The Music and Musical Instruments of Southern India and the Deccan c11.82

c11.82

The four large strings are termed saranis and are named thus:— Sarani .... 1st, thinnest .... steel. Panchami .... 2nd, .... ,, Mandaram .... 3rd, .... brass or silver. Anumandaram .... 4th, thickest .... ,, ,, The three side strings are termed pakha-saranis and are of steel. The names of the various parts of the instrument are as follows:— (a.) Kayî or body, formed of thin wood and hollowed out of the solid. (b.) Gvantu, a projecting ledge, often of ivory, separating the body from the stem. (c.) Langaru,¹² metal fastenings which secure the strings to the attachment. These fastenings have rings sliding upon them which can be used in tuning to alter the pitch slightly, without turning the tuning pegs. (d.) Dhandi, neck, made hollow. (e.) Yeddapalaka, or belly. Small sound holes, in circles of about 2 inches diameter, are placed on each side of the strings, about 1 inch above the bridge. (f.) Dhandipalaka, a piece of thin wood covering the hollow of the neck underneath the frets. (g.) Mâruvapalaka, two ledges, each about ½-inch in height, projecting from the dhandipalaka and to which the frets are secured. (h.) Metlu, or frets, formed of "half-round" bars of brass or silver about ⅛-inch thick. (i.) Cupé, a cup or socket of some metal into which the burra or calabash is fastened; these cupés are often of silver and richly chased. (j.) Burra, or calabash, a kind of hollow gourd attached to the underside of the neck, near the head, to increase the volume of sound. (k.) Pallumanu, or nut, a piece of ivory over which the strings pass, placed between the pegs and the finger-board. (l.) Mogulu, small ivory pegs answering the purpose of nuts, over which the side strings pass. (m.) Gurram, bridge. (p.) Bhirtu, tuning pegs.