Description

SWARMANDAL surmandal or Indian harp is a plucked box zither, originating from India, similar to the qanun that is today most commonly used as an accompanying instrument for vocal Indian classical music. It is part of the culture of Northern India, used in concerts to accompany vocal music. The name combines Sanskrit words svara (notes) and maṇḍala (circle), representing its ability to produce many notes. The instrument may be the same as the 13th century 21-string instrument called the mattakokilā (intoxicated cuckoo).The instrument was seen as equivalent by Ā’īn-i-akbarī in the Mughal period to the qanun.