Thanjavur Veena : GI Tag

Thanjavur Veena : GI Tag

Thanjavur Veena is the first musical instrument in the country to get the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

• 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.