Description

Snake Flute (Indian Snake Charmer Instrument)

Product Dimensions:- 104.14 x 71.12 Cms.

Item Weight:- 220 Grams

The Snake Flute a.k.a ‘Pungi’: Meet the snake charmer’s wife.

The snake flute, which is also known by the name ‘Pungi’ is one of the most oldest wind instruments that finds its trail back to the vintage Indian era. Extremely common and also an important part of Rajasthani folk tradition, the snake flute is known by different names such as Been, Pungi, Tumbi, Sapurer Bansi, Nagasar in the northern part, whereas in the southern areas it is known by names of Nagasvaram, Mahudi, Pungi and Pambatti Kuzhal.

The Pungi today is an integral element that states luxury for many, while many still believe it as a collector’s item, considering how rarely do you find such niche! “Structural elegance that only a professional can define…” Whatever the name may be but the design remains the same throughout the region it prevails. Making the snake flute is not an amateur task as it requires cent percent accuracy to master the flawless design of the instrument. Pungi as a matter of fact is about two feet in length and is made from dry bottle-guard. Pungi contains a calabash, which acts as an air reservoir to which the bamboo pipes or the reed (jivala) is attached (the trickiest part).

As you may have already noticed that the instrument has two reeds, one of which is for melody while the other is for drone. The pipe used for melody has around seven holes and both the pipes are fixed to the gourd with bee’s wax, which is adjusted according to the desired pitch. The craftsmen carefully insert a single tube at the top into the gourd, which is kind of a simple flute that we have. It is into this single flute that the snake-charmer blows and the air starts accumulating into the bottle gourd and passes through the other two reeds.

It is after this mechanism that the sound starts coming out of the instrument. Over the years, the design of the instrument has been kept basic; however, it should not come as a surprise if you find a modified specimen with a metallic tube, including the two bamboo ones. To give the instrument an aesthetic appeal, the neck of the gourd is specifically carved with attention to details. Another major reason for the design to be perfect is that one has to use circular breathing in order to play the instrument effectively.

In short, one has to play the Pungi continuously without any pauses in between (you may have noticed a snake charmer do that for hours). An elegant snake flute is the one that is hand made with superior acoustics, reeds and with designs that are a real eye catcher.