Melody of Bobbili Veena dying out?

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Vizianagaram-Bobbili rivalry, which stirred many a battle in the past, also resulted in the birth of the famed Bobbili Veena.
Also known as the Saraswathi Veena or the Ekanda Veena, the Bobbili Veena came into existence in the late 19th century when a craftsman from Vizianagaram, Musanna Chinayya, challenged the artisans of Bobbili and their patron to craft quality veenas.
Raja Ravu Venkata Kumar Krishna Ranga Rao, the then zamindar of Bobbili Samsthanam, who was a connoisseur of music, accepted the challenge and asked Sarvasiddhi Acchanna, who belonged to the Viswa Brahmin community, to craft a veena of exceptional quality. Sarvasiddhi Acchanna, along with his brother Sarvasidhi Appala Swami Maistry, crafted the first Bobbili Veena in less than two months.
Prior to that, the Bobbili kings imported veenas from Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu and Mysore in Karnataka for music concerts in their court. However, these instruments were structurally different from the present instrument.
The Potti Veena, which preceded the Bobbili Veena, was a smaller instrument and was roughly 42 inches long. The Bobbili Veena, on the other hand, is roughly 54 inches long. Bobbili Veenas are carved out of a single piece of jackfruit wood, which is considered best for musical instruments due to its durability.
The diameter of the Bobbili Veena trough is roughly 14.5 inches and it has seven frets made of bell metal. Other veenas have frets of the same number but are often made of brass. The Veena is now patented and has earned the GI (geographical indication) mark.
However, though much seems to have been done to preserve the manufacturing of this beautiful 'Lion faced' instrument, the makers, chiefly the Sarvasiddhi family and others of Gollapalli village, which is situated around 20 km from Bobbili, claim that this is a dying art as there is hardly any money in it.
Speaking on the declining fortunes of the 40-odd families involved in the manufacture of these veenas, Sarvasiddhi Achyutha Narayana, in-charge of the Craft Development Centre in Sarvasiddhi, said that though many youngsters had the skill and the expertise, they were pulling out of the trade mainly because crafting the veena does not pay.
"The Craft Development Centre makes a net income of Rs 12 lakh per annum and the craftsmen, on an average, make not more than Rs 40,000 per family. Most of the youngsters, who have access to modern education, have opted for jobs and other sources of income," said Achyutha Narayana.
Earlier, the zamindars would pay the craftsmen a monthly salary for manufacturing the veenas. Post-independence, with the loss of feudal patronage, the craftsmen formed a society called the Sharada Veena Society in 1959. Later, the state government changed it to Craft Development Centre in 1994.
However, even this society found itself facing many difficulties. Finally, TVK Sastry, the founder-patron of the Madras Telugu Academy, convinced the craftsmen to manufacture miniature veenas. "TVK Sastry bailed us out and remained our patron for a very long time. It was he who helped us promote our miniatures," Achyutha Narayana said.
However, the professional Bobbili Veena continued to suffer due to the loss of professional patronage. According to Achyutha Narayana, this was caused by a combination of factors. "Very few musicians use this instrument today at a time when electronic instruments have picked up. Also the dwindling number of jackfruit trees is another reason for loss of business along with the lack of government patronage."
Achyutha Narayana expressed hope that the government would recognise their talent and pay them salaries on par with government employees and ensure financial security. "If only we were paid the salaries of government clerks and provided the same amount of security for the future, this craft would have been thriving."
However, P Narayanamma, a veena player from Chennai, said, "At the end of the day, any product should have takers. Most Telugus do not seem to have the time for classical music now. Unless there is a revival of classical music in AP, such craftsmen will suffer and the instruments will die out."
HISTORICAL NOTE
Sarvasiddhi Acchanna from the Viswa Brahmin community crafted the first Bobbili veena in the late 19th century
The Bobbili veena is made from a single piece of jackfruit wood and its frets are made of bell metal as against brass
It is roughly 54 inches long and the diameter of its trough is around 14.5 inches as opposed to its predecessor Potti Veena's 42 inch length
The Bobbili Veena is now patented and has earned the GI (geographical indication) tag
In 2000, chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu had gifted a Bobbili veena to former US president Bill Clinton during his visit to Hyderabad
A Greek collector named Kostaff recently acquired 300 professional veenas and tamburas to ensure that they are protected
The most famous Vidwans who gave the Bobbili Veena international recognition were Emani Sankara Sastry and Chitti Babu
Nearly 40 families of craftsmen from Golapalli make roughly 200 to 330 miniatures per month and earn 75% of their income from miniatures and the rest from tamburas and veenas
Other families involved in the craft are members of the Alajangi clan, Tirumaala clan, Bonumaddi clan and the Pedapaati clan. The artisans hail from the metal smith community