The vichitra veena (Sanskrit: विचित्र वीणा) is a type of zither that has a stick and is played by plucking its strings. It is used in Hindustani music. This instrument is similar to the Carnatic gottuvadhyam, also known as the chitra vina. It does not have frets and is played using a sliding motion.

The structure

The Vichitra Veena is the modern version of the ancient Ekatantri Veena. It has a wide, fretless horizontal bar (called a dand) that is about three feet long and six inches wide. Two large resonating gourds (called tumba) are attached underneath at both ends. These gourds are inlaid with ivory. The narrow ends of the instrument are shaped into peacock heads.

The strings

The veena has four main strings and five secondary strings called chikaris. These chikaris are played with the little finger to create a continuous, droning sound. Beneath these strings are 13 sympathetic strings, which are tuned to the notes of a specific raag. The veena can play music across five octaves. The right hand uses two plectrums, called mizrab, which are the same as those used on a sitar. These plectrums are worn on the middle and index fingers to pluck the strings. The left hand moves a glass ball, called batta, across the main strings to create melody. Notes can be up to two inches apart. Coconut oil is applied to the strings to reduce friction from the hand that holds the batta.

The veena was often used to accompany Dhrupad singing, which required simple, unembellished notes. Lalmani Misra helped save the veena from being forgotten by developing new playing techniques and creating Misrabani compositions. His son, Gopal Shankar Misra, expanded the veena's repertoire to make it widely accessible.

Artists

• Gopal Krishan (1926–2004) was a student of Nand Kishore Sharma. He understood ragas well and created performances by combining complex musical patterns with precise rhythms. He specialized in a technique called "Jhala," which is very difficult to play on the instrument. This technique builds up to a powerful ending in performances.
• Lalmani Misra (1924–1979) was a perfectionist who improved the instrument to make Khayals and Thumris sound better. He also played Dadras on the Veena. He created many ragas, with Madhukali being the most famous. He was inspired by Ustad Abdul Aziz Khan.
• Gopal Shankar Misra (1957–1999) was the son and student of Lalmani Misra.
• Ragini Trivedi (born 1960)
• Brahm Sarup Singh (1940–1998) was a well-known player of the Vichitra Veena. He was trained by his father, Shri Harnam Singh, in music. He performed at many music conferences in the North. His Vichitra Veena recitals were broadcast on All India Radio, Jalandhar, starting in 1958.
• Anurag Singh (born 1966) is a well-known player of the Vichitra Veena. He was born in Amritsar, India, to the late Shri Brahm Sarup Singh. He has performed publicly in cities such as Hissar, Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar, Ambala, Gujarat, Panchkula, Gurgaon, Kolkata, Lucknow, Jamshedpur, and Patna.
• Radhika Veena Sadhika is known as the world’s first woman Vichitra Veena player.
• Pandit Shiv Dayal Batish of Patiala
• Keshav Batish, grandson of Pandit Shiv Dayal Batish. See link below.