Veenai is a popular Carnatic music
instrument that is said to be many centuries old. Western music scholars
believe that the instrument has many characteristics that belong to
European style lute. The Veenai has many discrepancies in sound and
shape it has been customized and improvised over the decades to create a
unique style from the lute.
This 1.5 meter long instrument has two
drones on both the side to give it an even balance and is connected with
four different strings along with frets that give different harmonics
than any other music device. Veenai being an age old musical instrument
holds religious importance and also symbolizes ancient culture and
heritage in southern India.
The history of Veenai dates back to the
Vedic period which is about 1500BCE. The legend states that it all began
when a hunter first discovered a different sound from his bow when it
began to vibrate. The curious hunter tried various grass roots and
animal fiber to create music, which in turn gave birth to the formation
of Veena.
Once the basic structure of the Veenai
was formed, further changes took place to bring about a distinctive
sound. In the olden days this instrument had very few frets but today
the Sarswathi Veenai is said to have 24 frets on it.
Besides this, the instrument also has religious association, as it has
been described in many sacred texts that as goddess Sarawati playing
this instrument. She is also represented as the Goddess of Knowledge.
- Saraswati Veena
- Rudra Veena
- Vichitra Veena
Kolkata craftsmen have been well known
for creating the best Saraswati Veenai and Thanjavur artisans are famous
for producing some of the finest Rudra Veenai and Vichitra Veenai in
the world.
There are many modern day versions to it such as Ranjan Veenai and Mohan Veena. While the former looks similar to the sitar, the latter has a close resemblance to the guitar.
Famous Veenai Players
Veenai Ranganayaki Rajagopalan, Veenai Dhanammal, Rugmini Gopalakrishnan, Doraiswamy Iyengar, Veene Sheshanna, Veenai Venkatagiriappa, Emani Sankara Sastry, Chitti Babu, Rajhesh Vaidhya and so on.
Veenai Ranganayaki Rajagopalan, Veenai Dhanammal, Rugmini Gopalakrishnan, Doraiswamy Iyengar, Veene Sheshanna, Veenai Venkatagiriappa, Emani Sankara Sastry, Chitti Babu, Rajhesh Vaidhya and so on.
