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title: 'How many strings does a vichitra veena have?'
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date: '2026-10-19T15:04:10+00:00'
updated: '2026-10-19T22:10:01+00:00'
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summary: 'A vichitra veena usually has four main strings, five chikari and 13 sympathetic strings; Lalmani Misra used six main strings.'
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# How many strings does a vichitra veena have?

 Updated 19 October 2026

 Accounts of the **[vichitra veena](/instrument/vichitra-veena)**'s strings differ. The most-repeated description gives four main playing strings, five chikari drone strings played open with the little finger, and 13 sympathetic strings tuned to the notes of the raga. Gopal Shankar Misra describes his father Lalmani Misra's arrangement as six main strings tuned to Sa and Pa across registers, with three chikari on the left and one or two on the right.



 

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