How to choose your first veena
Weight, fret height and size matter more than carving for a beginner. Here is what to check before you buy.
A morning in Thanjavur for a music lover
If you come to Thanjavur to choose an instrument, give yourself a free morning. A short walk through the town’s music history.
Thanjavur has been tied to Carnatic music for at least four centuries. If you are travelling here to choose a veena, it is worth adding a morning to see the town that gave the instrument its name. Start early at the Brihadeeswarar temple, before the heat and the crowds. The carvings on the inner walls include dancers and musicians, and in the early light you can pick out the veenas and drums. Allow an hour.
From there it is a short auto ride to the palace complex and the Saraswathi Mahal Library, which holds old palm-leaf manuscripts, some on music and dance. The small museum shows how much of the city’s court life revolved around performance.
If you visit in January, Thiruvaiyaru is only thirteen kilometres away. The Thyagaraja Aradhana is held there on the banks of the Kaveri each year, and hundreds of musicians sing his pancharatna kritis together on the morning of the main day. It is crowded, but unlike anything else.
Finish with lunch near the old town and an afternoon in our playing room. Many visitors tell us the instrument they choose means more to them having seen where it comes from. Let us know when you are coming and we can suggest timings for the temple and the library around your visit.
