Kinnari veena

Kinnari Vina, late 19th century. The bird is supposed to represent a kite. The instrument's body was a hollowed out stick, forming a tube.

The kinnari vina (Sanskrit: किन्नरी वीणा) is a historical veena, a tube zither with gourds attached to act as resonators and frets. It was played in India into the late 19th century and was documented by two European artists.[1][2] The instrument dates back into medieval times (documented in the 13th century) and possibly as far back as 500 C.E. It is closely related to the Alapini Vina and Eka-tantri Vina, the instruments having coexisted in medieval times.

Along with the alapini vina and eka-tantri vina, the kinnari vina was mentioned by Śārṅgadeva in his Sangita Ratnakara (written 1210 - 1247 C.E.) By the late 19th century, the kinnari vina survived as a "folk instrument," in South Kanara and Mysore, India, and in the modern bīn or rudra vina.[1][3][4]

The instrument shares its name with the kinnara, Buddhist and Hindu mythological creatures that are pictured playing stick zithers or tube zithers. The kinnari vina is traditionally carved with a bird emblem on one end.

  • 9th century C.E. Stick zither and flute played by kinnaras, from the relief of the hidden base of Borobudur - 1890-1891. The kinnara is pressing the gourd resonator into his chest. The end of the stick zither resembles a bird.
    9th century C.E. Stick zither and flute played by kinnaras, from the relief of the hidden base of Borobudur - 1890-1891. The kinnara is pressing the gourd resonator into his chest. The end of the stick zither resembles a bird.
  • Sarasvati with a fretted kinnari vina, with an apparent makara or yali on the top. Fretted tube-zither vinas are mentioned in literature by 800 C.E., coexisting with the non-fretted vinas. The rudra veena descends from the kinnari veena.[5]
    Sarasvati with a fretted kinnari vina, with an apparent makara or yali on the top. Fretted tube-zither vinas are mentioned in literature by 800 C.E., coexisting with the non-fretted vinas. The rudra veena descends from the kinnari veena.[5]
  • Statue of a musician playing a kinnari vina at the Airakkal Mandapa (Thousand Pillar Hall) in the Meenakshi Temple, Madurai.
    Statue of a musician playing a kinnari vina at the Airakkal Mandapa (Thousand Pillar Hall) in the Meenakshi Temple, Madurai.
  • Mewar, ca. 1630-1640 C.E. A kinnari vina played by a prince
    Mewar, ca. 1630-1640 C.E. A kinnari vina played by a prince
  • Woman playing kinnari vina, from painting by Rahim Deccani, late 17th century C.E.
    Woman playing kinnari vina, from painting by Rahim Deccani, late 17th century C.E.
  • Madras, 1876. Kinnari vina labeled "tingadee." The spike is a bridge, directing string energy to resonator.
    Madras, 1876. Kinnari vina labeled "tingadee." The spike is a bridge, directing string energy to resonator.
  • Kinnari vina, 19th century C.E., from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Instrument has a bird (left) and an animal (right).
    Kinnari vina, 19th century C.E., from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Instrument has a bird (left) and an animal (right).
  • Kinnari vina, 1903.
    Kinnari vina, 1903.
  • Bīn or rudra veena, Musée de la Musique (Paris). Instrument has a bird (right side).
    Bīn or rudra veena, Musée de la Musique (Paris). Instrument has a bird (right side).
  1. ^ a b Charles Russell Day (1891). The music and musical instruments of southern India and the Deccan. New York & London: Novello, Ewer & Company. p. 185.
  2. ^ "A Strolling Minstrel at Madras Playing the Tingadee". The Illustrated London News. 29 January 1876. p. 105. [page from the Illustrated London News, put online by antiquemaps.co.nz]
  3. ^ Alastair Dick; Gordon Geekie; Richard Widdess (1984). "Vina, section 4 Medieval stick zithers, section 7 The Hindustani Bīn". In Sadie, Stanley (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments. pp. 729–732. Volume 3.
  4. ^ Piyal Bhattacharya; Shreetama Chowdhury (January–March 2021). "How the Ancient Indian Vīṇā Travelled to Other Asian Countries: A Reconstruction through Scriptures, Sculptures, Paintings and Living Traditions" (PDF). National Security. 4 (1). Vivekananda International Foundation: 50–53.
  5. ^ Karaikudi S. Subramanian (Spring–Summer 1985). "An Introduction to the Vina". Asian Music. 16 (2). University of Texas Press: 9–13, 19. doi:10.2307/833772. Kumba (1400 A.D.) attributes the invention of the fourteen fretted kinnari to Matanga (800 A.D.) the author of Brhad-desi. [Tarlekar 1961- 172]...]