Rudra Veena

Hindustani Rudra Veena

4 minute read

The Rudra Veena is one of the oldest and most revered string instruments in Hindustani classical music, deeply associated with the ancient dhrupad tradition. It has a long, hollow wooden neck with two large resonating gourds, producing a deep, meditative sound. Played with metal frets and plucked with a wire plectrum, the Rudra Veena allows for slow, intricate melodic movements (meend), making it ideal for the introspective and spiritual nature of dhrupad music.

Historically, the Rudra Veena is believed to have been created by the sage Bharata and perfected by later musical scholars in India. It was once the most esteemed instrument in North Indian classical music, played by dhrupad maestros from the Dagar and Khandarbani traditions. Over time, due to its complex structure and playing technique, its popularity declined, but dedicated artists like Ustad Asad Ali Khan and Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar kept its legacy alive, ensuring its survival in the modern era.

The Darbar Festival has hosted some of the finest Rudra Veena exponents, including the legendary Ustad Bahauddin Dagar, a torchbearer of the Dagar lineage, and Jyoti Hegde, one of the few female artists to master this rare instrument. Their performances have showcased the instrument’s profound, meditative depth, allowing audiences to experience the timeless beauty of dhrupad and the spiritual essence of the Rudra Veena.

Ustad Bahauddin Dagar plays an enthralling Dhrupad in Raag Kaunsi Kanada at Darbar Festival 2019.

Jyoti Hegde performs Raag Poorvi on the rudra veena at Darbar Festival 2014, at London’s Southbank Centre.

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Jyoti Hegde | Raag Poorvi | Rudra Veena

Recorded at Darbar on 20 Sep 2014 at London’s Southbank Centre. Musicians: - Jyoti Hegde (rudra veena) - Surdarshan Chana (jori) - Debipriya Sircar (tanpura) Raag Poorvi; Thaat: Poorvi, Samay: Late Afternoon Jyoti Hegde is one of only a handful who has mastered the rudra veena. Here she uses this rare instrument to superbly renders the comparatively rare Raag Poorvi. Learn more about the music: Jyoti Hegde is among the world’s leading rudra veena players. Sitar was her first love, and she studied the instrument under Bindhu Madhav Pathak, starting training at the comparatively late age of 12. But on hearing her guru play the veena she became instantly drawn to its slow, low tones, and asked to learn. Her guru refused, telling her that women could not play it. After some persistence he offered to give her a trial lesson, but deliberately set her up on an old, difficult to play veena in the hope that she would be dissuaded. But she took to it with talent and determination, practicing hard enough that Bindhu soon asked her father to buy her a better quality instrument. But even from there the path to mastery was not straightforward - her mother urged her to give up, protesting that the veena’s playing position could damage the uterus. Jyoti was undeterred (and now has a 29-year old son), going on to learn more of dhrupad’s patient grammar from Indudhar Nirodi and esteemed master Asad Ali Khan. Her acclaimed style largely adheres to Asad’s Khandarbani Gharana, but is also influenced by her continuing expertise in the sitar. She sees her music a form of nāda yoga, based on the ancient Sanskrit premise that all creation consists of nāda, or sound vibrations. Poorvi is a sunset raga, which to many listeners evokes a serious, mystical mood. It originated in Eastern India, evolving from Raag Purvagauda by around the 16th century. It is the fundamental raag of Poorvi thaat [base scale], but is is somewhat rare today, with the structurally similar Raag Puriya Dhanashree often being preferred. Poorvi most importantly differs from Puriya Dhanashree in that it can take both a shuddha and a tivra [natural and raised] Ma. It takes the swaras SrGmPdNS, forming an angular shape which mixes wide and narrow tonal intervals. Ga and Ni are respectively the vadi and samvadi [king and queen notes], and Sa and Pa are often avoided in ascending lines, giving the scale a characteristic vacancy. Subscribe to the Darbar Player to access the full, uncut performance.