instruments Tantu      Been      Chikara      Dilruba      Ektara      Esraj      Gottuvadyam      Rabab      Santoor      Sarinda      Sitar      Surbahar      Swarmandal     Tanpura      Veena      Vichitra Veena      Violin Avanada Ghana Susir

Chikara :
This instrument has a rectangular resonator covered with skin. The fingerboard, which is hollow, is fretless. The three strings are either plucked or played with a bow.

onger than that of a sitar but its frets are fixed. Thus, because the instrument is larger and has longer strings, the sound can be held much longer. This quality is further enhanced by pulling the strings across the frets, at a right angle to the neck, and so, raising the pitch. In addition to its six metal strings, of which four carry the melody and two the drone, and thirteen sympathetic strings underneath, the surbahar has two extra bass strings which give an extra lower octave. Because the surbahar produces a deep, dignified sound it lends itself to the alap, jor and jhala of a raga.