Instruments at the Museum

Sarangi

A fretless, bowing, highly evolved instrument, the sarangi can reproduce complicated vocal musical passages. Carved from a single block of wood, the base of the sarangi is covered with skin and the strings are made from animal guts. On the skin table, a bridge rests and the string-holder is an extension of the base of the belly. The neck of sarangi is without frets. Different kinds of sarangis are found in the states of India. The Gujarat sarangi is called Gujaratan sarangi, which is very different in construction from the one that is played by the sarangias of Rajasthan. The sarangi used by Jogi community of Alwar and Bharatpur districts in Rajasthan is called the jogia sarangi. It has three main strings, its neck is extremely slender and waist narrow. Jogia sarengi is usually accompanied by the bhapang, a percussion instrument.