Rudra veena
Encyclopedia
See also veena
The rudra veena (also spelled rudra vina, and also called been or bin; ) is a large plucked string instrument
used in Hindustani classical music
. It is an ancient instrument rarely played today. The rudra veena declined in popularity in part due to the introduction of the surbahar
in the early 19th century which allowed sitar
ists to more easily present the alap
sections of slow dhrupad
-style ragas.
The rudra veena has a long tubular body with a length ranging between 54 and 62 inches made of wood or bamboo. Two large-sized, round resonators, made of dried and hollowed gourds, are attached under the tube. Twenty-four brass-fitted raised wooden frets are fixed on the tube with the help of wax.
It is one of the three other major types of veena
popular today. The others include vichitra veena
and Saraswati veena
. Out of these the rudra and vichitra veenas are used in the Hindustani classical music
of North India
, while Tanjour veena (also known as Saraswati veena) is used in the Carnatic music
of South India
. As Rudra
is a name for the Hindu god Shiva
, rudra vina literally means "the veena dear to Shiva."
The Rudra veena was modified as the Shruti veena by Dr.Lalmani Misra
to establish Bharat's Shadja Gram and obtain the 22 shrutis.
Zia Mohiuddin Dagar was one of the 20th century's foremost exponents of the instrument. He modified and redesigned the rudra veena using bigger gourds, a thicker tube (Dandi), thicker steel playing strings (0.45-0.47 mm) and closed Javari that. This produced a soft and deep sound when plucked without the use of any plectrum (Mizrab).
Amongst the present day masters Asad Ali Khan
is the foremost. He is also passing the tradition on to his son. Others include Shamsuddin Faridi Desai, Bahauddin Dagar
and Beenkar Suvir Misra.
Pt.Bindu Madhav Pathak from Hubli, Karnataka
who died recently was a great exponent of been. This tradition has been continued by his son Shrikant Pathak.
One of the only women who play the rudra veena is Smt. Jyoti Hegde. Historically, people believed that a woman who played this instrument would not be able to give birth due to the weight of the instrument. However, Smt. Hegde is the mother of a 22 year old son.
Veena
Veena may refer to one of several Indian plucked instruments:With frets*Rudra veena, plucked string instrument used in Hindustani music*Saraswati veena, plucked string instrument used in Carnatic musicFretless...
The rudra veena (also spelled rudra vina, and also called been or bin; ) is a large plucked string instrument
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
used in Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
. It is an ancient instrument rarely played today. The rudra veena declined in popularity in part due to the introduction of the surbahar
Surbahar
Surbahar , sometimes known as bass sitar, is a plucked string instrument used in the Hindustani classical music of North India. It is closely related to sitar, but it has a lower tone. Depending on the instrument's size, it is usually pitched two to five whole steps below the standard sitar, but...
in the early 19th century which allowed sitar
Sitar
The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
ists to more easily present the alap
Alap
The alap is the opening section of a typical North Indian classical performance. It is a form of melodic improvisation that introduces and develops a raga...
sections of slow dhrupad
Dhrupad
Dhrupad is a vocal genre in Hindustani classical music, said to be the oldest still in use in that musical tradition. Its name is derived from the words "dhruva" and "pada"...
-style ragas.
The rudra veena has a long tubular body with a length ranging between 54 and 62 inches made of wood or bamboo. Two large-sized, round resonators, made of dried and hollowed gourds, are attached under the tube. Twenty-four brass-fitted raised wooden frets are fixed on the tube with the help of wax.
It is one of the three other major types of veena
Veena
Veena may refer to one of several Indian plucked instruments:With frets*Rudra veena, plucked string instrument used in Hindustani music*Saraswati veena, plucked string instrument used in Carnatic musicFretless...
popular today. The others include vichitra veena
Vichitra veena
The vichitra veena is a plucked string instrument used in Hindustani music. It is similar to the Carnatic gottuvadhyam . It has no frets and is played with a slide.-The structure:...
and Saraswati veena
Saraswati veena
The Saraswati veena is an Indian plucked string instrument. It is named after the Hindu goddess Saraswati, who is usually depicted holding or playing the instrument. Also known as raghunatha veena is used mostly in Carnatic Indian classical music...
. Out of these the rudra and vichitra veenas are used in the Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
of North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
, while Tanjour veena (also known as Saraswati veena) is used in the Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
of South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. As Rudra
Rudra
' is a Rigvedic God, associated with wind or storm, and the hunt. The name has been translated as "The Roarer", or "The Howler"....
is a name for the Hindu god Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, rudra vina literally means "the veena dear to Shiva."
The Rudra veena was modified as the Shruti veena by Dr.Lalmani Misra
Lalmani Misra
Lalmani Misra , M.A., Ph.D., D. Mus. , M.Mus. , B.Mus. , Dean & Head, Faculty of Music and Fine Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, was an eminent Indian classical musician known as much for his art as for his scholarship.-Initiation into music:Lalmani learnt Dhruvapada Dhamar in the...
to establish Bharat's Shadja Gram and obtain the 22 shrutis.
Zia Mohiuddin Dagar was one of the 20th century's foremost exponents of the instrument. He modified and redesigned the rudra veena using bigger gourds, a thicker tube (Dandi), thicker steel playing strings (0.45-0.47 mm) and closed Javari that. This produced a soft and deep sound when plucked without the use of any plectrum (Mizrab).
Amongst the present day masters Asad Ali Khan
Asad Ali Khan
Asad Ali Khan was an Indian musician who played the plucked string instrument rudra veena. Khan performed in the style dhrupad and was described as the best living rudra veena player in India by The Hindu...
is the foremost. He is also passing the tradition on to his son. Others include Shamsuddin Faridi Desai, Bahauddin Dagar
Bahauddin Dagar
Baha'ud'din Mohiuddin Dagar is the rudra veena player and son of famous north Indian musician Zia Mohiuddin Dagar. He plays rudra veena with the dagarbani style. He represents the 20th generation of Dagar lineage, referring to Nayak Haridas Dagur of the 16th century...
and Beenkar Suvir Misra.
Pt.Bindu Madhav Pathak from Hubli, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
who died recently was a great exponent of been. This tradition has been continued by his son Shrikant Pathak.
One of the only women who play the rudra veena is Smt. Jyoti Hegde. Historically, people believed that a woman who played this instrument would not be able to give birth due to the weight of the instrument. However, Smt. Hegde is the mother of a 22 year old son.
Indian Artists
Some famous Rudra Veena players are as follows:- Abid Hussain
- Asad Ali KhanAsad Ali KhanAsad Ali Khan was an Indian musician who played the plucked string instrument rudra veena. Khan performed in the style dhrupad and was described as the best living rudra veena player in India by The Hindu...
- Asit Kumar Banerjee
- Bahauddin Dagar
- Bande Ali Khan
- Chote Rehmat Khan
- Dabir Khan
- Hazrat Sufi Inayat Khan
- Hindraj Divekar
- Pt.Bindu Madhav Pathak
- Jyothi Hegde
- Nasir Aminuddin Khan
- Pandrinath Kolhapure
- Parvatikar- Foremost amongst the 20th century artists who lived in Himalayas
- Ramachandra V. Hegde - also plays the sitarSitarThe 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
- Sadiq Ali Khan
- Shamsuddin Faridi Desai
- ZAHID KHAN FARIDI
- Suvir Misra
- Vasuki Shankar
- Zia Mohiuddin Dagar
Outside the Indian sub-continent
- Jeff Lewis, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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- Peter Row, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- Benjamin Perkins, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- Keiji HainoKeiji HainoKeiji Haino born May 3, 1952 in Chiba, Japan, and currently residing in Tokyo, is a Japanese musician whose work has included rock, free improvisation, noise, singer-songwriter, solo percussion, psychedelic, minimalism and drone styles...
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See also
- Bharatiya Sangeet VadyaBharatiya Sangeet VadyaBharatiya Sangeet Vadya is a book written by Dr. Lalmani Misra. It was published under the Lokodya Granthmala series of Bharatiya Jnanpith, New Delhi. The first edition was published in 1973, the second in 2002...
(Indian Music Instruments) - Mohan VeenaMohan veenaThe Mohan veena is a stringed musical instrument used in Indian classical music. It derives its name from its inventor Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt...
External links
- Rudravina.com
- Pandit Hindraj Divekar - Rudra Veena and Sitar Maestro
- Ustad Zia Mohiuddin dagar - Revived Rudra Veena as a concert instrument
- Ustad Asad Ali Khan - Rudra Veena Artist
- Beenkar
- Rudraveena.org USTAD SHAMSHUDDIN FARIDI DESAI] [ZAHID KHAN FARIDI[
- Asit Kumar Banerjee