“Our tradition teaches us that sound is God. Music is a spiritual discipline that raises one’s inner being to divine peacefulness and bliss…Through music, one can reach God.” Stated the legendary Indian sitar icon Ravi Shankar who was the reason behind the international popularity of sitar back in 1956. The classical instrument is mainly of two primary branches – North Indian classical and South Indian classical. The first variant of sitar was introduced by the main pioneer of North Indian classical, Pandit Ram Tannu Pandey, famously known as Mian Tansen in the late 1600s. Unlike the South Indian Carnatic systems, the North Indian classical style relies on a strict and specific framework where different rags are performed at different times. The sitar is mainly a North Indian instrument, but it is also played in the south in Carnatic classical style which was popularized by Veene Sheshanna during the period of 1890 and 1930.
The types of sitars:
There are mainly 2 distinct types of sitars – The Kharaj-Pancham sitar and the Gandhar-Pancham sitar. The Kharaj-Pancham style of sitar was founded by Pandit Ravi Shankar under the guidance of his teacher Allauddin Khan during the mid-20th century. Structurally, the instrument features 18 strings in total within which 7 are the main moveable strings, and the rest 13 are the sympathic strings that vibrate to the main chord. The 7 moveable strings are – the Baaj Tar, Jod Tar, Laraj, Kharaj, Pancham and finally Chikari. The Baaj Tar is the first and main melody string or tar that usually tunes the note ‘Ma’. The Jod Tar is placed second and tunes the notes ‘Sa’. The third string or the Laraj tunes the note ‘Pa’. The Kharaj creates a deep bass sound to create the low Sa.The Pancham tunes the note Pa in the lowest octave, creating a deep bass vibration. The 6th and the 7th strings, called the Chikari produce the note Sa in a bright, high-pitched rhythm.
Two external gourds are present which create delay and depth in the tonality of the instrument while also giving support to the structure of the instrument when played. The Kharaj-Pancham is fully decorated with intricate grape leaf and floral carvings that are traditionally known as Angurmatti or Manipuri-style carvings. These heavy, deep floral carvings first appeared in their modern form in the mid-20th century, precisely between the 1920s and 1940s. During the structural shift between the 1920s to 1930s, Ustad Allaudin khan desired a deeper and heavier sound in the bass which was similar to the ancient Rudra Veena and to achieve this, he requested the carvers to thicken the wooden frame and add an extra base gourd. The addition of the bass strings allowed the instrument to smoothly cover four full octaves- the Mantra, Madhya, Tar, and extended lower notes as well.
In 1942, Pandit Ravi Shankar, student of Ustad Allaudin khan, commissioned a heavily customized sitar from the master luthier Kanailal Bhowmick in Calcutta. The piece was completed in 1944, and it allowed the sitar to express the majestic, meditative depth of the ancient Dhrupad tradition for the first time. Historically, Teakwood is preferred for the making of this type of sitar for its density and durability but since high-quality teak is very expensive, rare and heavy, Tun wood (Indian Red Cedar) or Teak wood Tun wood is more common in at present since it is lighter, easy to carve, comparatively cheaper and creates a deep, warm, resonant sound right from the beginning. This type of sitar is the definitive instrument of the Maihar- seniya gharana. Pandit Nikhil Banerjee, a legendary Kharaj-Pancham sitar player and composer, also belonged to the Maihar gharana where he was taught by Ustad Allauddin khan himself, along with his son, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
The Gandhar-Pancham sitar was founded by Ustad Vilayat Khan during the late 1940s and 1950s. Structurally, the instrument has a total of 17 strings within which 6 are the main moveable ones, and the rest 11 are the sympathic strings. The moveable 6 strings are The Baj Tar, Jod Tar, Panchem and Chikari strings. The Baj Tar is the main melody string and used for bending notes which is called meend. The Jod and Gandhar Tar provide a rich, heavy background noise. The Jod Tar tunes the note ‘Sa’ and the third string tunes the note ‘Ga’, which gives this style its name. The Panchem string tunes the note ‘Pa’ and it bridges the gap between the heavy bass strings and the sharp rhythmic ones. The Chikari strings are two high-pitched, thin steel strings that are always the high note ’Sa’. Unlike the Kharaj-Pancham, the Gandhar-Pancham does not possess an external gourd.
No wooden carvings are present here giving it a simpler, cleaner and minimalistic look which emerged during the structural shift of the 1904s and 1950s. The ‘Gayeki Ang’ is the method of replicating the vocalist’s voice and capturing the emotions of the music. This is possible in this type of sitar as the bass strings. A unique accompaniment string is added which is tuned to ‘Ga’ and another to ‘Pa’, which unifies to give the name Gandhar-Pancham. Originally, the bridge of this type of sitar was composed of animal horns, specifically dear horns or Ivory. Due to modern wildlife protection laws, and the expense of these natural materials, they have been replaced by camel bone or dense synthetic fibbers like Teflon or Resin. Since this instrument is very lightweight, highly flexible, and produces a rapid, clear tone, historically Toon wood is preferred for this type of sitar, but red cedar is also used nowadays used here.
In the mid- 1940s, Ustad Vilayat Khan started working closely with Kanailal Bhowmik in Calcutta as well. During this time, he desired to craft to create such an exquisite sitar with a thinner Tabli and an airtight bridge called the Jawari which would minimize the buzzing effect, which would give it the clean tone when played. The design was later completed and standardized by Hiren Roy in Calcutta primarily during the 1950s. In the period of 1950s to 1960s, this type of sitar was finally perfected by The Rikhiram workshop in Delhi where they redesigned the wooden framework to ensure the instrument stayed completely balanced even after removing the upper gourd. This type of sitar is mainly used in The Imdadkhani Gharana. Rishab Rikhiram Sharma is an eminent Indian sitarist and composer of the modern world.
There are a few other Gharana’s like- The Bishnupur Gharana of west Bengal which originated back in the 18th century under the Malla Kings of The Bankura district. Born on 16th August 1939 in the Bankura district of West Bengal, the legendary Indian classical sitarist, Pandit Manilal Nag belonged to this gharana.
Although The Banaras Gharana is traditionally not a sitar gharana, it has a rich history of chordophones. Some of their modern musicians are Pandit Shivnath Mishra and his son Deobrat Mishra. After Pandit Ravi Shankar, he is the only sitarist from Banaras who has received The Padma Sri Award. Following closely in his father’s footsteps, Deobrat Mishra has successfully carved out his own unique identity in this industry. He is widely celebrated for his ability to play the energetic Banarasi Thumri style on the sitar, while beautifully combining it with delicate frameworks of Dhrupad and Khayal vocal styles. He has traveled all around the world, performing concerts and workshops.
Born to the sitar player Kartick Kumar, a disciple of Ravi Shankar, Niladri Kumar adroitly modified the traditional sitar to create his own invention in 2002 called the Zitar which is an electrified sitar.
The Technical Characteristics of the sitar:
The sitar has several features in general that make it a truly sublime instrument. A few such characteristics are:
A sitar is a very versatile instrument that supports a very free style of playing. Due to its unique style and physical features that allows it to adapt to many music genres and incorporate techniques like Meend [Bending of notes], Gamak [Rapid switching of meend] and Jhala [Term in traditional North Indian music which denotes the fast-paced conclusion leading to the climax of classical compositions or raga].
The Drawbacks of a sitar:
While being a celebrated cultural authority in classical music, the sitar has drawbacks which are quite significant for modern players, which are:
Transporting:
Being hollow, the sitar is lightweight, but its size, structure and fragile nature make it difficult for transportation.
Exclusivity:
Compared to other instruments, the sitar is very niche and underrated when viewed on a global scale. High-quality sitars and specialized teachers are difficult to find especially outside of India. The ideal age to begin learning the sitar is around 6 to 8 years old due to the hand structure and attention span present at this age, but the vast majority don’t even consider helping their kids learn such an instrument. Due to the lack of teachers in this field, this instrument is viewed as complex. Infact, sitting in the cross-legged position for hours creates severe, uncommon strain on the lower back and knees.
Uncommon:
Since it is an uncommon instrument unlike a Guitar, Violin or Piano, local music shops cannot service a sitar, forcing a sitarist to ship it internationally for repairs or keep looking for music shops that do. If any part of the sitar needs to be repaired, sourcing authentic replacement parts, like specific sympathetic strings or custom pegs, is highly inconvenient.
The Manch Pravesh:
During the old times, when the students of gurukuls graduated, they had to perform a full-length debut solo performance on stage which marked their transition from an apprentice to a professional performer. The sitarist must perform 3 rags, one for the gods, for example- Raga ‘Bhairavi’ for mata Parvati, one for the Matri bhumi for example- Raga ‘Desh’ and one for the audience.
Comparative Scarcity:
While traditional stringed instrument like the Sarod and the Turkish saz offer distinct physical and structural resilience, the sitar stands out as an uncommonly high- maintenance and fragile instrument. The sarod features a solid wood body covered in durable goat skin and a completely fretless, polished steel fingerboard, making it less susceptible to dramatic weather changes. Similarly, the saz utilizes a straightforward, lightweight wooden build with fixed or easily tied nylon frets that players can quickly adjust. In stark contrast, the sitar is built around an incredibly brittle, hollowed-out pumpkin gourd and an intricate system of curved, moveable brass frets tied m
with a thread. This fragile configuration signifies the simple atmospheric changes, or slight physical impacts that can leave a mark on the instrument.
Time frame of the raag’s:
A typical raag performance on the sitar takes about 30 to 90 minutes or more, depending on the setting and the performer. This may trigger the audience’s fatigue and dilute the music’s overall impact. Due to this lengthy performance, the performer has to sit in an uncomfortable position for a long time which leads to neck and back pain. Playing for that long, tires out the sitarists fingers and can cause the sitar strings to go out of tune, ruining the performance before the fast-paced end. There are 4 raags called: Alap, Jor, Jhala and Gat. The Alap is the introducing raag in a manch pravesh and is performed for 10 to 60 minutes slowly. The Jor is performed for 5 to 15 minutes steadily. The Jhala is a powerful, energetic and fast paced climax performed for 5 to 10 minutes. The Gat is performed at the very end for 15 to more than 45 mins and is calm and composed.
Behind the sitar: Family and relations
Born on 7th April 1920, to Scholar and Barrister Shyam Shankar Chowdhury and Hemangini Devi, the world’s best-known exponent in the second half of 20th century and legendary Indian sitarist, Pandit Ravi Shankar was born in a Bengali family in Venaras and was the youngest of seven brothers. Since his father, Shyam Shankar, lived and worked mostly in London for approximately 17 years, from 1918 until his death by murder in 1935, he was raised by his mother and spent his youth as a dancer touring India and Europe with his brothers, Uday Shankar’s dance group. He left the dance group at the age of 18 to pursue music. Under his teacher, Ustad Allauddin Khan, he studied the sitar for seven years in the maihar-gharana and finished his studies in the year 1944. He often studied with Ustad Allauddin Khans children, Ali Akbar Khan and Annapurna Devi. In the month of December of the year 1939, he made his public debut, performing a duet with Ali Akbar Khan, who played the sarod. After that, he worked for Satyajit Ray and in All India Radio (1949 to 1956).
He started touring in Europe and America by the year 1956 and increased the popularity of Indian Classical music through his teachings in the 1960s. His parents had died by the time he returned from the European tour in 1938. After that touring in the West became difficult due to the political conflicts which later lead to World War II. At the age of 25, in the year 1945, he recomposed the music for “Sare Jahan Se Achcha”. He started working for an Indian record label and content company called His Master’s Voice in 1949. In 1941, he married Annapurna Devi formerly known as Roshnara Khan, daughter of Ustad Allauddin Khan and had a son called Shubhendra Shankar in 1942. He had an extramarital affair with dancer Kamala Shashrti which had begun in the late 1940s.
Due to this, Annapurna Devi and Pandit Ravi Shankar got divorced in 1962. In 1979, Norah Jones was born from an affair with a New York concert promoter and producer, Sue Jones which led to the separation between him and Kamala Shastri in 1981. After the separation, he started living with Sue jones. In 1978, he started a relationship with a married tanpura player called Sukanya Rajan which led to him leaving Sue Jonas by 1986. His second daughter, Anoushka Shankar was born in 1981 from this relationship. Due to his prosperous musical career, he received hundreds of awards like The Bharat Ratra in 1999, The Padma Vibhushan in 1981, The Padma Bhushan in 1967, etc. On 9th of December 2012, Pandit Ravi Shankar was admitted in the hospital Scripps Memorial in San Diego, California and on 11th at around 16:30 IST at the age of 92, he breathed his last. A festival was organized on 5th to 6th January 2013 called The Swara Samrat festival which was dedicated to Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
Conclusion:
The sitar is far more than just an instrument; it is a bridge between centuries old-tradition and deep spiritual devotion. From the deep, grounding tones of the Kharaj-Pancham to the expressive, vocal style of the Gandhar-Pancham, every detail reflects a profound dedication to craftsmanship and art. While playing the sitar comes with its fair share of challenges- including its delicate structure, high maintenance, and physical endurance it demands from the sitarist- these very traits highlight its unique character. It is an instrument that asks for patience and complete focus, rewarding both the player and the audience with an unmatched depth of emotion. Thanks to the vision of legendary masters like Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Allauddin Khan, the sitar has stepped onto the world stage while staying true to its roots. Ultimately, it is a timeless symbol of beauty and resilience- proving that music can truly touch the soul – achieved through the intricate craft of jawari, meaning giving life to a tone.
By: Aarshia Datta
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