Ektar
is a simple folk instrument. It is used to provide both a drone as well as simple
rhytmic accompaniment to folk songs. It may be the oldest stringed instrument
in the Indian subcontinent. The ektar is described in ancient Sanskrit texts
as the ekatantri vina, literally the "one stringed lute".
The construction is very simple, it is nothing more than a gourd which has been
penetrated by a stick of bamboo. Another piece of bamboo forms the tuning peg.
The bridge is merely a coin, piece of coconut, plastic or similar object. Ektars
such as this are common in the south. In the north, their construction is a
little more complicated. A membrane is stretched over the gourd and the bridge
is placed over the taut membrane.
The term ektar literally means "one string", as such the term is loosely
applied to a variety of one-stringed folk instruments. This includes such instruments
as the tuntun, katho, anand lahari, and gopichand.
The ektar is very popular in folk music and has a strong rustic connotation.
It is very much associated with the saint Mira Bai.
