GOPICHAND (Ektar)

The gopichand, also, known as gopiyantra, is a very popular folk instrument of Bengal.  It is an instrument that is much used by the wandering minstrels known as the Baul.

There are several variations on the construction.  The length may be as small as one foot or as long as three feet, however 2-3 feet is the norm.  It consists of a length of bamboo that is split through most of the length.  The two ends are pried apart and attached to a resonator.  This resonator may be a coconut, gourd, metal container or a hollowed out cylindrical section of wood.  The open end of the resonator is covered with taught skin and a string penetrates the centre.  This string is attached to a reinforced section in the centre.  This string then passes through the hollow of the resonator and attaches to a tuning peg located in the bamboo.

The sound of the gopichand is most distinctive.  There is a peculiar bending of the pitch as the two legs of the bamboo are squeezed together by the left hand while the right hand plucks the string.  This is a rhythmic instrument rather than a melodic instrument and it is used to accompany instruments such as kartal,dotar, or khol.

Ravanahatha

The Ravanahatha (Ravanhatta or Ravanastron or Ravana hasta veena) is a popular fiddle of western India. The bowl is made of cut coconut shell, the mouth of which is covered with goat hide. The principal strings are two: one of steel and the other of a set of horsehair.

The ravanahatha is believed by the indigenous Sinhalese ethnic majority to have originated among the Hela civilization of Sri Lanka in the time of King Ravana. The bowl is made of a cut coconut shell that is covered with goat hide. A Dandi, made of bamboo, is attached to this shell. The two principle strings are made of steel and horsehair, respectively. The long bow has jingle bells.

Throughout the medieval history of India, the kings were patrons of music; this helped in increased popularity of ravanhatta among royal families. In Rajasthan and Gujarat, it was the first musical instrument to be learned by princes. The Sangit tradition of Rajasthan further helped in popularizing ravanhatta among ladies as well.^[1]According to legend, Ravana was an ardent devotee of the Hindu god Shiva, and served him using the ravanahatha.^[2] In the Hindu Ramayana epic, after the war between Rama and Ravana,Hanuman picked up a ravanahatha and returned to North India. In India, the ravanahatha is still played in Rajasthan. From India, the ravanahatha traveled westwards to the Middle East and Europe, where in the 9th century, it came to be called the Ravan strong.

The Netherlands-based author Patrick Jered has recently written a book (Finding the Demon's Fiddle) about his quest to discover the origins of the instrument. The book will be published in Asia towards the end of 2014 by Westland books, followed by publication in Europe and the USA. Jered traces the mythology surrounding the instrument, following the path of Ravana, the Great Demon King of Lanka, through India, via mount Kailash in Tibet, to Trincomalee in Sri Lanka. He concurs with leading musicologist Prof. Joep Bor that the ravanhattha is the oldest extant ancestor of the violin family.^[5]