MAKING THE TANPURA :

AN ARTISTIC, SOCIO-ECONOMIC & CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE

Introduction :
Music Is a combination of sound and silence – the Tanpura aptly fills in the
space between the two mediums. The sight of an individual sitting on the dias
behind the main performing artist plucking at the strings of a tanpura- a drone
instrument during any traditional Indian Classical Music concert is all very
familiar & not uncommon. It is the most popular and favoured accompanying
drone instrument for vocalists and instrumentalists alike – be it a Hindustani or
Carnatic music presentation. The instrument is almost non-intrusive and subtle
in its presence, yet permeates the atmosphere (through creation of harmonic
tones and resonances) and helps the performer to focus and develop his/her
musical ideas.
Variously known as Tanpura, Tamboura or Tambouri, the name is derived
from “taan” or a musical phrase and “pura” or a whole matter. Evidence of
primitive forms of the present day tanpura like Ektaara, Ek Veena, Tamboor
Veena, can be found during the times when Saam Gayan was practised during
the period dating back to the Vedic ages. The presence of such similar looking
instrument is found in some ancient miniature paintings of the Mughal era as
well. Another view is that the tanpura evolved from the Veena used in
Dhrupad performances – which was modified to broadly resemble the modern
day tanpura.
The structure of the present-day popular four-stringed Tanpura (made of
pumpkin gourd) is of a more recent origin over the past 300 years (and more
particularly popularized by musicians of the Kirana Gharana.)

Aims and Objectives of this Project

The primary Objective of this Project is to systematically understand, trace,
investigate and document :
a) Understanding of the life-cycle of various inputs / materials that go
into the construction of the tanpura ;
b) the socio-economic and demographic profiling of the artisans
associated with the manufacture of the tanpura;
c) An assessment of the impact of changing musical presentation
formats, the explosion of new internet related media platforms,
scientific advancements and the country’s evolving cultural &
socio-economic landscape on i) future role / place of these tanpuras
in musical concerts; ii) the age-old traditional method(s) of
manufacture of tanpuras and (iii) impact on the livelihood of those
dependent on this profession;

Scope of the Project:

In particular, the project will cover the following areas:
a) Manufacture of tanpuras was initially confined to select places in
North India like Gwalior, Agra, Lucknow, Gradually over the
 decades, the business of preparation of tanpuras shifted to a
particular region – the Solapur – Miraj-Sangli Belt in South Western
Maharashtra owing to some favourable demographic, cultural and
climatic factors, The geographical and other factors that have
enabled these specific regions to flourish as key centres in the
manufacture of tanpura would be studied ;

b) The science of preparation / construction of the tanpura – including :

i) dissection of the key inputs / materials that go into the
preparation of the tanpura – viz – the gourd
(manufactured from the dried pumpkin fruit), the pegs,
strings and the cotton threads (jawari), us of chemical
additives, animal organs/parts (if any) and also their
pricing and availability;
ii) the science behind the selection of strings (earlier based
on animal derivatives and now on artificial material);
iii) understanding the biological life-cycle of the pumpkin
gourd – from its germination as a seed to a full blown
Pumpkin ready for use in the construction of the tanpura,

c) Personal interaction with artisans associated with the actual art of

tanpura making including understanding their socio-economic and
cultural background, their transition from their original occupation
to making tanpuras, evaluating alternative means of livelihood
/sustenance (if any) in the light of a commercial viability (cost-
benefit) analysis of this profession in the present day age;
d) Study of alternative/advanced manufacturing techniques/ principles
including use of other agro-based as well as synthetic materials
( fibre glass, deodhar, bamboo etc ) that go into making a tanpura
and their impact on creating the appropriate musical reasonance;
e) Consultation with specialists including agriculturists, musicians,
musicologists and members from manufacturing fraternity as
required;
f) Video filming of the project to the extent necessary for the purpose;

Estimated Time Frame for the Project

Given that the project would also involve empirical study of biological life
cycles, frequent travel, two and half years from Approval Date could be
considered reasonable.
Estimated Budget:
S.No. Particulars Cost (Rs)
Travelling in and around India-mainly Miraj, 80,000/-
Sholapur, Begumpur, Kolkata, Delhi and
1 Chennai in connection with field work,
interviews & collation of research material-
8 visits@ Rs.10,000/- per visit

2 Logistics, lodging and boarding in connection 80,000/-

with travel assignments
8 visits @ Rs.10,000/-

3 Remuneration to 1 Full time Research 1,50,000/-

Assistant @ Rs.15,000/- per month for 10
months

4 1 Field/ Project Assistant with computer 1,44,000/-

proficiency @ 8,000/- per month for 18
months

5 Honorarium to experts, scientists, 1,00,000/-

musicologists, musicians, artisans (as per
requirement):
Estimated 10 persons @INR 10,000 per
person

6 Hiring of audio and video equipment and 1,00,000/-

filming crew

7 Miscellaneous expenses, including stationery, 50,000/-

computer aided support, designing etc.

8 Honorarium to Primary Researcher/ Project 4,00,000/-

Co-ordinator

Grand Total 11,04,000/-