<P> The textual evidence for similar material and methods of construction as tabla comes from Sanskrit texts . The earliest discussion of tabla - like musical instrument building methods, including paste - patches, are found in the Hindu text Natyashastra . The Natyashastra also discusses how to play these drums . The South Indian text Silappatikaram, likely composed in the early centuries of 1st millennium CE, describes thirty types of drums along with many stringed and other instruments, but none of those drums are named tabla . </P> <P> Drums and Talas are mentioned in the Vedic era texts . A percussion musical instrument with two or three small drums, held with strings, called Pushkara (also spelled Pushkala) were in existence in pre-5th century Indian subcontinent along with other drums such as the Mridang, but these are not called tabla then . The pre-5th century paintings in the Ajanta Caves, for example, show a group of musicians playing small tabla - like upright seated drums, a kettle - shaped mridang drum and cymbals . Similar artwork with seated musicians playing drums, but carved in stone, are found in the Ellora Caves, and others . </P> <P> A type of small Indian drums, along with many other musical instruments, are also mentioned in Tibetan and Chinese memoirs written by Buddhist monks who visited the Indian subcontinent in the 1st millennium CE . The pushkala are called rdzogs pa (pronounced dzokpa) in Tibetan literature . The pushkara drums are also mentioned in many ancient Jainism and Buddhism texts, such as Samavayasutra, Lalitavistara and Sutralamkara . </P> <P> Various Hindu and Jain temples, such as the Eklingaji in Jaipur, Rajasthan show stone carvings of a person playing tabla - like small pair of drums . Small drums were popular during the Yadava rule (1210 to 1247) in the south, at the time when Sangita Ratnakara was written by Sarangadeva . There is recent iconography of the tabla dating back to 1799 . This theory is now obsolete with iconography carvings found in Bhaje caves providing solid proof that the tabla was used in ancient India . There are Hindu temple carvings of double hand drums resembling the tabla that date back to 500 BCE . The tabla was spread widely across ancient India . A Hoysaleshwara temple in Karnataka shows a carving of a woman playing a tabla in a dance performance . </P>

Who among these musicians is a proponent of tabala