Woman playing the Dilruba. The dilruba is spelled as dilrupa.Iit emerged from India. It is a bowed instrument larger than an esraj. It has a great significance in Sikh history.
Construction
The instrument is made up of a sitar-like neck having 20 metal frets. There are 12-15 sympathetic strings on a wooden rack on which the neck holds on to. There are 4 main stings which are bowed and made of metal. The soundboard is nothing but a goatskin which is stretched similar to the sarangi a gourd affixed to the top for balance or tone enhancement. The instrument is rested between the knees of the player while sitting on the floor with a neck leaning of their left shoulder. This instrument is played with a bow. The player slides notes up or down to achievement or portamento a characteristic feature of Indian music.
