Saving the taus: one man's mission to preserve the ancient Indian stringed instrument

The peacock-shaped instrument traces its history back to Punjab in the 17th century

Sandeep Singh has been playing the taus, an ancient stringed music instrument, for more than 40 years. Photo: Sandeep Singh

As the Sun crests the horizon, Sandeep Singh plucks at his taus or mayuri veena with such finesse that it feels as if the morning breeze has come to life.

The melodic tapestry of Indian classical music has the capacity to whisk you away to another realm and the taus is the perfect instrument for it.

A bowed stringed instrument, it has a long and prestigious history dating back to the 17th century in Punjab. Sikh guru Hargobind Sahib famously used it to perform hymns at the Darbar Sahib or Golden Temple. Indian vocalist Ustad Bade Gulam Ali Khan from the Patiala Gharana was also spotted playing taus in the 1900s.

Of Persian origin and shaped like a peacock's body with a long neck, it is known in Sanskrit as the mayuri veena, which translates as "peacock lute".

In contrast to Carnatic music from South India, the musical genre to which it belongs is a tapestry of North Indian and Perso-Arabic influences, carefully woven together by musical institutions or gharanas. For centuries, its trance-like meditative raga has been delighting those who take the time to stop and listen.

The taus, right, and its modern variant, the dilruba. Photo: Sandeep Singh

Sandeep Singh's musical journey began with the dilruba, a modern variant of the taus, but he made a name for himself in 2012 when he took up the taus.

"My father had always dreamt of me playing the taus, so when he handed me the instrument for the first time at 11 years old, I knew I was destined for eminence," he tells The National.

He learnt to play from his father Tarlochan Singh and then trained under Ustad Shaminderpal Singh in Jalandhar for a year in 1997.

"After this, I began my studies with another great music maestro, Pandit Manu Seen from Jalandhar, whom I remained with until 2018. Now, I have the opportunity to learn from the legendary Ustad Dilshad Khan, a renowned Sarangi player from Mumbai."

The taus has four main and sixteen sympathetic strings, allowing one to bring a number of musical styles to life with their skill. As the lifetime of a taus usually depends on the quality of wood, it requires no costly upkeep — only a change of strings every six months or when they break. As an artistic touch, some manufacturers even adorn the instrument with peacock feathers.

Used by Sikh travellers, it posed a problem when travelling great distances on horseback, thus leading to the invention of the smaller-sized dilruba, although what makes taus stand out are its adjustable frets.

Sandeep Singh, who has been playing it for four decades, and is proficient in both the taus and dilruba.

Sandeep Singh says he's doing his best to preserve the taus. Photo: Sandeep Singh

"Taus is the perfect addition to any musical ensemble," he says. "Despite it similarities with the dilruba, they have their own unique charm and sound. The taus produces a fuller sound than its smaller counterpart.

"The lightweight dilruba is a product of the creative mind of the 10th Sikh guru, Gobind Singh Ji, who saw the need to downscale the taus into something more portable."

He says he's doing his utmost to ensure the preservation of the instrument, as only a handful of musicians today can play the taus.

In 2006, when the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee — the body that deals with matters related with issues of Sikh religion and oversees the managements of the gurdwaras — declared that all hymn singers of the Golden Temple should perform kirtan or religious music with traditional instruments, Sandeep Singh was invited to play alongside other hymn singers.

He has performed at events around the world, such as France, Canada, Malaysia and Singapore, and has played on Bollywood soundtracks as well as Punjabi films. A board member of the Sangeet Natak Academy, the Indian academy for performing arts, he also conducts online courses for students around the world.