The sarinda is a traditional bowed string instrument from the Indian subcontinent. It is made from a single block of wood with a hollow chamber. The instrument has three main strings and thirty-six additional strings that run down a narrow waist and pass through an oval-shaped resonating chamber, which is partly covered with animal skin. It is played while sitting on the ground in a vertical position. The sarinda is an important part of folk music in Bangladesh, India, and parts of Pakistan. It is similar to the sarangi, lute, and fiddle. It is used as the only accompaniment for solo or group folk singers.

History

The exact origins of the sarinda are unknown. It is found in folk traditions of the Bengal region and eastern India and has similar construction to simpler tribal fiddles, such as the dhodro banam used by the Santal people.

Over time, the sarinda developed different versions in different areas. In Punjab, the instrument was included in Sikh devotional music (kirtan) by Guru Arjan Dev (1563–1606), the fifth Sikh Guru. This marked the sarinda’s formal use in Sikh religious performances. This change showed the instrument’s shift from being used mainly in folk and tribal music to being part of organized religious and classical traditions.

For many centuries, the sarinda spread across Bengal and nearby regions in the Eastern Indian Subcontinent. It became an important part of Baul, Fakir, and Murshidi musical traditions in Bangladesh and West Bengal. It also became widely used by tribal groups in Assam and Tripura and was historically common among Pashtun, Baloch, and Sindhi communities in present-day Pakistan.

Regional variations & usage

• In Bangladesh, the sarinda is important in Baul, Fakir, Murshidi, and Marfati music traditions. It is also used during traditional events such as nouka baich (boat races), kavigan (poetry contests), and rural theatre.

• In West Bengal, similar traditions continue among the Bauls and Rajbongshi communities, where a version called Sarinja is used.

• In Assam and Tripura, tribal versions (Serja or Serenja) are played by the Bodo and Tripuri communities. The Tripura sarinda is decorated with bird-shaped scrolls on the pegbox.

• In Punjab, the sarinda was historically used in Sikh kirtan music and Punjabi folk traditions.

• In Rajasthan, folk artists use the sarinda in their traditional music and dance.

• In Pakistan, particularly among Pashtun and Baloch communities, the sarinda was once an important folk instrument, though it is now nearly extinct there.

• In Nepal, the Nepali sarangi is similar to the sarinda.