A South Asian stringed instrument, it consists of a single string, a gourd resonator and a bamboo neck. Though there are regional variations of the instrument, the most common version consists of a bowl-shaped end made from the shell of bottle gourd, wood apple and coconut. This is attached to a bamboo neck, and the string is attached to a knob on the neck, known as kaan. It is played by plucking the string with the index finger of the hand it is held in. The instrument was most popularly used by travelling bards singing devotional and other songs and is a common instrument in Baul music of eastern India.
More Definitions
Chalan
A series of notes in a Hindustani raga that summarise its development by illustrating its musical treatment and melodic context.
Mridangam
An Indian percussion instrument, the mridangam is a two-headed drum with an angular, barrel-shaped body made of wood, with an…
Doha
A form of Indian poetry, it is a self-contained rhyming couplet consisting of two lines and formed of twenty-four syllables…
Dhruva
A classification of songs from chapter thirty-two of the Natyashastra, which pertains to songs sung on stage during a performance.…
Manjira
An Indian idiophonic instrument whose simplest form consists of a pair of small metal cymbals connected by a string. The…
Reproduce
A collective of artists in New Delhi working on sound and music across physical and digital venues, with an emphasis…
Harmonium
An Indian stringed instrument shaped like a portable wooden box with keys and bellows, measuring approximately 2 feet by 1…
Dholak
A South Asian percussion instrument, it is a two-headed drum with a wooden body and two differently sized faces. The…