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Saraswati Veena
The Sarasvatī vīṇa (also spelled Saraswati veena) (, , , Malayalam: സരസ്വതി വീണ) is an ancient Indian plucked veena. It is named after the Hindu goddess Saraswati, who is usually depicted holding or playing the instrument. Also known as ''raghunatha veena,'' it is used mostly in Carnatic Indian classical music. There are several variations of the veena, which in its South Indian form is a member of the lute family. One who plays the veena is referred to as a ''vaiṇika''. The Saraswati veena is one of 4 major types of veena today. The others include chitra veena, vichitra veena and rudra veena. Out of these the rudra and vichitra veenas are used more often in Hindustani music, while the Saraswati veena and the chitra veena are used more frequently in the Carnatic music of South India. They can be used to play either traditional music or contemporary music. History The veena has a recorded history that dates back to approximately 1700 BCE. In anci ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Veenai Dhanammal
Veenai Dhanammal () (1867–1938) was a highly accomplished Carnatic musician, and the torchbearer of the school of Carnatic music that goes by her name. She was both a vocalist and a performer on the Saraswati veena. The prefix "Veenai" in her name is an indicator of her exceptional mastery of that instrument. Early life and background Dhanammal was born into a family of professional musicians and dancers in George Town, Madras (now Chennai), the capital city of the erstwhile Madras Presidency of British India in 1867. Her grandmother Kamakshi was a reputed dancer, and her mother was a vocalist who trained under Subbaraya Sastri, the son of Syama Sastri of the Carnatic music composer trinity. In addition to training by her family members, Dhanammal also learned from Walajapet Balakrishna Das ("Padam Baladas"), a blind musician who was a repository of the ''padams'' of Kshetrayya, and Satanur Pancanatha Iyer. Career "Regarding the veenai as an instrument complete and perfe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rudra Veena
The ''rudra veena'' () (also spelled ''rudraveena'' or ''rudra vīnā'') — also called the ''bīn'' in North India — is a large plucked string instrument used in Hindustani music, especially dhrupad. It is one of the major types of '' veena'' played in Indian classical music, notable for its deep bass resonance. Oral tradition ascribes the instrument to Shiva, the principal deity within Hinduism. The rudra veena is seen in temple architecture predating the Mughals. It is also mentioned in court records as early as the reign of Zain-ul Abidin (1418–1470), and attained particular importance among Mughal court musicians. Before Independence, rudra veena players, as dhrupad practitioners, were supported by the princely states; after Independence and the political integration of India, this traditional patronage system ended. With the end of this traditional support, dhrupad's popularity in India declined, as did the popularity of the rudra veena. However, in recent year ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eka-tantri Vina
The ''eka-tantrī vīṇā'' was a medieval tube zither, tube-zither veena in India, with a single string and one or more gourd resonators. The instrument became prominent in Indian music in about the 10th century C.E. as instruments of court music. Alongside the alapini vina and kinnari vina it replaced the Ancient veena, harp-style veenas and lute-style veenas in sculpture. It was possibly a forerunner of the rudra vina. It shares its name with the modern single-string drone lute, the ektara. The instrument is very closely related to the one-stringed alapini vina, an instrument which started out a stick zither but became a tube zither like the eka-tantri vina. Although the tube zithers and stick zithers are very similar, it is possible that they have different origins. Early paintings of stick zithers in India date back at least to the 5th century C.E. The earliest currently known stick zither is in the Caves of Ajanta at the end of the 5th century. After a period of assuming t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kinnari Veena
The ''kinnari vina'' (Sanskrit: किन्नरी वीणा) is a historical veena, a tube zither with gourds attached to act as resonators and frets. It was played in India into the late 19th century and was documented by two European artists. The instrument dates back into medieval times (documented in the 13th century) and possibly as far back as 500 C.E. It is closely related to the Alapini Vina and Eka-tantri Vina, the instruments having coexisted in medieval times. Along with the ''alapini vina'' and ''eka-tantri vina'', the ''kinnari vina'' was mentioned by Śārṅgadeva in his Sangita Ratnakara (written 1210 - 1247 C.E.) By the late 19th century, the ''kinnari vina'' survived as a "folk instrument," in South Kanara and Mysore, India, and in the modern ''bīn'' or '' rudra vina''. The instrument shares its name with the kinnara, Buddhist and Hindu mythological creatures that are pictured playing stick zithers or tube zithers. The kinnari vina is traditionally carve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Raghunatha Nayak
Raghunatha Nayak was the most powerful king of the Thanjavur Nayak Dynasty. He was the third ruler of Thanjavur, southern India, from the Nayak dynasty. He belongs to Balija caste. He ruled from 1600 to 1634 and is noted for the attainments of Thanjavur in literature, art, and Carnatic music. Early life Raghunatha Nayak was the eldest son of Achuthappa Nayak and was born after intense penance by his father. The '' Raghunathabhyudayam'' and ''Sahityanatyakara'' give a detailed account of his childhood. As a boy, Raghunatha learned the shastras, the art of warfare and administration. He had multiple queens, chiefly Kalavati referred to in the ''Raghunathabhyudayam'' as Pattampurani. Ramabhadramba, who wrote a history of the Thanjavur Nayak dynasty, was one of his concubines. Wars With Golconda Sultanate In his early days, Raghunatha won acclaim fighting the Golconda Sultanate. He ascended the throne in 1600, ruled with his father from 1600 to 1614, and as sole monarch from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India by population, sixth largest by population, Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, who speak the Tamil language—the state's official language and one of the longest surviving Classical languages of India, classical languages of the world. The capital and largest city is Chennai. Located on the south-eastern coast of the Indian peninsula, Tamil Nadu is straddled by the Western Ghats and Deccan Plateau in the west, the Eastern Ghats in the north, the Eastern Coastal Plains lining the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait to the south-east, the Laccadive Sea at the southern Cape (geography), cape of the peninsula, with the river Kaveri bisecting the state. Politically, Tamil Nadu is bound by the Indian sta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thanjavur
Thanjavur (), also known as Thanjai, previously known as Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the 12th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of southern Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Great Living Chola Temples, which are UNESCO World Heritage Monuments, are located in and around Thanjavur. The foremost among these, the Brihadisvara Temple, built by the Chola emperor Rajaraja I, is located in the centre of the city. This temple has one of the largest bull statues (called Nandi) in India carved out of a single granite rock. Thanjavur is also home to Tanjore painting, a painting style unique to the region. Thanjavur is the headquarters of the Thanjavur District. The city is an important agricultural centre located in the Kaveri Delta and is known as the ''Rice bowl of Tamil Nadu''. Thanjavur is administered by a municipal corporation covering an area of and had a population of 222,943 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Muthuswami Dikshitar
Muthuswami Dikshitar (Mudduswamy Dikshitar) (, 24 March 1776 – 21 October 1835), mononymously Dikshitar, was a South Indian poet, singer, veena player, and a prolific composer of Indian classical music. He was the youngest member of what is referred to as the Trinity of Carnatic music. Muthuswami Dikshitar was born on 24 March 1776 in Tiruvarur near Thanjavur, in what is now the state of Tamil Nadu, India. He was born to a family that is traditionally traced back to Virinichipuram in the northern boundaries of the state. Dikshitar is credited with about 500 known compositions which are noted for their elaborate, poetic descriptions of Hindu gods, architectural descriptions of temples, and for capturing the essence of the raga forms through the vainika ( veena) style that emphasizes gamakas. They are composed in a slower tempo (chowka kala). He is also known by his signature name of Guruguha which is also his mudra which appears in each of his compositions. His compositions a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gamak
Gamaka (Hindi: / Urdu: ) (also spelled gamakam) refer to ornamentation that is used in the performance of North and South Indian classical music. Gamaka can be understood as embellishment done on a note or between two notes. Present-day Carnatic music uses at least fifteen different kinds of ornamentation. Gamaka is any graceful turn, curve or cornering touch given to a single note or a group of notes, which adds emphasis to each raga's individuality. ''Gamaka can be understood as any movement done on a note or in between two notes.'' The unique character of each raga is given by its gamakas, making their role essential rather than decorative in Indian music. Nearly all Indian musical treatises have a section dedicated to describing, listing and characterising gamakas. The term ''gamaka'' itself means "ornamented note" in Sanskrit. Gamakas involve the variation of pitch of a note, using oscillations or glides between notes. Each raga has specific rules on the types of gamakas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Raga
A raga ( ; , ; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. It is central to classical Indian music. Each raga consists of an array of melodic structures with musical motifs; and, from the perspective of the Indian tradition, the resulting music has the ability to "colour the mind" as it engages the emotions of the audience. Each raga provides the musician with a musical framework within which to improvise. Improvisation by the musician involves creating sequences of notes allowed by the raga in keeping with rules specific to the raga. Ragas range from small ragas like Bahar (raga), Bahar and Sahana (raga), Sahana that are not much more than songs to big ragas like Malkauns, Darbari and Yaman (raga), Yaman, which have great scope for improvisation and for which performances can last over an hour. Ragas may change over time, with an example being Marwa (raga), Marwa, the primary development of which has been going down ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yazh
The yazh (, also transliterated yāḻ, ) is a harp used in ancient Tamil music. It was strung with gut strings that ran from a curved ebony neck to a boat or trough-shaped resonator, the opening of which was a covered with skin for a soundboard. At the resonator the strings were attached to a string-bar or tuning bar with holes for strings that laid beneath of the soundboard and protruded through. The neck may also have been covered in hide. The arched harp was used in India since at least the 2nd century B.C.E., when a woman was sculpted with the instrument in a Buddhist artwork at Bhārut. Both the Indian harp-style ''veena'' and the Tamil ''yazh'' declined starting in about the 7th century C.E., as stick-zither style veenas rose to prominence. While use of the instrument died out in centuries past, artworks have preserved some knowledge of what the instruments looked like. Luthiers have begun to recreate the instrument. Characteristics The instruments were built betwe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yajna
In Hinduism, ''Yajna'' or ''Yagna'' (, Help:IPA/Sanskrit, [jɐd͡ʒɲə], ) also known as Hawan, is a ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras. Yajna has been a Vedas, Vedic tradition, described in a layer of Vedic literature called Brahmanas, as well as Yajurveda. The tradition has evolved from offering oblations and libations into sacred fire to symbolic offerings in the presence of sacred fire (Agni). Yajna rituals-related texts have been called the ''Karma-kanda'' (ritual works) portion of the Vedic literature, in contrast to the ''Jnana-kanda'' (knowledge) portion found in the Vedic Upanishads. The proper completion of Yajna-like rituals was the focus of Mimansa school of Hindu philosophy. Yajna have continued to play a central role in a Hindu's rites of passage, such as weddings. Modern major Hindu temple ceremonies, Hindu community celebrations, or monastic initiations may also include Vedic Yajna rites, or alternatively be based on Āgama (Hinduism), A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
