Wind Flute from Bastar

The wind fute or Sullur (ln Gondi) is created by the Gonds of Bastar,
Chhattisgarh !t is a straight bamboo length of between "# and $% inches &t one
end the whole is 'artially co(ered with three washers, blow through it and one
cannot miss the most melodious notes coming out of it While all futes, short or
long, ma)e music when blown into, with the singular sulur, the Gonds do not
blow into it, but they twirl it around (igorously with one hand and release some
of the most eu'honic sounds into the air
The ideal bamboo for the fute is the *pahadi baans or bamboo that grows
on the hills !t has to be straight with a hole running from end to end Two to
three futes can be made from a single bamboo +ne end is 'artially enclosed
The ideal washers for enclosing used to be the co''er 'isa coins of old With the
coin getting scarcer and its anti,ue (alue increasing, the fute ma)ers now use
three co''er washers stuc) together, which close the mouth lea(ing a ,uarter
inch diameter hole
&s with e(erything made by tribals, the fute too has a utility (alue besides
'roducing dulcet notes, when the men ta)e a wal) in the forest in the dead of the
night, they continuously twirl the fute to ward o- animals Gi(en their )een
auditory sense, the four legged s'ecies a''arently ha(e no 'roblem hearing the
soft melody and staying clear &lso as nomadic while Gonds tra(el from 'lace to
'lace, the music from the fute hel's herd the cattle (es'ecially goats) together
The Gond is one of the more signi.cant tribes in !ndia , with a 'o'ulation
of o(er # million it is also the largest &'art from Chhattisgarh, they are also to
be in &ndhra /radesh, 0aharashtra, 0adhya /radesh and +rissa !n fact the
name Gond comes from the Telugu 1onda, meaning hill Traditionally
agriculturists, they are also into forest 'roduce collection and herbal medicine
/re'ared by 0s 2aya 3amanathan
3e'roduced for Sangeet&nand