The gamelan is an ancient instrument, and dates back to the period of Dong Son culture, around 1000 years before Christ, when Asians first started to use iron, copper and zinc. The old form of the gamelan, consisting of two and three iron bars and a round gong, can be seen on relief of the Borobudur Buddhist Temple on the island of Java, dating back to the eighth century. That ancient form of the gamelan was gradually developed further by the Empu, the royal musicians of the Kingdoms of Majapahit, Kediri, Surakarta and Yogyakarta and in its present form consists of five and seven bronze bars.
    The name " Gamelan" comes from the word " gamel" which means " to hammer", reflecting the method of playing gamelan music by hammering the instrument.
    The gamelan was originally considered exclusively a royal music and was used only for ritual ceremonies, and Indonesians still respect the gamelan as a holy instrument. It gradually came to be used by remote royal families in their wedding and birthday festivities, and nowadays the gamelan is used to accompany puppets show and opera performances, choirs and other festivities.