Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu is famed for being the hub of making veena, an ancient musical instrument.
Considered to be an abode of the arts, the temple town is famed as the land where the veena is handcrafted, with several artisans and their families involved in perfecting the instrument generation after generation. The Thanjavur veena is the first musical instrument in the country to get the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
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. The production of veena, handcrafted with skill and perfection, requires dedication, time and devotion.
At present, only a handful of families are engaged in making Saraswati veena and the younger generation tends to avoid joining the trade as it is not profitable and offers the artisans a meagre sustenance.
To fashion out a veena with good tonal quality and clean and crisp notes requires immense craftsmanship.The making of a veena is not just carving wood; it is more of an art that requires complete attention to detail.
The work involves making the resonator ( kudam), the neck ( dandi) and a tuning box — the three integral parts of a veena. The process starts with ensuring that the sizing of the wood is accurate.
Jackfruit wood is used to make veena and the process involves a laborious task, taking up to 15-20 days, to get the finished product. The wood gets cut, intricately carved, shaped, and assembled.
In the case of ottu veena, the parts are made separately and assembled. In the case of ekantha veena, it gets carved out of one whole piece of wood.
Well-crafted: Intricate artistic carvings being made on the resonator in the veena to give it a flourish.
Quality check: The newly cut jack fruit tree wood is being categorized according to their shape and size.
Finding the best: The well-seasoned wood from jackfruit tree is carefully selected by the Veena maker.
Steady hands: An artisan makes cuts on wood at his workshop.
In earnest: Artisans close the resonator with wood, which will hold the bridge carrying strings of the veena.
IMAGES FOR NEWS IN FRAMES: Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, 31 August 2024: Yali is a mythical creature, originated to bring or feel a sense of security. Satisfied by the earnestness of the seeker, goddess Saraswathi agreed to the request of the dragon and replaced the peacock (which became her vahana) in her Veena with the dragon's head so that it could always remain an integral part of the Veena and hear the music always. Photo: SR Raghunathan
Key section: An artist gives finishing touches before installing biridai, which helps to tune the variation of sound from the strings.
True notes: An artist applies finishing touches to the aligned frets on the dandi of a veena.
Rich in heritage: Veenas on display at the Thiruvaiyaru Government Music College in Thanjavur