Note: this is not a sitar. I know Ravi Shankar propaganda has conditioned you to think that all of the folk instruments out of the Indian subcontinent are sitars, but it’s not so. What we have in our highlighted track “Todi (part 1)” is a rudra veena. And Madhuvanti Pal is a master rudra veena player.

Both the sitar and rudra veena are stringed instruments, but there are important differences, which, by some estimations, make these instruments as different from each other as a lute is from a violin. Sitars are compared to the former; rudra veenas are compared to the latter.

Now you know. Anyhoo, this is a 23-minute song.

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