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This article is on the musical instrument; for information on other kinds of harmonia, see Harmonium (disambiguation).
 Pakrashi's Professional Harmonium The harmonium is a small, manually-pumped reed organ.
There are two main types of harmonium: a foot-pumped version that resembles a small organ, and a hand-pumped portable version that folds up for easy transport. The foot-pumped version was common in the late 19th century, replacing the melodeon. It was used as a practice instrument by organists, most notably Franck, who composed several collections of works specifically for it, taking advantage of the expressive capacity of varying the bellows pressure using the feet. It was also common in the rural U.S., where it was a popular source of home entertainment. It was cheaper than a piano, the tuning was more stable, it was lighter, and it withstood the bumpy shipment by rail better. They were also used in many pioneer churches in the U.S., where the harmonium was used for accompaniment of congregational singing instead of an organ.
The more portable versions were used by the U.S. armed forces for religious services abord ship and in the field during World War II.
In western culture both types of harmonium have largely fallen out of use, having been replaced by the piano, the pipe organ, and electronic organs. Many harmoniums were shipped overseas to support missionary efforts, though they remain common (though disused) in both private and ecclesiastical ownership.
The harmonium was invented in Europe in Paris in 1842 by Alexandre Debain, though there was concurrent development of similar instruments.
During the mid-19th century missionaries brought hand-pumped harmonium to India, where it quickly became popular due to its portability and its low price. Its popularity has stayed intact to the present day, and the harmonium remains an important instrument in many genres of Indian music, as well as being commonly found in Indian homes.
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