Bobbili
Veena
Documented by
Ajay Boga (Furniture and Interior Design)
Vikram Tej K (Product Design)
PGDPD, National Institute of Design
Guide:
Anuya Naik
Praveen Nahar
The making of
Craft Documentation . National Institute of Design . 2008
Darsana sparsane chasya bhoga svargapavargade |
Punito viprahatyadi patakaih patitam janam ||
Danda sambhuruma tantri kakubhah kamalapatih |
Indra patrika brahma tumbam nabhih sarasvati ||
Dorako vasukirjiva sudhamsuh sarika ravih |
Sarvadevamayi tasmad veeneyam sarvamangala ||
- Sarangadeva
Carnatic musicologist of the 13th century
By seeing and touching the veena, one attains the sacred
religion and liberation. It purifies the sinner, who is been
guilty of killing a Brahmin. The danda, made of wood or
Bamboo, is Siva, the string is Devi Uma, the shoulder is
Vishnu, the bridge is Lakshmi, the gourd is Brahma, the
navel is Sarasvati, the connecting wires are vasuki, the jiva
is the moon and the pegs are the sun. The veena thus
represents nearly all the Gods and Goddesses, and is,
therefore, capable of bestowing all kinds of divine blessings,
benediction and auspiciousness
At National Institute of design the study of craft traditions constitutes an important part of the Design
curricula. The craft documentation course serves as a vehicle for understanding not only the Craft
tradition, but also the communities involved in such an activity. The craft sector is a vital part of
the Indian economy and NID believes that student designers must be sensitized to the issue that
encompasses this sector, if they are to make a meaningful and sustained contribution in design field.
During the craft documentation course, students conduct field study of a selected craft covering its
entire process and infrastructure. The intention is not just to develop appropriate methodologies of
collecting information, but also to develop the ability to structure this material so that meaningful
interpretation is possible. Usually craft documentation captures the process in sketches, dr