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url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-pk/faq/instruments-artforms/what-is-a-rudra-veena'
title: 'What is a rudra veena?'
author:
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date: '2026-10-19T15:03:19+00:00'
updated: '2026-11-02T00:15:28+00:00'
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summary: 'The rudra veena, or bin, is a plucked stick zither: a hollow tube with frets and two gourd resonators, closely associated with dhrupad.'
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 FAQ · Instruments & artforms

# What is a rudra veena?

 Updated 2 November 2026

 

The **[rudra veena](/en-pk/instrument/rudra-veena)**, called the bin or been in North India, is a plucked stick zither of Hindustani music. A hollow tube of bamboo or teak carries the frets and strings, with two calabash gourd resonators beneath. It has four melody strings and three chikari drone strings. The Met notes that it appears routinely in ragamala paintings and is closely associated with dhrupad. In the style of Asad Ali Khan and the Dagar family, the melody strings run Ma, Sa, a lower Pa and a lower Sa, and the chikari sound Sa in two higher octaves.



 

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- [   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-pk/instrument/rudra-veena)
 
  

 

 

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