What is a chitraveena?

The chitraveena, also written chitravina and known as the gottuvadyam, is a fretless veena of Carnatic music. The left hand glides a cylindrical slide over the melody strings, and the right hand plucks with plectra on the index and middle fingers. Most modern instruments carry 20 or 21 strings: six melody, three drone-rhythm and 11 or 12 sympathetic strings.