Handcrafted Bobbili Veena to adorn Ayodhya Ram temple

Vizianagaram: A specially crafted Bobbili Veena is set to find a place at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya after Bobbili royal scion and local MLA RVSKK Ranga Rao, popularly known as Baby Nayana, secured the necessary permissions from the temple management.The full-sized veena was handcrafted by noted artisan Sarvasiddi Gangadharachari of Gollapalli village near Bobbili. The instrument, bearing the inscription ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in Telugu, Hindi and English, is expected to be installed at the Ayodhya temple within the next 30 days, the MLA said.Carved from a single block of jackfruit wood, the Ekanda Veena took nearly six months to complete. Gangadharachari said he had begun work on the instrument over a year ago after taking a vow to create it with devotion and dedication.Bobbili Veena, a traditional Carnatic instrument with a distinctive design, is closely associated with the Sarvasiddi artisan community. While many craftsmen now focus on miniature veenas that are popular as souvenirs and decorative gifts, only a handful of artisans in Andhra Pradesh continue to make full-sized instruments used by professional musicians.Gangadharachari said the Ayodhya veena was carved entirely from wood without any joints. Even the kudam (resonator) and the 24 frets were crafted from wood, with rosewood used for the fretwork.“When Baby Nayana asked me to make a veena for the Ram Mandir, I approached the task with complete devotion. I abstained from eating meat throughout the period of work. Lord Rama guided me in creating this instrument. Even if I am asked to make another one exactly like this, I may not be able to recreate the same level of dedication and focus,” he told TOI.The 60-year-old artisan said he began making veenas at the age of 12 and has crafted hundreds of full-sized veenas and thousands of miniature ones over the past four decades. He added that he supplied veenas to the Madras Telugu Academy for more than 20 years. “Bobbili Veena has a unique appearance and craftsmanship. Though a few artisans in Vepada and Makkuva areas also make full-sized veenas, the Gollapalli tradition remains distinct,” he said.The 55-inch instrument will be formally handed over to the Ram Mandir authorities soon. Baby Nayana said the initiative stemmed from Bobbili’s long-standing association with the iconic musical instrument.“Bobbili is renowned for its veenas. We felt one should be offered to the Ram Mandir. I have been pursuing this effort for nearly one-and-a-half years and entrusted the work to Gangadharachari,” the MLA said.