Musical instruments of Rajasthan

The musical instruments of Rajasthan include: ravanahatha, kamaicha, Sindhi sarangi, morchang, algoze, bin, nagphani, bankia, tarpi, chautara, ghara, jantar, chikara, ektara, murali, murli, gujari sarangi, deru, bapang, bhapang and khartal.

A nagphani

Nagphani

Nag means serpent in Sanskrit. This instrument is shaped like a snake, is made of brass, and used at weddings and gatherings.

Raavan hatha

Raavan hatha, or 'Raavan's hand' is a string instrument modelled from a legend telling the story of Raavan came upon his death by Lord Rama in Sri Lanka. Fifteen metallic pegs run along the stem of the instrument representing Raavan's fifteen fingers. The two wooden pegs behind the stem represent his thumbs. The coconut base represents the shoulder and the strings represent the nerves.

Kamaicha

The seventeen-string kamaicha, or khamaycha, is a string instrument constructed out of a piece of mango wood, featuring a round resonator covered in goat leather. It is also related to the sarangi and chikara, but has its own unique sound.

The man on the left is playing the sarangi. The man on the right is playing the kamaicha.

Three of its strings are made of goat intestine, while the other fourteen are made of steel. It is one of the oldest string instruments in the world played with a bow, only rivaled by the Raavan hatha. It is a key presence in Rajasthani folk music, and is heard in Jaisalmer and Barmer. Sakar Khan, who received Padma Shri for his work with kamaicha, and Dapu Khan are some of its most well-known players.

Chautara

An image of a decorated chautara along with a human figure.

The Chautara, as shown from its name, has four strings and is similar to the tanpura in its use. It is made of light wood and used as an accompaniment in singing.

Jantar

A type of veena, with 2 resonators. These resonators are made of gourd or wood. The rest of the jantar uses wood, steel, and horsehair, traditionally. It is considered an early form of veena, and is closest to the Rudra veena and Saraswati veena.

Sarangi

An image of mashak, the traditional Indian bagpipe.

There are two instruments which are known as sarangi in Rajasthan. The first is Sindhi sarangi. It is the real sarangi with many strings, pegs, and the sound of a human voice. It resembles a Western violin. The Gujari sarangi is shaped like a smaller Ravanahatha, but is called a sarangi.

Murali & Murli

Murali is also known as bansuri, and Murli is known as Pungi. The bansuri is the Indian flute made of bamboo. The pungi is the instrument that was once used by snake charmers, but still used by musicians today. It is made out of bamboo with a gourd at its top.

Bin

Bin is the Rajasthani word for mashak, which means bagpipes in Hindi. They are a type of bagpipe native to Rajasthan, and are similar to the algoza. Its name also means water bag, as the bag was originally used to carry water. The bin is also heavily used in Kumaon, Garhwal, and parts of Uttar Pradesh.

Bhapang

Bhapang is an instrument that looks like a drum, but uses string. They are made from gourd shells, and use a flexible cloth to cover the gourd, like goat skin. Then strings hang from the skin and are tied at the middle of the 2 shells. A bamboo stick is then used to produce pitches.

Deru

A corn hand percussion instrument that is like the bhapang. The drum is made from mango wood, and the drum's sides have skin covering them. Strings are attached, and the player uses these to change pitch.