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". In
Punjab the ektar is known as the tumbi 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 an