Jalatarang

Jalatarang is a unique musical instrument with water as the medium, used all over India. Jalatarang sounds smooth and melodious when played. Records of this device are found as early as in 17th century texts. The device is quite simple with up to eighteen ceramic bowls arranged in order of its size, before the player, in a wide arc. Water filled to specific heights in every bowl creates the twelve notes of the musical scale when struck at the rim with slender bamboo sticks. The note falls in relation with the rising diameter of the bowl and the height of the water column.