Thanjavur veena is a type of veena (a Chordophone musical instrument) from the Thanjavur region in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.[1] It was declared as a Geographical indication in 2012-13 and was the first musical instrument in the country to be accorded the status.[2][3]
| Thanjavur veena | |
|---|---|
| Geographical indication | |
_of_Tamilnadu.jpg) | |
| Description | Veena (Chordophone musical instrument) from Thanjavur region |
| Type | Handicraft |
| Area | Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu |
| Country | India |
| Registered | 2012–13 |
| Material | Jackfruit tree wood |
Description
editVeena is a type of Chordophone musical instrument, which has been mentioned in the Vedas.[4] Thanjavur veena is a type of Saraswati Veena, about 4 ft (1.2 m) long. It consists of a rounded wooden resonator and a thick, long neck, similar to a lute. The end of the neck is carved into intricate patterns and a tuning box attached to the underside of the neck. Wood from the jack fruit tree is used, which is cut, dried and carved into shape. The veena has four linear playing strings on the top of the neck and three drone strings on the side along with 24 fixed frets. The metal frets are coated with beeswax mixed with charcoal powder. There are two ways of manufacturing: "Ekantha veena" involves carving the entire structure from a single piece of wood and in case of "Ottu veena" or "Sada veena", the parts are made separately and assembled. [3][5]
References
edit- ^ "Application details". Government of India. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ Geographical indications in India (Report). Government of India. Archived from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Veena". Government of Tamil Nadu. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ Rowell, Lewis (2015). Music and Musical Thought in Early India. University of Chicago Press. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-226-73034-9. Archived from the original on 2024-05-27. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
- ^ "Thanjavur Veena to Get GI Status Soon" (Press release). Government of India. Archived from the original on 27 May 2024. Retrieved 31 December 2023.