Swarmandal is a stringed instrument used for providing the drone during a song recital. It is a variation of the Santoor, which is of Persian origin, played with fingers. This instrument, also known as Surmandal, is similar to the Harp in Western classical music.
The Swarmandal can be tuned to 3 octaves according to the ‘raga’ being sung by the singer. Usually there are 36 strings in this instrument, but this number can vary. The artist performing on this instrument can use any of the strings for playing. Usually the singer uses the right thumb for playing this instrument.
