Music has long been recognized as an essential component of human civilization, contributing not only to cultural enrichment but also to intellectual, emotional, and psychological development. In contemporary educational discourse, the integration of music education into mainstream academic curricula has gained increasing importance due to its potential role in cognitive enhancement, creativity development, emotional intelligence, and holistic personality formation. Indian classical percussion instruments such as Tabla in the Hindustani tradition and Mridangam in the Carnatic tradition represent highly sophisticated rhythmic systems that demand concentration, coordination, memory, discipline, and creativity. This paper critically examines the role of Tabla and Mridangam training in cognitive development and creative learning among students within the framework of modern educational psychology and India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The study explores how rhythmic training improves neural coordination, memory retention, attention span, mathematical reasoning, emotional regulation, and creative thinking. It also investigates the educational value of percussion learning in schools and higher educational institutions. The research adopts a qualitative and interdisciplinary approach by analyzing literature from musicology, neuroscience, educational psychology, and cognitive science. The paper further discusses the significance of integrating Indian percussion education into contemporary pedagogical systems for promoting experiential learning, skill development, cultural awareness, and inclusive education.

The findings reveal that Tabla and Mridangam education significantly contribute to intellectual growth, cognitive flexibility, emotional stability, and creative expression among learners. The study concludes that Indian percussion training should be incorporated into educational policy frameworks and institutional curricula to foster holistic student development in the twenty-first century.

Keywords: Tabla, Mridangam, Cognitive Development, Creative Learning, Educational Psychology, Music Education, NEP 2020, Indian Classical Music, Neuroscience, Creativity.