10+ Unique and Extremely Rare Indian Instruments

Author : Jennifer Stone

India’s diverse culture has given birth to several musical attributes based on the region of this vast country. In this article, you will find several lesser-known musical instruments of this country, some of these musical instruments come straight from the pages of Indian mythology, and some of them are solely used by the Indian folk singers of this diverse nation. Main-stream Indian instruments have won the world for their impressive and unique sound qualities, whether it is full of beats table and dholak or unique vibrations of jal tarang. These instruments have gained their fair share of popularity, while many other Indian music instruments have stayed native to this diverse land of music and culture.

Here you will find instruments that are only found in India, the rare and rich tones of these instruments have a great impact on the culture of this country, the prolonged rituals of various states of this country, and moreover on the ritual values of this diverse nation.

• Gubguba

This is a classified percussion string instrument. At first glance, it might seem like a small-sized tabla, but it is not. The instrument is made of sun-dried gourd through which a gut string is attached to a small hourglass-shaped piece. The instrument has various names across the country, and there are also several variants of this instrument. One of the most popular renditions of this instrument is Khamak mostly found in various parts of Bengal.

• Yazh

Allegedly this instrument is an ancestor of modern-day Veena and the name came because it was carved in the head of the mythological creature, Yali. The earliest mention of Yazh is from 200 BC in the works of the poet Thirukurral. There were many types of Yazh like bow, peacock, etc, based on different numbers of strings and the shape.

• Ravanahatha

As per the mythology this bowed string instrument was first built and played by the Hela community during the reign of King Ravana in Sri Lanka. The instrument is made of a halved coconut and the shell is covered with goat hide along with a long stick which is called dandi, and this is made of Bamboo. And this bamboo stick is attached to the bowl-like coconut shell. There are two principal strings one is made of steel and another is made of horsetail hair. There are also jingle bells attached to this extremely unique instrument. As per the mythology, this instrument was brought to the North of India by Lord Hanuman.

• Pepa

This is a single reed instrument mostly made of a very short stem, packed at the end with the horn of a buffalo. Despite its significance in the Assamese culture, mostly in the Bihu culture, but now the instrument is really hard to find in India now. And this happened because the buffalo population of the state started to reduce drastically. In the earlier days every household used to have at least one of these instruments. The instrument is very similar to the flute, this one has different names in various tribal communities of Assam, like – Pempa, Xuri, Singra, and Pepati.

• Algoza

Why play one flute when you can play two at the same time? This instrument is mostly popular in the northern-west part of India, states like Punjab and Rajasthan use this instrument to perform any folk music exclusive to this region. This instrument is adopted by Sindhi and Balochi musicians and is used in the genres of Jugni, Jind Mahi, and Mirza. This musical instrument looks like two flutes joined together, and it is played by using three fingers on each side of the instrument.

• Pakhawa

This instrument is a barrel-shaped two-headed drum; this is considered one of the descendants of the better-known Indian Instrument Mridang. The instrument produces a tone that is rich in harmonics, equally low and mellow. The tone differs from the table and in the playing technique as well. It also has the slightest difference in the construction of Mridang. It is mostly used in dance performances to accompany the dancer and match the sticking sound of ghungroos.

• Padayani Thappu

Padayani Thappu is a wooden framed drum; this is made with wooden rims and a leather wall on one side of the instrument. This instrument is mostly played in bands. This is quite different from the parai thappu. Parai thappu is played with sticks but to play Padayani Thappu you will just need bare hands and the sense of the tonality of this instrument. Padayani is a must-have instrument for the ritual dance of Kerala and the thappu is accompanied by the sound of Padayani. The rhythmic percussive music will treat the ears of many. This is another Indian music instrument that is an integral part of local devotional practices.

• Sursingar

This instrument belongs to the same fashion of musical instruments as the sarod. The name “Sursingar” means ‘embellishment of melody’. As per the size of the instrument, this is a bit bigger than a sarod and also produces a deeper sound. The instrument is made of wood and leather its neck has a metal fingerboard and the strings of this instrument are played with a metal plectrum. The bridge of the plectrum is made of a metal flat horn. As per history, the instrument has changed its shape and size depending on the period.

• Kuzhal

Kuzhal is mostly used in the temples of Kerala; the double-reed instrument is one of the traditional instruments of Indian culture. The instruments produce a shrilling sound and the sound of this instrument is often compared with a nadaswaram. This instrument looks like a shehnai, an essential part of most Indian marriages. But, people mustn’t confuse these two instruments, as Kuzhal is exclusive for temple festivities. And the size of Kuzhal is a bit bigger than a regular shehnai.

• Udukai

This hourglass-shaped membranophone instrument is found all over India with different names, while in Tamil Nadu the instrument is popular as Udukai and in other parts of India it is known as the ‘damru’ and ‘dugdugi’. This instrument is mostly played by folk musicians across the country. This two-headed hourglass small-sized drum has a noose stretched and tied in the middle part of the instrument. According to mythology, this is the instrument Lord Shiva used to play, there is a common mistake people make, people think lord Shiva plays a small-sized damru whereas, Udukai is what he plays. The instrument is played with the hand and the pitch of the instrument will release tempo which can be altered by pressuring the lacing in the middle of Udukai. If you have visited any Hindu temples in India you might have seen this instrument attached to a trisul to worship the god of destruction, Lord Shiva.

• Sambal

This is another drum-like instrument mostly found in the western part of the country. The instrument consists of two drums attached together, while one of the drums produces a deeper and higher pitch than the other one. This was similar to tabla but it is quite smaller in size and it can hang from the shoulder to play while moving around. Yet, the skinhead of this instrument is the same as the table. To play this instrument one can use hands or sticks or both. The instrument is also popular in the Southern part of India and widely connected with the folk music of this huge country. And based on the region this instrument can be found in different sizes as well.

• Gogana

Nature enthusiasts might think this is a kind of moth, but, whether you are connected too much with nature or Indian music, this name will be common. This name will be more resonating if you are from the north-eastern part of India. Gogana is indigenous to Assam and is mostly used in Bihu music. The instrument is mostly made of bamboo or a horn.

• Ektara

This instrument is a one-string drone lute, and if the same musical instrument has two strings it becomes a dotara. Ektara directly translates as “one string” and dotara is “two strings”, this instrument is mostly used in Bengali folk culture. It has its far-fetched similarities with Gubguba but the shape is more firm for this instrument.

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