Ravanhatha

The Ancient Bowed Instrument of Rajasthan

India’s Timeless Musical Heritage

India’s musical traditions have a long and unbroken history, stretching from the Bhimbetka rock shelters of the Mesolithic era to the Harappan Civilization. Texts like Natya Shastra by Bharata Muni classify instruments into four categories: chordophones (string), aerophones (wind), membranophones (percussion), and idiophones (self-sounding). These instruments are not just tools of music but living expressions of culture, spirituality, and social tradition.

Wandering Minstrels and Folk Expression

Wandering minstrels carried forward India’s folk culture, traveling from village to village, narrating tales of gods, heroes, and patrons. Their performances combined music, storytelling, and emotion, leaving a deep impact on communities. Their instruments, simple yet artistically crafted, reflected regional identity and aesthetics.

The Ravanhatha – A Desert Instrument of Legends

The Ravanhatha, belonging to the chordophone category, is one of the most ancient bowed instruments of India. Its structure includes:

• A resonator made from a coconut shell.
• A long bamboo fingerboard attached to the resonator.
• One main playing string of horsehair, along with another playing string and 16 sympathetic steel strings.
• A bow made of a curved wooden stick strung with horsehair.

Its distinctive, raw, and haunting sound makes it perfect for narrative traditions.

The Bhopas and Pabuji Ki Phad

The Bhopas of Rajasthan, traditional priest-singers, use the Ravanhatha as the principal accompaniment in Pabuji Ki Phad, a centuries-old oral epic about the folk deity Pabuji. The instrument’s soulful tones heighten the dramatic storytelling, blending devotion with artistry.

Celebrating Folk Instruments

To honour India’s wandering minstrel traditions, the Department of Posts issued se-tenant Commemorative Postage Stamps featuring instruments like the Ravanhatha, recognizing their cultural and historical significance.