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title: 'How does the rudra veena differ from the Saraswati veena?'
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date: '2026-10-19T19:01:11+00:00'
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summary: 'The rudra veena is a stick zither with two gourds, used in dhrupad; the Saraswati veena is a Carnatic lute with 24 frets set in wax.'
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  FAQ · Instruments & artforms

# How does the rudra veena differ from the Saraswati veena?

 Updated 19 October 2026

 The **[rudra veena](/instrument/rudra-veena)** of Hindustani music is a stick zither: a hollow tube with two large gourd resonators beneath it. The Saraswati veena of Carnatic music is a long-necked lute with fixed frets, its 24 frets set into a ridge of beeswax on the neck. The rudra veena is closely associated with dhrupad and is plucked with a wire plectrum on metal frets.



 

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 ###  Instruments (1) 

- [   Rudra Veena The rudra veena, or bin, is the dhrupad veena: a bamboo or teak tube with two gourd resonators, four main strings and fixed brass frets. It carries slow alap…     ](/en-int/instrument/rudra-veena)
 
  

 

 

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