Evidence of usage of tabla-like drums has been found as far back as 2500 years ago,where temple carvings dating back to 500 BC illustrate the use of the double-hand drums resembling the tabla. The tabla has evolved through centuries of experimentation and improvement. Amongst the most significant changes and improvements to the tabla was the addition of "gab" or syahi (ink) which enabled sound modulation to a great extent. Bharata(2nd century AD mentions the use of "gab") Ancient writings of India also refer to the Mridanagam (a very popular double ended drum in the percussion genre). Mrit=Clay, Anga=body. The Tabla could be a derivant of Mridangam.