Bobbili veena is a large plucked string instrument used in

Carnatic classical music Carnatic music, known as or in the South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Sri Lanka. It is o ...

. The Veena is named after

Bobbili Bobbili is a town in Vizianagaram district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Geography Bobbili is located at . It has an average elevation of 103 metres (337 feet). History The town of Bobbili was founded during the 17th ce ...

, a place where it was invented. In 2011 the musical instrument got a

Geographical Indication A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...

tag from the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

History

Bobbili Veena is considered to be invented in

Vizianagaram district Vizianagaram district is one of the six districts in the Uttarandhra region of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh with its headquarters located at Vizianagaram. The district was once the part of ancient Kalinga.Saripilli Dibbilingeswara te ...

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

. The making of the Veena started in the 17th century during the reign of Pedda Rayudu. At that time, playing Veena was a common practice in India, specially South India. The entire development process of the Veena took more than three centuries. Bobbili kingdom rulers were fond of music, and many of them learned to play Veena. In the Bobbili kingdom, the Veena used to be supplied by Sarwasiddi community craftsmen. These craftsmen were from Gollapalli. The craftsmen community who make this musical instrument are known as "Bobbili Veena sampradayam" (Bobbili Veena community).

Description

A Bobbili Veena is carved from a single piece of jack wood.

References

{{reflist Carnatic music Culture of Andhra Pradesh Geographical indications in Andhra Pradesh Indian handicrafts