Bhopa Indian Ravanhatta Rajasthani Musical Fiddle Sarangi Folk String Instrument Ravanahatha Bhopi

The Ravanhatta is played by the Nayak Bhopas of Rajasthan, and believed to be one of the most ancient stringed instruments, which became a precursor to the present-day violins.
The Bhopi people are nomadic gypsies of a musical caste who live in makeshift camps in the desert of Rajasthan. Their music is handed down through generations without a single written note and they teach their children either singing or playing and making musical instruments. I met a Bhopi musician and artisan, Raju, in the pilgrimage town of Pushkar where he was selling his Ravanhatta he had made himself for Holi festival.

He invited me to visit his home in the nomadic camp in the desert where he lives under tarpaulin with his wife, sister, 5 children and a goat. It was apparent the poverty the nomadic people had to endure and the extreme conditions in which they lived through intense heat and monsoon rains, with only a tarpaulin roof and no sanitation or running water. We spent the afternoon with the family, playing with the children and eating a beautifully prepared meal of dhal and chapati which his wife and sister had made on a stone by the fire. We learned about his trade, and he showed us how he made these incredible instruments. The gallery pics show Raju and his family which I took during our visit earlier this year. The instrument pictured is the one I purchased on this trip. Despite his inability to read or write, the use of whatsapp voice notes has allowed us to maintain contact and I hope to buy more from him in the future. Because of this, please note, the instrument you receive may not be the exact one pictured but another made by him. Also, note that as these were made in the desert by hand with rudimentary tools the instrument is of rugged design and appearance with blemishes and wear from the extreme conditions.

We wish to continue to support Raju and his family, and with this purchase you would be helping to preserve the centuries old Bhopa musical tradition a well as upholding their dignity as musicians and reduce the extreme poverty from these nomadic people and their families. The Ravanhatta is made from locally available bamboo shoots, wood, coconut shell and metal pipes to create the 70-90cms long bent central stem of the instrument. (The one pictured in our gallery photos is 75cm long and 10cm deep coconut shell but they will vary). This long stem is punctured with holes at regular intervals on one end, in order to affix the knobs, which are used to fine tune the music being rendered by the strings attached to them. On the other end of the stem, a bowl made out of coconut shell (even metal and clay at times) with its mouth covered in goat hide is affixed. The two fundamental sets of strings that are eventually caressed in the creation of music are that of metal wire and horse hair. These hair obtained from the tail of the horse can sum up to be the most exclusive ingredient for the creation of this instrument as besides being really strong, they lend a unique unparalleled quality of the music.

Interestingly, the hair are coated with a powder cake (Bejara) to reduce the friction that might occur when they are rubbed against each other in the process of weaving tunes. Variation in sound texture may be achieved by modifying the tension in horse hair as the fingers move over them. The instrument may further be accessorized by attaching colorful pouches, beads, tassels, musical adornments (ghunghroo) according to the sensibility and convenience of the designer. The story tellers do not follow a specific set of rules. They devise the synchronies of music and narration as and when they practice. But the craft seeks as much sensitivity of sound as it seeks dexterity of the fingers.