Rajasthan Cultural Trips Travel Holidays Vacations India

A bright red turban on his weather beaten face, white Dhoti and white shirt, a bow in his hand moving gracefully over the strings of his Sarangi-is a picture of the Rajasthani Musician which is evokes the melodious and plaintive music of Rajasthan in one's mind.

The sarangi is the most important folk musical instrument and his found in various forms in Rajasthan. The Rawannhathha of the thori or Nayak Bhopas is probably the earliest instruments played with a bow, and this humble instruments could well be the precursor of the violin. It has to main two main strings and a variable number of supporting strings, with a belly of half a coconut shell and a body of bamboo. The bow has ghungroos (bells) attached to it.

The music is staccato and accompanied by the syncopated singing of the bhopa and the Bhopan. No other rhythmic support is needed. The jogis of abu road area use a smaller version of the Rawanhathha which has its two main strings tuned to the Sa of the Indian octave and a third of steel to Pa.

The Langas use the Sindhi sarangi it is made up of four main wires, seven jharas and seventeen tarafs. Other members of the family are the Gujaratan, Jogia and Dhani sarangis. The Surinda favorite of the manganiyars, is a small sarangi. The Chikara used by the Meos and Jogis of Mewat is a replica of the sarangi. The bowing of these instruments is a skillful exercise often supported by the sound of the ghugroos that are tied to the bow to make the beat prominent. Another remarkable bowed instruments is the kamayacha of the Manganiyars, with its big, circular reasnator. It is unique in that its bow moves over the sympathetic and main strings, giving out an impressive deep, booming sound. So deeply ingrained is the sense of tune and rhythm in the mind and ear if the folk musicians, that they need nothing more than intuition and a highly trained ear ti tune their instruments.

Rawanhathha

They have a ridimentary concept that or mode which they use to tune the sympathetic strings (flat notes) and Khadi bhelna (natural notes.) The sarangis are one of the plethora of musical instruments in use in Rajasthan. The Jantar of the Bhopas of Dev Narainji is asin to the saraswati or Rudra Veena it has two gourds four strings and fourteen frets. The galaleng Jogis of Dungarpur and banswara have a twin gourded Kendru. The name kendru appears akin to the ancient Kinnari Veena, and it has often been called the Keengri in Rajasthani literature. The Chautara also called the Tandoora is a manipulated with the other hand.

The Ektaara is also a single string instrument, but it is mounted on the belly of a gourd attached to a body made of bamboo. In Western Rajasthan, a simple instruments called the Morchang is very popular. The Ghoralio is comon among the Bhils Garasiyas and the Kalbelias. Both these instruments resemble the jewish harp.

Music Instruments: The Stringed Instruments