The dieing Indian Musical instrument – Rudra Veena

India is rich in its cultural heritage and its fine arts. The Rudra Veena was one of the many string instruments which was played in the Indian subcontinent. Yes “was” played, because it is almost extinct today. It is a long tubular instrument which looks similar to the Sitar and was played with the Hindustani classical music. The Rudra Veena is around 4 and half feet to 5 and a half feet long usually made of wood or bamboo. Both the ends are made out of dried pumpkins hollowed to give the instrument resonance. It also has 24 brass raised pieces fitted on the tube to rest the strings tightly on them. These brass frets allow the production of “Swaras” with the help of the artists’ fingers. It went out of circulation after the Sitar was allowed to perform “alap” portions in the Dhrupad style ragas and the “Surbahar” was introduced.

This instrument was the supreme instrument in the courts of the kings and in concerts around a couple of centuries ago. At one time, Rudra Veena was the only instrument played with the dhrupad style of music. Dhrupad is now a rare art of music in India because of the depleting number of artists. Dhrupad is not an easy style of classical singing. The Dagar brothers were the last popular Drupad performers in India. In fact, the Rudra Veena has only a few known performers today which include Bahauddin Dagar. Asad Ali Khan and his sons are the other known artists of the Rudra Veena.

Rudra Veena is an instrument which needs revival and can be only revived with the efforts of the governments and cultural institutes across the world. One of the sweetest sounding string instruments of the great art heritage of Indian classical music is passing through a phase of coma. Let us not let it die and loose it.

Linus Orakles
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