Synopsis The subject matter in many books and articles which have appeared in different journals and souvenirs over the past few dacades represent comprehensive research-oriented studies embracing various facets of music. But there is no publication which deals under one cover with the life styles and contribitions of the great composers who have made Indian music what it is today. The present volume is an attempt to fill this lacuna. There are altogether the biographies of more than 60 composers in the present publication begining from Jayadev, the author of the immortal Gita Govinda down to Papanasam Sivan of the present century. The selection of authors has been made with the consideration of their erudition and standing in the field of music. The sotry of Indian music is largely the story of the different composers who have enriched it in diverse ways. As such the present volume portrays a cogent history of music in the context of the contributions of different composers who flourished from the 12th century down to the present day.