When Jyoti Hegde was a college student learning to glide her fingers across the strings of the sitar, she felt the resonance of a different instrument , the rudra veena, deep in her bones, whose weight came not just from its physical stature but the spirituality that flows through its sounds. “When I play the notes and pull the strings, the sound reverberates within me. I inhale that sound, the raga and its emotions. It spreads inside me and then presents itself outward through my veena. It allows me to express my inner spiritual state.” Hegde was recently selected for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, an honour she hopes will bring much-needed attention to the instrument. “Rather than happiness for myself, I’m more than happy that the rudra veena has received this recognition,” Hegde says.
Compared to other classical string instruments like the sitar or Saraswati veena , learned masters of the rudra veena are few and far between. Among them, Hegde is often considered the first woman, however hesitant she may be to claim this title. She says, “When you look at the Ajanta and Ellora caves or Hampi’s carvings, you see the rudra veena in the hands of women. Saraswati and Parvati Devi too were women shown playing it. So who am I to say I’m the first? But in present times, it is a fact that I am the only one who initially came into this field.”
Historically, the belief that the heavy instrument would have a negative impact on fertility was among many superstitions that prevented women from picking up the instrument, explains Hegde. Reflecting on why she picked it inspite of this, she shares, “I wonder about this even now, because how many 16-year-old girls in today’s age would naturally gravitate toward the rudra veena? I was attracted to it, perhaps because of an inclination toward spirituality, meditation or a quiet nature. She adds, “I learned from three gurus; all three of them told me, ‘Oh, you are a girl, you won’t be able to play it.” But I questioned them, ‘What physical strength am I lacking? I can lift it, so I can play it.’ When others practised for three hours, I practised for 10 to prove it. In every way, women are physically and mentally suited to play the veena. You only need two hands, a mind and a body.”
Today, she is part of the effort to keep the instrument alive through Veenagram, her farmhouse-turned-gurukul in Sirsi where she lives and teaches over 60 students. “Here, there is absolute silence and freedom. That peace accelerated my musical development,” she shares with a smile, adding, “During the pandemic, I realised that online classes or weekly/monthly short classes are not enough to make someone a t r u e a r t i s t e. When a student lives with the guru 24/7, they absorb not just the music during a one-hour class, but the guru’s lifestyle, thought process, dedication and complete artistic personality.”
Preserving the rhythm of rudra veena
While Saraswati veena concerts in Bengaluru are a frequent sight, the rudra veena is not so. Apart from the fact that the former is a Carnatic instrument (more prevalent in the South) while the latter is Hindustani, the rudra veena’s history shows its roots in spirituality. Hegde explains, “It is believed that lord Shiva invented the rudra veena and all string instruments came from it. He taught it to Parvati, who then taught it to Saraswati, who in turn taught it to Narada Muni, who then spread the knowledge on earth. Initially, it was played during the recitation of the Vedas by sadhus for their meditation practices because of the profound effect it had on the body; then it spread to temples for the Gods. During Mughal times, it became a darbar instrument and began to change into other string instruments because the player needed to entertain the king. Nowadays, the Khayal style is more popular in Hindustani music and the rudra veena is a dhrupad instrument which does not suit this style. Today, rudra veena players are few and it’s important to preserve it. Which is why we’ve felt the need to perform on stage.
