Sitar

This Sitar was born in New Dehli in the early 1970s in a small workshop where its creator and his ancestors had worked for many long years in honour of Vishkarma, the Hindu God of craftsmen. Only using their hands and simple tools this Sitar was created from a dried pumpkin, tan wood, bone and metal. In traditional Ravi Shankar style with two gourds, its family came from Persia in the 18th Century where it was a three stringed instrument, the Sethar, and modified from the instrument called a Veena by Mughal musicians in India to what it is today. Its neck of Tun wood comes from Calcutta and its bridges from antelope horn. After many years of being left alone, neglected and unloved, last week it was put in a case and sent to London for restoration. It will sing again, clean, refreshed and looking like it does here! Thank you Vishkarma.