7TH HEAVEN WITH THANJAI NOTE

The first musical instrument in the country to receive a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, Thanjavur veenai is known for its design, featuring a long, hollow body made of jackfruit wood

- N RAMESH @ Thanjavur

The rhythmic sound of wood being chopped fills the air near the entrance of the centuries-old Sivaganga Park, adjacent to the Thanjavur Big Temple, piquing the curiosity of visitors from far and near. A closer look reveals workers carving mace-like structures from wooden logs. These artisans, members of the Thanjavur Veenai Workers Welfare Association, are preparing the wood for crafting the Thanjavur veenai, a string instrument.

The renowned Thanjavur veenai (veena), which is being made in the historic city – the capital of the imperial Chola kings – received Geographical Indication (GI) certification in 2013. The present structure of the Thanjavur veenai was designed by Thanjavur Nayak King Raghunatha Nayak (1614-1632).

"Raghunatha Nayak, who wrote a treatise on music titled "Sangeetha Sudha", was adept at playing the veena. He was an expert in playing the Vipanchi veena. Raghunatha Nayak modified the veena used in his time, creating the version we now recognise as the Thanjavur veenai," says historian Kudavayil Balasubramanian.

Highlighting the uniqueness of the Thanjavur veenai, former principal of Tiruvaiyaru Government Music College and veena teacher Rama Kausalya explains, "The structure of the Thanjavur veena itself is unique. Until Raghunatha Nayak's time, the frets on the fingerboard (thandi) were movable, similar to those on the sitar today. He introduced fixed frets and increased their number to 24."

She adds the veena designed by Raghunatha Nayak also has a distinctive shruti. The Thanjavur Musical Instruments Workers Cooperative Cottage Industrial Society Limited, which applied for the GI certification, stated in its application that the craftsmanship involved in making the functional resonator (Kudam) is unique to the Thanjavur veena, distinguishing it from other veenas.