Saraswathi Veena Making
The Veena is four feet in length consisting of a large resonator (Tumba), a wooden bridge (Mettu), a tapering hollow neck (Dandi), a smaller non-functional resonator and seven strings of Veena. Veena making process involves many stages with the teamwork of artisans. Skilled and expert artisans are involved in the making of Veena. The traditional instrument making process begins with carving a single log of wood into Veena’s base. Jackfruit wood is used to make the Veena. The process of making Veena is very much precise and it takes at least 3 to 4 days to complete one complete Veena. Jackfruit wood (Pala Maram) is procured from the market and kept for seasoning and maturing. Jackfruit wood is easy to carve when the wood is moist; once the wood becomes dry it’s hard to carve with it.
The entire instrument/Veena is carved out from one single piece of wood. Sometimes wood breaks while carving because of its hardness, at that time parts of Veena are carved separately and joined together after carving. Artisan first carves the basic shape of the Veena out of single wood. After acquiring the basic shape exact shape of Veena is marked on the wood using a stencil and measurements. The wood is carved in the circular part and then wood is scooped out from the large base part in order to create hollowness, which is known as the resonator (Tumba). The resonator is covered with a wooden sheet/plate. Initially, rough designs are traced on the wooden sheet and marked to do the carving. Designs are carved by chiseling. After obtaining the shape, the surface is scraped and smoothened using sandpaper. To fill the cracks, the mixture of jack wood husk, pop powder, yellow colour powder and adhesive are mixed and applied to the cracks/fissures which surface on the body/structure/surface of Veena. When cracks are filled and the mixture is dried, the surface is smoothened using sandpaper. A thin coat of solution made of pop powder, adhesive and yellow colour powder is painted on the Veena to hide the crack patches. The body of the wood is carved with beautiful designs of goddesses, flowers and bird motifs on it. Traditional art includes a unique style of design. Carving is also done on the surface of the Veena in order to enhance its look.
In the olden days, ivory carvings and inlay works were made on the Veena and dear horns were fixed on the Veena. Currently, acrylic sheets are inlayed with lac colours which are fixed on the Veena to give more ethnic styles. Pegs and knobs for the strings are made in rosewood and fitted into the instruments with the help of beeswax. A decorative carved Yalli is fixed to the other end of the Veena.
