North Indian classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called Hindustani classical music or, in Hindustani, shastriya sangeet. It is played on instruments like the veena, sitar and sarod. Its origins from the 12th century CE, when it diverged from Carnatic music, the classical tradition in South India. While Carnatic music largely uses compositions produced in Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and sometimes in Malayalam, Hindustani music largely uses compositions written in Hindi, Punjabi, Rajasthani, Urdu, and Braj Bhasha.
     Hindustani classical music arose in subcontinent, especially the Northern parts. This music combines the Indian classical music tradition, resulting in a unique tradition of gharana system of music education. Hindustani classical music is an integral part of the culture of India and is performed across the country and internationally. Exponents of Hindustani classical music such as Ustad Bismillah Khan, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, and Ravi Shankar have been awarded with the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of India, for their contributions to the arts. (Wikipedia)