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title: 'How many strings does a surbahar have?'
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date: '2026-10-19T15:02:29+00:00'
updated: '2026-10-19T22:09:35+00:00'
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summary: "Museum surbahars have five main pegs, two chikari pegs and seven or 11 sympathetic strings; the main string's gauge varies by player."
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  FAQ · Instruments & artforms

# How many strings does a surbahar have?

 Updated 19 October 2026

 String counts vary between **[surbahar](/instrument/surbahar)s**. Museum examples show five main pegs and two side pegs for the chikari strings, with seven or 11 sympathetic strings. Players choose the gauge of the main string: Annapurna Devi, Vilayat Khan and Imrat Khan used a No. 5 main string and Rais Khan a No. 6, and the jawari must be adjusted to suit it.



 

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