About Ektara

Ektara is a one-string instrument most often used in traditional music from India, Egypt, and Pakistan. In origin the ektara was a regular string instrument of wandering bards and minstrels from India and is plucked with one finger. The ektara usually has a stretched single string, an animal skin over a head (made of dried pumpkin/gourd, wood or coconut) and pole neck. Nowadays the ektara is widely used by folk singers. Traditional and modern forms of bhangra sometimes use an ektara or tumbi to accompany the singer and dhol.