Veena-making: a sustainable, specialised, declining traditional craft

 Veena-making: a declining sustainable, specialised, traditional craft

Nidhi Sajit Menon
UID 3035666841


The veena is an instrument truly unique to India. Inspired by the lute and the harp, it is approximately 4 feet long and consists of a large resonator, over which is a bridge with strings attached and pegs at the end. There is also an additional resonator closer to the pegs, which serves two functions - it allows the veena to rest or be held comfortably and also provides extra resonance. Usually associated with (mostly South) Indian classical music, it is considered sacred and depicted as the instrument played by Saraswati, the Indian goddess of learning. The picture below is a typical veena played by a professional at a concert. The players sit cross-legged on the floor and rest the resonator also on the floor, while holding and strumming the strings on the bridge. 


A number of materials are used to make the veena. Firstly, the wood is usually obtained from jackfruit trees. Beeswax is used to set the pegs, and the frets and strings are made of metal. Generally carved from a single log of wood, they are painstakingly handcrafted by experienced artisans in specific areas in India. It can take anywhere between 20 days and a month, if not more, to complete one veena. The region of Thanjavur (modern Tanjore) in Tamil Nadu, South India is known for their veena craftsmen. It is said that what Cremona is to Stradivarius violins, Thanjavur is to veenas. However, some of them lament the lack of good quality jackfruit trees from the area due to urbanisation and conversion of groves into housing colonies. They have not disappeared, though; they are still fairly common as compared to other types of wood, such as rosewood and sandalwood. Veenas made from these are more expensive due to the higher quality of the raw materials and the difficulty in procuring them.



A famous musician playing the veena


 It came as a surprise to me to read that in Bobbili, another such artisans’ region in the state of Andhra Pradesh, also in South India, due to the lack of jackfruit trees, they have to import the raw materials from the northern states of Odisha and Chattisgarh. I say surprise because I have seen how abundantly jackfruit trees grow in the backyard of my family house in yet another South Indian state, Kerala, which is on the western coast of India (these regions are on the Eastern coast). This goes to show the slight discrepancy between the availability of cheap, good-quality raw materials and the presence of skilled artisans, or those willing to learn the art. Some artisans complain that authorities penalise them at checkposts for carrying jackfruit timber from the forest, even though they are doing nothing illegal. The government makes promises to give them licenses to do so, but then no action is eventually taken. 

Due to the uncommon nature of this instrument, information on the ecological footprint of its manufacturing process is scarce. However, from my own knowledge and from the articles I have read, I conclude that it is a fairly sustainable and environmentally-friendly affair. Jackfruit trees are obtained by specialists who select the best quality trees carefully and fashion the instrument by hand, causing no additional impact to the environment. The main issues faced are the decline of good quality wood and the strict surveillance of those who bring back wood from the forests. Wildlife protection and maintenance of forests are taken very seriously in India, but the artisans are causing minimal damage to the natural environment in their attempts to revive their “dying craft”.


Veena-making, according to several craftsmen of the older generation, is a dying art. The younger generation seems more keen to work on other wood products which would probably fetch them a higher price. Among the small circle of classical musicians, a few of them may be willing to learn the veena. It is a large and heavy instrument, not quite easy to master. In fact, it is known to be one of the most difficult instruments to learn. Considering the rich cultural significance and history of this instrument as well as the shrinking community that is known for manufacturing it, I hope we will not see the last of it anytime soon.






This is a video showing the manufacturing process of a veena by a small group of artisans!




Bibliography:


The veena. Carnatic music instrument-veena. (n.d.). Retrieved November 4, 2022, from https://mme.iitm.ac.in/vsarma/personalweb/veena.html 

J, M. (2021, February 9). How the sacred strings of southern India are vanishing. Adventure.com. Retrieved November 4, 2022, from https://adventure.com/saraswati-veena-india-sacred-strings/ 


Rajagopalan, A., Crasto, A., & J. William, A. (2015, September 23). Veena making. D'Source. Retrieved November 4, 2022, from https://www.dsource.in/resource/veena-making/making-process 


Baral, B., K., S., & G., V. (2022, April 8). Saraswati Veena making. D'Source. Retrieved November 4, 2022, from https://www.dsource.in/resource/saraswathi-veena-making/tools-and-raw-materials 

B. , K. (2011, December 29). From a log of wood to a symbol of melody. The Hindu. Retrieved November 4, 2022, from https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/from-a-log-of-wood-to-a-symbol-of-melody/article2758680.ece 


Veena. Tamilnadu Tourism. (n.d.). Retrieved November 4, 2022, from https://www.tamilnadutourism.tn.gov.in/experiences/veena 


Bobbbili Veena in dire straits. Deccan Chronicle (2019, March 30).. Retrieved November 4, 2022, from https://www.deccanchronicle.com/141107/nation-current-affairs/article/bobbbili-veena-dire-straits 

Prabhu, A. (2022, April 7). The Veena Maker. India Currents. Retrieved November 4, 2022, from https://indiacurrents.com/the-veena-maker/ 


Susarla, R. (2011, May 6). Government neglecting traditional Veena Makers. The Hindu. Retrieved November 4, 2022, from https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Visakhapatnam/government-neglecting-traditional-veena-makers/article1996271.ece 







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