Gotuvadya

Gotuvadyam, also known as Chitravina, is a twenty-one stringed fretless instrument. SakhaRama Rao shaped the instrument which more or less looked like a Veena (Thanjavur), without the frets. It has six main strings, three drone and rhythm strings and twelve sympathetic strings. The instrument is predominantly made of jack wood, teak or ebony. It is made in Thanjavur where it is elaborately decorated with silver mounting. A cylindrical block made of ebony wood or bison horn is held in the left hand and glided over the main strings. It is played by plucking the melody strings. Drone strings are activated using the little finger.