The Music and Musical Instruments of Southern India and the Deccan c11.77

c11.77

T HE instrument to the left of the plate represents the Vina in common use in Southern India. Though in Northern India and the Deccan the use of the vina, or bîn, is restricted to professional musicians or skilful performers, we do not find this to be the case in the South. This instrument is taught in the schools in many places, and is a very favourite one with amateurs of the higher classes. The specimen here represented is about 250 years old, and is from the collection at the Tanjore palace. The delicacy of the carving and the great wealth of decoration bestowed upon this instrument are remarkable, and prove it to have belonged to some very distinguished personage—probably to one of the Maharajahs of Tanjore.