Indian bowed instruments?

[cookmex]

Dear members,
which are/were the bowed instruments of the indian subcontinent, before violin arrived.
Curiously, the violin has more years (300) in India than in various european countries, that had fiddles, but not violins.

Thanks for the data.

[VK RAMAN]

Here is an instrument which I believe is Indian.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhdF2QqwiC0

[cookmex]

Here is an instrument which I believe is Indian.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhdF2QqwiC0

Ektara is a plucked instrument...

[Lakshman]

sarangi, dilruba and esraj.

[cookmex]

Thanks, I know those, also looking from the south.

Do you know the names of these instruments, one plucked, one bowed?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr41pSiP77o

[Pratyaksham Bala]

Pulluvan Kudam and Pulluvan Veena.
Please check:
http://www.indiavideo.org/kerala/arts/r ... 0.php#Desc

More information on:
Pulluvan Kudam at
http://www.india9.com/i9show/Pulluvan-Kudam-44324.htm
and
Pulluvan Veena at
http://www.india9.com/i9show/Pulluvan-Veena-50458.htm

[Pratyaksham Bala]

See another type of Pulluvan Veena in this- :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGHW6vQNB7A&NR=1
and here:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO3MV719e4Q&NR=1

and for more information on Pulluvan tribe:-
http://www.indiavideo.org/kerala/arts/r ... 8.php#Desc

[Sundara Rajan]

The Pulluvan Kudam operates similar to the bow used in "VilluppAttu' in Tamil Nadu, plucking the string of a bow ( Vil or villu).

[gobilalitha]

what is the difference between a fiddle and a violin? In olden days we were commonly using the word fiddle to denote violin
GNB vaypattu,, Chowdia PIDIL in tamil(as there is no'f'') PalaniSubramania pillai mridangam gobilalitha

[Pratyaksham Bala]

Fiddle is the common name for a number of stringed instruments.
Violin is also a fiddle.

[Nick H]

My understanding is that fiddle is a popular or folk name for the violin. In some context it might even be used derivatively, eg to describe a player as just bring a fiddler (and is there a pun behind that? I don't know).

I'm told that, as it was the Irish soldiers who brought the violin to India, the name fiddle came with it and was adopted/adapted into Tamil.

Nearly forgot: the Pulluvan videos were fascinating. Thank you.

[Shivadasan]

Violin entered India first at Calcutta through the members of the orchestra that came with East India Company. Their army always had an orchestra. Violin was also regularly used by Christian priests when they sang hymns. It is possible they could also have brought violin to India.

So far I have come across information only confirming that Fiddle and Violin are one and the same. May be the English called it Fiddle and the French and Italians, the countries of origin of violin, called it violin.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

Interesting and informative:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violin

[smala]

Fiddle and the violin :

Some say it is the technique that gives it the "fiddle" name -
Celtic, Bluegrass and such folksy ways. Recall Fiddler on the Roof - using Russian folk melodies.

Others say it is the same instrument, fiddle is a nickname.

Read this interesting viewpoint :

http://www.fiddleheads.ca/writings/violin_or_fiddle.htm