Dhrupad is a genre in Hindustani classical music. It is the oldest form of compositions in classical music and a form that is also found in the South Indian (Carnatic) tradition.
It is a Sanskrit name, derived from the words dhruva (immovable, permanent) and pad (verse), a combination that means “pillar”.
The roots of Dhrupad are ancient, and it is discussed in the Hindu Sanskrit text Natyashastra (~200 BCE – 200 CE).
The Yugala Shataka of Shri Shribhatta in the Nimbarka Sampradaya, written in 1294 CE, contains Dhrupad lyrics.
The Bhakti saint and poet-musician Swami Haridas (also in the Nimbarka Sampradaya), was a well known dhrupad singer with songs dedicated to Krishna.
Swami Haridas was the guru of Tansen, the latter is famous, among other things, for his Dhrupad compositions.
