Northwestern India

Rajasthans, Gujarat

Wood, metal, horsehair, bone, goat skin, brass
Mid 20th century
Chordophones – Lutes

The ravanahatha is an ancient bowed, stringed instrument, used by the Rajasthan and Gujarat in northwest India and in Sri Lanka.  This ravanahatha consists of a sound box made from a coconut shell covered with a goat skin sound table braced by fabric-covered hoops and cord lacing.  The shell is then capped by a truncated brass cone.  The attached long wooden neck has two main wooden pegs inserted laterally to support one horsehair string and one metal string.  Extending along the neck from the top are 15 metal pegs to support the thin steel sympathetic strings that stretch down the neck and passes under a bridge, made from the horn of a cow, to the string holder at the bottom.  It is played with a bow that is highly arched and has jingling pellet bells attached where the bow is normally held.

This instrument is played by the bhopa (religious singers) to accompany their singing, storytelling, and dances. It is held in a vertical position when played.