Thanjavur Veena

About Thanjavur Veena :

• The Thanjavur veena is an Indian instrument and has an interesting construction.
• They are of two types viz. the "Ekantha Veena" and "Sada Veena'.
• “Ekantha Veena" is carved from a single block of wood, while “Sada Veena” has joints and is carved in three sections namely resonator, neck and head.
• The veena has 24 fixed frets (Mettu) so that all ragas can be played.
• It is made of fresh bark from a Jack Fruit Tree. The tree bark is forced to undergo several rounds of testing before being finalized for usage.
• The work involves making the resonator ( kudam), the neck ( dandi) and a tuning box — the three integral parts of a veena.
• It takes up to 15-20 days, to get the finished product. The wood gets cut, intricately carved, shaped, and assembled.
• Types
  • There are four types of veena. While Rudra veena and Vichitra veena are popular in Hindustani classical music, Saraswati veena and Chitra veena are used in Carnatic classical music.
• Thanjavur is the only place where Saraswati veena is made. Saraswathi, the goddess of learning and arts, is portrayed with a veena.