The Geometry of Sound: Preserving the Craft of the Saraswati Veena in Srirangam
At a home-based workshop in Srirangam, G. Venkatesan and his son V. Giridharan maintain a century-old lineage of master instrument making. They are among the final remaining artisans capable of hand-crafting traditional stringed instruments from raw timber.
Key takeaways
- G. Venkatesan and his son V. Giridharan operate Renga Musical House, one of the few workshops capable of building veenas from scratch.
- A single Saraswati Veena requires 20 days of labor, involving the hollowing of 50-kg jackfruit wood blocks down to a 6-kg resonator.
- The family legacy began in the 1920s under the tutelage of Krishnaswamy Naidu before moving to Srirangam on the advice of experts like Sambasiva Iyer.
- Modern veena construction uses a mix of traditional manual techniques and contemporary materials like epoxy and imported guitar heads for tuning.
- Mastery of the craft requires an expert understanding of shruthi and swaram to ensure instruments meet the performance standards of musical exponents.
A Lineage of String and Wood
In the quiet neighborhood of Srirangam, 72-year-old G. Venkatesan continues a specialized craft inherited from his father, R. Govindasamy Mudaliyar. The family’s involvement in lutherie dates back to the late 1920s when Mudaliyar, then a 12-year-old migrant in Madras, apprenticed under Krishnaswamy Naidu. While Mudaliyar initially focused on harmonium repair, his repertoire expanded to include the intricate manufacture of the Saraswati Veena after his mentor’s passing. The workshop, Renga Musical House, eventually relocated to Srirangam following advice from notable figures like Karaikudi Sambasiva Iyer, Govinda Iyengar, and Woraiyur Rengachari.
Venkatesan entered the trade at age 17 through rigorous observation, eventually taking the helm of independent production at 30 following his father’s death. Today, the legacy persists through his son, V. Giridharan, a 32-year-old Computer Science graduate who stepped away from the technology sector in 2014 to sustain the family heritage.
The Anatomy of Manufacture
Constructing a single veena is a labor-intensive process that demands roughly 20 days and a mastery of ten distinct skills. The foundation of the instrument relies on seasoned jackfruit wood, specifically sourced from trees aged over 40 years in Panruti, Kerala, and the Kolli Hills. The manufacturing stages include:
- Precision Hollowing: A 50-kg block of seasoned wood is painstakingly hollowed by hand until it weighs approximately 6 kg to form the 'kodam' or resonator.
- Manual Assembly: Artisans use antique tools to carve the 'birdai' (pegs) and set the frets, as no specialized machinery exists for this specific geometry.
- Modern Hybridization: While traditional beeswax remains, contemporary epoxy glues and imported metal guitar heads are now integrated to enhance structural integrity and string stability.
- Aesthetic Evolution: The historical use of ivory and deerhorn has transitioned to etched plastic sheets, which are hand-painted to maintain the visual dignity of classic designs.
The intersection of Craft and Acoustics
Beyond physical assembly, a master artisan must possess an internal ear for shruthi (pitch) and swaram (musical notes). Though Venkatesan and Giridharan are not professional performers, their technical grasp of acoustics allows them to calibrate instruments for renowned exponents. Their services at Renga Musical House extend beyond local production to regional repairs, frequently requiring the duo to travel across the state to retrieve and restore damaged classical instruments. This manual devotion ensures that the subtle science of Carnatic instrumentation does not vanish in an era of mass production.
Source: The Hindu – Entertainment
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