist in your community, 
region or state who is di??erently-abled, or had 
to break barriers to pursue their passion? 
 ? Learn about artists like Ghatam Suresh 
Vaidyanathan and Puttaraj Gawai. 
 ? Find out more about the artist including —
• Where they are from?
• What is the art form they practise?
• How they started learning or pursuing their 
passion?
• What were the speci??c challenges they had 
to overcome?
 ? Listen to their music and watch videos of their 
performance or interviews.
Re??ect on what you can learn from their lives and 
share it with your classmates.
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Page 2


8 
INSPIRATION  
AND IMAGINATION
INSPIRING ARTISTS
We may assume that 
musicians and artists are 
born with a natural talent or 
gift, and that they are lucky 
to be on stage and perform in front of people. But, 
many musicians had to overcome a disability or 
a di??cult circumstance in their lives to achieve 
success. 
Ra vindra Jain (1944 – 2015)
Ravindra Jain was a well-known 
music composer and songwriter, 
who mainly worked in Hindi 
??lms. Despite being blind, he 
became one of India’s most loved 
musicians. He composed music for 
more than 200 Bollywood ??lms, 
and also composed music for the 
popular television series, Ramayan. Ravindra Jain 
won the Filmfare award for Best Music Director for 
Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), and also performed 
in hundreds of live and TV shows. 
ACTIVITY 8.1: ARTISTS WHO 
OVERCAME CHALLENGES
 ? Do you know about any artist in your community, 
region or state who is di??erently-abled, or had 
to break barriers to pursue their passion? 
 ? Learn about artists like Ghatam Suresh 
Vaidyanathan and Puttaraj Gawai. 
 ? Find out more about the artist including —
• Where they are from?
• What is the art form they practise?
• How they started learning or pursuing their 
passion?
• What were the speci??c challenges they had 
to overcome?
 ? Listen to their music and watch videos of their 
performance or interviews.
Re??ect on what you can learn from their lives and 
share it with your classmates.
ch8_MUSIC.indd   88 ch8_MUSIC.indd   88 25-06-2025   12:29:25 25-06-2025   12:29:25
89  |  Indian Classical Music 89  |  INSPIRATION AND IMAGINATION
MUSICAL MONUMENTS
Chennakeshava Temple, Belur , Karnataka Gwalior Fort, Gwalior , Madhya Pradesh Konark Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha
Many temples and historical buildings have deep connections with music. 
Several temple sculptures depict musical instruments being played. Here are a few examples —
 ? Find out more about how each of these heritage monuments are connected to music.
 ? Write a page about each of them. 
 ? Find out whether music concerts or festivals are conducted in these sites in present times.
ch8_MUSIC.indd   89 ch8_MUSIC.indd   89 25-06-2025   12:29:27 25-06-2025   12:29:27
Page 3


8 
INSPIRATION  
AND IMAGINATION
INSPIRING ARTISTS
We may assume that 
musicians and artists are 
born with a natural talent or 
gift, and that they are lucky 
to be on stage and perform in front of people. But, 
many musicians had to overcome a disability or 
a di??cult circumstance in their lives to achieve 
success. 
Ra vindra Jain (1944 – 2015)
Ravindra Jain was a well-known 
music composer and songwriter, 
who mainly worked in Hindi 
??lms. Despite being blind, he 
became one of India’s most loved 
musicians. He composed music for 
more than 200 Bollywood ??lms, 
and also composed music for the 
popular television series, Ramayan. Ravindra Jain 
won the Filmfare award for Best Music Director for 
Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), and also performed 
in hundreds of live and TV shows. 
ACTIVITY 8.1: ARTISTS WHO 
OVERCAME CHALLENGES
 ? Do you know about any artist in your community, 
region or state who is di??erently-abled, or had 
to break barriers to pursue their passion? 
 ? Learn about artists like Ghatam Suresh 
Vaidyanathan and Puttaraj Gawai. 
 ? Find out more about the artist including —
• Where they are from?
• What is the art form they practise?
• How they started learning or pursuing their 
passion?
• What were the speci??c challenges they had 
to overcome?
 ? Listen to their music and watch videos of their 
performance or interviews.
Re??ect on what you can learn from their lives and 
share it with your classmates.
ch8_MUSIC.indd   88 ch8_MUSIC.indd   88 25-06-2025   12:29:25 25-06-2025   12:29:25
89  |  Indian Classical Music 89  |  INSPIRATION AND IMAGINATION
MUSICAL MONUMENTS
Chennakeshava Temple, Belur , Karnataka Gwalior Fort, Gwalior , Madhya Pradesh Konark Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha
Many temples and historical buildings have deep connections with music. 
Several temple sculptures depict musical instruments being played. Here are a few examples —
 ? Find out more about how each of these heritage monuments are connected to music.
 ? Write a page about each of them. 
 ? Find out whether music concerts or festivals are conducted in these sites in present times.
ch8_MUSIC.indd   89 ch8_MUSIC.indd   89 25-06-2025   12:29:27 25-06-2025   12:29:27
90  |  KRITI
MUSICAL PILLARS
Indian temples have a tradition of 
musical pillars. Due to the material 
of the stone and the precise 
carving of the pillar, they produce 
musical notes when struck, which 
is indeed a marvelous coming 
together of music, science and 
sculpture.
1. Vijaya Vittala Temple, 
Hampi, Karnataka
 Features: 56 pillars that 
produce musical notes.
2. Airavateshwara temple, 
Darasuram, Tamil Nadu
 Features: A stone staircase 
that produces di??erent notes 
when tapped.
3. Padmanabha Swamy temple, 
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala  
 Features: Carved stone, 
Kerala pillars that produces 
musical notes when struck.
How do these pillars work?
Airavateshwara temple, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu
Padmanabha Swamy temple, 
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Vijayavitthala temple, Hampi, Karnataka
 ? The pillars are made of resonant stone that vibrate at clearly audible 
frequencies.
 ? They are often hollow and have varying densities, allowing di??e rent 
frequencies to be produced.
ch8_MUSIC.indd   90 ch8_MUSIC.indd   90 25-06-2025   12:29:29 25-06-2025   12:29:29
Page 4


8 
INSPIRATION  
AND IMAGINATION
INSPIRING ARTISTS
We may assume that 
musicians and artists are 
born with a natural talent or 
gift, and that they are lucky 
to be on stage and perform in front of people. But, 
many musicians had to overcome a disability or 
a di??cult circumstance in their lives to achieve 
success. 
Ra vindra Jain (1944 – 2015)
Ravindra Jain was a well-known 
music composer and songwriter, 
who mainly worked in Hindi 
??lms. Despite being blind, he 
became one of India’s most loved 
musicians. He composed music for 
more than 200 Bollywood ??lms, 
and also composed music for the 
popular television series, Ramayan. Ravindra Jain 
won the Filmfare award for Best Music Director for 
Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), and also performed 
in hundreds of live and TV shows. 
ACTIVITY 8.1: ARTISTS WHO 
OVERCAME CHALLENGES
 ? Do you know about any artist in your community, 
region or state who is di??erently-abled, or had 
to break barriers to pursue their passion? 
 ? Learn about artists like Ghatam Suresh 
Vaidyanathan and Puttaraj Gawai. 
 ? Find out more about the artist including —
• Where they are from?
• What is the art form they practise?
• How they started learning or pursuing their 
passion?
• What were the speci??c challenges they had 
to overcome?
 ? Listen to their music and watch videos of their 
performance or interviews.
Re??ect on what you can learn from their lives and 
share it with your classmates.
ch8_MUSIC.indd   88 ch8_MUSIC.indd   88 25-06-2025   12:29:25 25-06-2025   12:29:25
89  |  Indian Classical Music 89  |  INSPIRATION AND IMAGINATION
MUSICAL MONUMENTS
Chennakeshava Temple, Belur , Karnataka Gwalior Fort, Gwalior , Madhya Pradesh Konark Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha
Many temples and historical buildings have deep connections with music. 
Several temple sculptures depict musical instruments being played. Here are a few examples —
 ? Find out more about how each of these heritage monuments are connected to music.
 ? Write a page about each of them. 
 ? Find out whether music concerts or festivals are conducted in these sites in present times.
ch8_MUSIC.indd   89 ch8_MUSIC.indd   89 25-06-2025   12:29:27 25-06-2025   12:29:27
90  |  KRITI
MUSICAL PILLARS
Indian temples have a tradition of 
musical pillars. Due to the material 
of the stone and the precise 
carving of the pillar, they produce 
musical notes when struck, which 
is indeed a marvelous coming 
together of music, science and 
sculpture.
1. Vijaya Vittala Temple, 
Hampi, Karnataka
 Features: 56 pillars that 
produce musical notes.
2. Airavateshwara temple, 
Darasuram, Tamil Nadu
 Features: A stone staircase 
that produces di??erent notes 
when tapped.
3. Padmanabha Swamy temple, 
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala  
 Features: Carved stone, 
Kerala pillars that produces 
musical notes when struck.
How do these pillars work?
Airavateshwara temple, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu
Padmanabha Swamy temple, 
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Vijayavitthala temple, Hampi, Karnataka
 ? The pillars are made of resonant stone that vibrate at clearly audible 
frequencies.
 ? They are often hollow and have varying densities, allowing di??e rent 
frequencies to be produced.
ch8_MUSIC.indd   90 ch8_MUSIC.indd   90 25-06-2025   12:29:29 25-06-2025   12:29:29
91  |  Indian Classical Music 91  |  INSPIRATION AND IMAGINATION
ACTIVITY 8.2: EXPLORE A MUSIC INSTITUTION
 ? Do you know a local music school 
or venue? If not, try searching 
online or asking family and 
friends.
 ? Find out more about what this 
institution does .  Do they conduct 
music classes? Do they organise 
concerts? What other activities 
take place in that institution?
 ? If you can, visit there and 
understand more about their 
activities.
 ? You may even discuss with your 
parents about joining a music 
class in-person or online.
Group of girls attending a music school in Mysore, India (1895)
Note to the Teacher 
(1)  There may be some music institutions that 
are in your vicinity. Explore the possibility of 
taking the students to the institution on a ??eld 
trip to get a ??rst hand experience of a music 
environment. 
(2) Have you heard of — 
(i) Shillong Chamber Choir and 
(ii) Chhatisgarh — Bastar Band or any other traditional 
indigenous band being played in India. Record how 
you felt after listening to them. Research on other 
communities who have orchestral or vocal bands.
ch8_MUSIC.indd   91 ch8_MUSIC.indd   91 25-06-2025   12:29:30 25-06-2025   12:29:30
Page 5


8 
INSPIRATION  
AND IMAGINATION
INSPIRING ARTISTS
We may assume that 
musicians and artists are 
born with a natural talent or 
gift, and that they are lucky 
to be on stage and perform in front of people. But, 
many musicians had to overcome a disability or 
a di??cult circumstance in their lives to achieve 
success. 
Ra vindra Jain (1944 – 2015)
Ravindra Jain was a well-known 
music composer and songwriter, 
who mainly worked in Hindi 
??lms. Despite being blind, he 
became one of India’s most loved 
musicians. He composed music for 
more than 200 Bollywood ??lms, 
and also composed music for the 
popular television series, Ramayan. Ravindra Jain 
won the Filmfare award for Best Music Director for 
Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), and also performed 
in hundreds of live and TV shows. 
ACTIVITY 8.1: ARTISTS WHO 
OVERCAME CHALLENGES
 ? Do you know about any artist in your community, 
region or state who is di??erently-abled, or had 
to break barriers to pursue their passion? 
 ? Learn about artists like Ghatam Suresh 
Vaidyanathan and Puttaraj Gawai. 
 ? Find out more about the artist including —
• Where they are from?
• What is the art form they practise?
• How they started learning or pursuing their 
passion?
• What were the speci??c challenges they had 
to overcome?
 ? Listen to their music and watch videos of their 
performance or interviews.
Re??ect on what you can learn from their lives and 
share it with your classmates.
ch8_MUSIC.indd   88 ch8_MUSIC.indd   88 25-06-2025   12:29:25 25-06-2025   12:29:25
89  |  Indian Classical Music 89  |  INSPIRATION AND IMAGINATION
MUSICAL MONUMENTS
Chennakeshava Temple, Belur , Karnataka Gwalior Fort, Gwalior , Madhya Pradesh Konark Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha
Many temples and historical buildings have deep connections with music. 
Several temple sculptures depict musical instruments being played. Here are a few examples —
 ? Find out more about how each of these heritage monuments are connected to music.
 ? Write a page about each of them. 
 ? Find out whether music concerts or festivals are conducted in these sites in present times.
ch8_MUSIC.indd   89 ch8_MUSIC.indd   89 25-06-2025   12:29:27 25-06-2025   12:29:27
90  |  KRITI
MUSICAL PILLARS
Indian temples have a tradition of 
musical pillars. Due to the material 
of the stone and the precise 
carving of the pillar, they produce 
musical notes when struck, which 
is indeed a marvelous coming 
together of music, science and 
sculpture.
1. Vijaya Vittala Temple, 
Hampi, Karnataka
 Features: 56 pillars that 
produce musical notes.
2. Airavateshwara temple, 
Darasuram, Tamil Nadu
 Features: A stone staircase 
that produces di??erent notes 
when tapped.
3. Padmanabha Swamy temple, 
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala  
 Features: Carved stone, 
Kerala pillars that produces 
musical notes when struck.
How do these pillars work?
Airavateshwara temple, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu
Padmanabha Swamy temple, 
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Vijayavitthala temple, Hampi, Karnataka
 ? The pillars are made of resonant stone that vibrate at clearly audible 
frequencies.
 ? They are often hollow and have varying densities, allowing di??e rent 
frequencies to be produced.
ch8_MUSIC.indd   90 ch8_MUSIC.indd   90 25-06-2025   12:29:29 25-06-2025   12:29:29
91  |  Indian Classical Music 91  |  INSPIRATION AND IMAGINATION
ACTIVITY 8.2: EXPLORE A MUSIC INSTITUTION
 ? Do you know a local music school 
or venue? If not, try searching 
online or asking family and 
friends.
 ? Find out more about what this 
institution does .  Do they conduct 
music classes? Do they organise 
concerts? What other activities 
take place in that institution?
 ? If you can, visit there and 
understand more about their 
activities.
 ? You may even discuss with your 
parents about joining a music 
class in-person or online.
Group of girls attending a music school in Mysore, India (1895)
Note to the Teacher 
(1)  There may be some music institutions that 
are in your vicinity. Explore the possibility of 
taking the students to the institution on a ??eld 
trip to get a ??rst hand experience of a music 
environment. 
(2) Have you heard of — 
(i) Shillong Chamber Choir and 
(ii) Chhatisgarh — Bastar Band or any other traditional 
indigenous band being played in India. Record how 
you felt after listening to them. Research on other 
communities who have orchestral or vocal bands.
ch8_MUSIC.indd   91 ch8_MUSIC.indd   91 25-06-2025   12:29:30 25-06-2025   12:29:30
92  |  KRITI
ACTIVITY 8.3: REPORT ON YOUR FUTURE SELF
Write a newspaper article about yourself (in the third 
person point of view), twenty years from now. Before 
you start writing, think and note down points for the 
following:
Whatever career you have selected;
 ? What are some of your major accomplishments?
 ? Contribution of music or any other art form in your 
personal life. 
 ? What is the milestone event you would like to report?
 ? What do you like to do at present?
 ? Any other interesting details about your personal 
life.
 ? Your future dreams.
If you need some inspiration, look at the biographies 
and achievements of the people you admire. Remember, 
you have the power to make this world a better place.
Create a draft using these points, and then, think of 
an eye-catching headline. Write a ??nal article of 400–500 
words in length, and post it on your class notice board. 
Extension activity: Think of how media and reporting 
may evolve in the future. If you prefer a podcast, a short 
form video, or a blog to a newspaper article, try one of 
those formats.
IMAGINING MY FUTURE
Over this year, we have explored a lot of di??erent 
ideas about the elements of music, instruments, 
songs and emotions. We have also been inspired 
by the lives of musicians and legends. You can 
be successful too, with focus and dedication, 
and contribute to building a stronger nation. 
Let us spend some time imagining your future.
Tribal folk art depicting playing of indigenous 
musical instruments 
ch8_MUSIC.indd   92 ch8_MUSIC.indd   92 25-06-2025   12:29:30 25-06-2025   12:29:30