File:World in Miniature- Hindoostan, volume 3, plate 3 - Musical instruments.jpg

"Supramanya, second son of Lord Siva"

Handcoloured engravings by Frederic Shoberl from his work 'The World in Miniature: Hindoostan'. London: R. Ackerman, 1820's. More images from the same source:

Text from the book that identifies and explains the images (text in public domain):

In the third plate are shown a few of the stringed instruments most common In India.

The vina, fig. 22, is a stringed instrument of the guitar kind. The handle is twenty-one inches and a half long: at a little distance from each end of it is a large calebash, and beyond these the pegs and tail which hold the strings fast. The total length of the instrument is three feet seven inches. The first calebash is fixed at the distance of ten inches from the upper extremity, and the second seven inches and a half from the lower end. They are fourteen inches in diameter, and at their base there is a round hole about five inches in diametar. The handle is two inches thick. There are seven strings, two of steel are very near one another on the right; four, of copper, on the handle; and the seventh, also of copper, on the left.

When the vina is played, the upper calebash is rested on the left shoulder, and the lower on the right knee. The player presses the strings with the left hand, using' chiefly the first and second fingers, rarely the third, and occasionally the little finger. The fingers of the right hand strike the strings on that side; the first two strike those on the handle, the little finger those on the right, but the third finger is never used. The first and second fingers of that hand are defended by a piece of iron wire put on the ends of them in the way of a thimble, which produces a disagreeable sound when the musician plays with force: but when he plays gently, the sound of this instrument is highly pleasing to the ear.

Solvyns describes an instrument called pennauk, fig. 23, which differs from the vina in this respect, that the two calebashes are connected by an iron bar, and that it has but one cord of wire tightly stretched. The performer obtains sounds from it by drawing a bow over this wire with one hand, and scraping with a stick in the other.

The oorni, fig. 24, is a rude species of guitar, formed of half a cocoa-nut, in which is fixed a bamboo stick with a single string, played upon with a bow, the handle of which is covered with ornaments. The oorni yields but two sounds, one of which is described as resembling the mewing of a cat, and the other the lowing of deer.

Fig. 25 is a kind of guitar called sitar, which our European players would turn to a good account. Those of Hindoostan, thinking its sound too monotonous, frequently tie two iron rings to each string for the purpose of making more noise. These rings striking against one another destroy all the harmony of the situr, but produce harsh jangling tones with which Indian ears are not a little delighted.

The sarindah, fig. 26, is an instrument which seems to belong exclusively to the common people. It is formed of a piece of wood, over a hollow in which are extended cotton strings, that are sounded by means of a bow.