An Indian stringed instrument shaped like a portable wooden box with keys and bellows, measuring approximately 2 feet by 1 foot and about 9 to 10 inches high. At the top of the box, the side closer to the musician has keys that are attached to reeds that play different notes, while the back of the box has a hand-operated bellow. It is a derivation of a reed organ, which is likely to have been brought to India by the British; the Indian harmonium is said to have been devised in 1857 by Dwarkanath Ghose in Kolkata. It is an important instrument within South Asian music and is often used to accompany the vocalist.