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Saraswati Vina
The renowned Saraswati Vina or also well known as Saraswati Veena is a popular Indian classic string instrument. Saraswati vina got its name from the great goddess Saraswati who is considered as the Devi of knowledge. The Saraswati always depicted having or greatly playing this incredible instrument. This classic music instrument is also called Raghunatha veena, which is highly used, in classic Carnatic music. However, there are many categories of Veena or Vina. It is in its Indian southern form is the popular member of amazing lute family. The artist, who performs on Veena, is called Vainika. It is the most famous form of veena, which is renowned today.
Some of the other popular Vinas are such as Chitra Veena, Rudra veena and Vichitra Veena. The renowned Vichitra and Rudra veenas are greatly used in Indian classic music. However, the renowned Saraswati veenas as well as the chitra vina are greatly used in local Carnatic music of southern part of India. Some of the renowned performers play Indian traditional music while others perform modern music.
Origin of Saraswati Vina
The real name of Saraswati Veena or vina was locally Kacchapi Veena, which means the major resonator who was in the form of the back of tortoise animal. The modern Saraswati Veena got its name from the renowned painting of great Indian classic artist Raja R. Verma. The renowned Saraswati Veena as now we considered it these days its great origin to some musicologist and musicians of great southern part of India known as Ramamatya. However, later the instrument was changed as well as perfected with present design. Now it comes with twenty-four frets set up. However previously it had about 16 to 18 movable amazing frets. It was completely modified by a musician as well as court minister in reign of Thanjavur the renowned Govinda Dikshitar.
Design
The design of Saraswati veena is unique. It is around four feet long and its amazing design holds a big resonator or Kudam. It is carved as well as hollowed greatly out of the log that is normally made of jack wood. It has also a tapering Dandi or hollow neck along with about 24 bell metal or brass frets fixed in completely scalloped dark wax on typical wooden tracks. It has one tuning box, which is set up downward and has one stylish dragon kind head or Yali. In case Saraswati vina is made from only one piece of good wood then it is known as Ekantha veena. A very tiny table type wooden Kudurai or bridge around two multiple two inches is highly topped by one convex brass item and glued in a area along with resin. The main two rosettes, made of ivory, these days made of horn or plastic are set up on the top Palakai or board of resonator. The four major musical strings tuned to get great music and the last fifth in main two octaves ( take for instance E flat B flat that beneath bass E flat and B flat in bass clef) that stretch just from amazing tuning jointer fixed to very end of that resonator. Moreover, across the main bridge and over the main fret board to top four big headed important pegs in great tuning box. the main three subsidiary important drone strings greatly tunes to an amazing tonic and fifth the important upper tonic such as E flat to B flat or E flat especially the musical tunes provided) cross over the curving side main bridge and leaning against major bridge. It stretches on performer’s side of main neck to main three pegs highly matching all those major musical or playing strings. The important all seven musical strings these days are made of steel along with the very low strings either rock solid thick or round wound or gauge wire.
Playing Positions
The Saraswati Veena can be played by just sitting cross-legged position along with this great instrument held tightly and a little bit away from a performer. The tiny gourd on very left rests on a particular performer has left thigh. The performer has left hand passing just beneath its neck along with main hand curving up as well as around in order that all the fingers rest on the frets. The right hand palm of the performer rests on its edge or just on the top side plank in order to free the fingers (normally middle or index fingers) to pluck musical strings. The important drone of musical strings is greatly played along with tiny finger. The Saraswati Vina’s big resonator is set up on ground floor just beyond the performer’s right thigh. The famous photograph of renowned V. Dhanammal is greatly display the posture that how a Vina is kept as comparison to fashionable painting of R. Verma.
Just like the popular sitar, the useful left hand method involves performing on some frets. It also controls on pushing on musical strings to gain higher musical tones as well as glissandi by increasing tension. All finger flicks reflect the features of different ragas as well as their stylish Gamaka. The contemporary innovations include mostly one and two spherical musical sound holes such as lute. Moreover , the substitution of this instrument heads for simple wooden pegs for very easy musical tuning as well as high use of this transducers for intensification in musical performance.
Notable Players
E Gayathri
The renowned E. Gayathri or Echampati Gayathri is usually famous as the name of Veena Gayathri. She was born in the month of November 9 in the year 1959.and became a renowned player of classical carnatic music. The popular Gayathri is awarded with prestigious Sangeet Natak academy prize in the year of 2002. The state government of state Tamil Nadu awarded her with prestigious Kalaimamani prize that was given by MGR in the year of 1984. She is also awarded with lifetime achievement prize from a renowned rotary club of reign Madras eastern in the year of 2011. E. Gayathri was also appointed as an honorary director of state Tamil Nadu music schools at Thiruvaiyaru, Chennai, Coimbatore and Maduraii by J. Jayalalithaa, chief minister of the state in the year of 2011.
Revathy Krishna
The renowned R. Krishna is mainly known as a great Vainika of India. She is an expert in both light film music as well as hard-core classical music of Carnatic. The popular R. Krishna was born and brought up in the city of Chennai at a notable musical legendary family. She always follows the amazing Shisya Parampara of great saint as well as music composer renowned Thyagaraja. The great T. R. lyengar was her great grand father who was the great disciple of renowned classical saint Thyagaraja. First, she was trained in vocals and then selected for the Saraswati vina when she was only 12 years of age. Her mother L. Chelvakumaran first noticed her amazing interest in Veena and sent her to learn under the supervision of great S. Lyer. After sometime, she worked under the supervision of great Kalaimamani Smt. S. Shivanandam.