The Sitar

The Sitar is the most popular and respected stringed instrument from North India.

The inventor of this amazing instrument was a famous musician and poet : Amir Khusro of the court of emperor Alaudin Khilji. The famous Khilji Empire ruled most of North India in the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries.

There were many stringed instruments from the ancient times in India, including the 28 different types of Veenas?
The Sitar was inspired in the 14th century from one of them, which was called Tritantri Veena (means a three stringed Veena, in Sanskrit). In the beginning, it had only three strings, so it was named, “Sehtar”, (which also means “three stringed” in Persian). However, its name, design, and many features have changed over the centuries. Today, it is known as “Sitar”, and commands the same respect in the East as a violin or piano in the West. It is fashioned from a seasoned gourd (Calabash) and teak wood. On its finger board, there is a track of 20 metal frets along with two sets of strings resting on two bridges – the upper and the lower. On the upper bridge there are seven strings ; four for playing the melody, and three for rhythmic variations and resonance. The lower bridge carries 13 sympathetic strings, all for resonance and occasional plucking. These 13 strings are tuned to the various notes of the mode and resonate themselves when the appropriate note is plucked, enhancing the effectiveness of the tone.