Bansuri

**Bansuri**
Other names	Baanhi, Baashi, Bansi, Basari, Murali
Classification	woodwind instrument
Playing range
	2.5 octaves (six-hole), 3 octaves (seven-hole)
Musicians
	List of Indian flautists

A bansuri is an ancient side blown flute. It comes from India and Nepal. The flute is an aerophone created from bamboo and a material similar to metal. It is used in many nepali songs.

A bansuri is traditionally made from a single piece of bamboo. The piece is hollow and has seven finger holes. Modern bansuri can be made with ivory, fiberglass and different metals. A bansuri with six holes cab play two and a half octaves of music. The flute is normally between 30–75 cm (12–30 in) in length. It is about as thick as a person's thumb. One end of the flute is closed. The blowhole is a few centimeters from the closed end. Longer bansuris play deeper tones and lower pitches. The early designs have no mechanical keys. The musician makes the notes they want by covering and uncovering finger holes.

The bansuri-like flute is seen in paintings in very old Buddhist, Hindu and Jain temples. They are common in the iconography of the Hindu god Krishna. The bansuri is the divine instrument of Lord Krishna. The instrument is also common among other traditions such as Shaivism.

References

1 2 3 Ashok Damodar Ranade 2006, pp. 284–286.
↑ Bettina Bäumer; Kapila Vatsyayan (1988). Kalatattvakosa: A Lexicon of Fundamental Concepts of the Indian Arts. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 181. ISBN 978-81-208-1402-8.
↑ Dorothea E. Hast; James R. Cowdery; Stanley Arnold Scott (1999). Exploring the World of Music: An Introduction to Music from a World Music Perspective. Kendall Hunt. p. 153. ISBN 978-0-7872-7154-1.
↑ Patricia E. Karetzky (2000). Early Buddhist Narrative Art: Illustrations of the Life of the Buddha from Central Asia to China, Korea and Japan. University Press of America. pp. 44, 60. ISBN 978-1-4617-4027-8.
↑ Alice Boner (1990). Principles of Composition in Hindu Sculpture: Cave Temple Period. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 157–163, 186–187. ISBN 978-81-208-0705-1.
↑ Pratapaditya Pal; Stephen P. Huyler; John E. Cort; et al. (2016). Puja and Piety: Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist Art from the Indian Subcontinent. Univ of California Press. pp. 37–38, 47–49, 59–60. ISBN 978-0-520-28847-8.
↑ Martinez 2001, pp. xxvii–xxviii, 325, 342.
↑ Dalal 2014, p. 28, see entry for Shiva-dedicated saint Anaya.
Jaap Kunst (2013). Hindu-Javanese Musical Instruments. Springer. pp. 25–26. ISBN 978-94-011-9185-2.

[FOOTNOTEAshok_Damodar_Ranade2006284–286-1] 1 2 3 Ashok Damodar Ranade 2006, pp. 284–286.

[2] Bettina Bäumer; Kapila Vatsyayan (1988). Kalatattvakosa: A Lexicon of Fundamental Concepts of the Indian Arts. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 181. ISBN 978-81-208-1402-8.

[3] Dorothea E. Hast; James R. Cowdery; Stanley Arnold Scott (1999). Exploring the World of Music: An Introduction to Music from a World Music Perspective. Kendall Hunt. p. 153. ISBN 978-0-7872-7154-1.

[4] Patricia E. Karetzky (2000). Early Buddhist Narrative Art: Illustrations of the Life of the Buddha from Central Asia to China, Korea and Japan. University Press of America. pp. 44, 60. ISBN 978-1-4617-4027-8.

[5] Alice Boner (1990). Principles of Composition in Hindu Sculpture: Cave Temple Period. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 157–163, 186–187. ISBN 978-81-208-0705-1.

[PalHuyler2016-6] Pratapaditya Pal; Stephen P. Huyler; John E. Cort; et al. (2016). Puja and Piety: Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist Art from the Indian Subcontinent. Univ of California Press. pp. 37–38, 47–49, 59–60. ISBN 978-0-520-28847-8.

[FOOTNOTEMartinez2001xxvii–xxviii,_325,_342-7] Martinez 2001, pp. xxvii–xxviii, 325, 342.

[FOOTNOTEDalal201428,_see_entry_for_Shiva-dedicated_saint_Anaya-8] Dalal 2014, p. 28, see entry for Shiva-dedicated saint Anaya.

[Kunst2013p25-9] Jaap Kunst (2013). Hindu-Javanese Musical Instruments. Springer. pp. 25–26. ISBN 978-94-011-9185-2.