The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : With strings attached

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 13, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

With strings attached

Staff Reporter

— Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

The world’s biggest: Vocalist Shyamala Bhave with the tamburi of C. Natarajan of Shiva Musicals.

Bangalore: For its size, it does not make much noise. In fact, its sound is classic and pleasant. And one cannot take it to a common o’-garden concert stage though a garden itself would do nicely.

The instrument we are talking about is an 11-foot tamburi crafted by C. Natarajan and his son Vinod Natarajan of Shiva Musicals who have once again proved their credentials of superior craftsmanship by creating the world’s biggest tamburi.

Its resonator has a diameter of 10 feet, compared to a standard instrument’s three feet. They have decorated it with carvings of assorted deities as well as the first line of Thyagaraja’s “Endaro Mahanubhavulu”. For good measure, they have added a dash to the tamburi’s personality by including hockey and the national anthem, while the instrument is topped with the four Sarnath lions.

The giant tamburi, carved out of a single log of a rain tree, is decorated on its side by murals depicting the Mysore Dasara procession. Its resonator is embellished by the Carnatic music trinity, presided over by Nataraja himself.

Not meant for mere display, the point was proved by veteran musician Shamala Bhave, who effortlessly used it while she sang.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka

News Update

Stories in this Section