Swarmandal: India musical instrument

The swarmandal is an Indian zither that is commonly used today as an accompaniment musical instrument for vocal Hindustani classical music. The name of the instrument comprises of swara meaning notes and mandal meaning group, representing the ability of the instrument to manufacture a large number of notes. The musical instrument is also known as Sur-mandal. 

source of picture: buckinghammusic.com

The swarmandals measures from 24 to 30 inches in length and from 12 to 15 inches in width. The singer can choose to employ any number of strings on the instrument ranging from 21 to 36. The strings of the instrument are hooked in nail lodged of the swarmandal and on the left wound around rectangular pegs that can be tightened with a special key. Rather than metal pegs, wooden pegs were used in the medieval period. A sharp half-inch ridge on the swarmandal stands a little apart from the nail on which the strings of the instrument are tightened. The ridge works as a bridge on both sides of the instrument. The musical instrument is analogous to the autoharp or zither in many ways. Also the instrument is analogous to an instrument that is found in Iran and has been used for many generations, traced back to the Mughal era. Some of the vocalists who have used the musical instrument extensively are Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1902–1968), Ustad Salamat Ali Khan (1934–2003) [1], Pandit Jasraj (b 1930) and Kishori Amonkar (b. 1932).