Indian Shehnai

Indian Shehnai

Shehnai derived from sheh (breath) and nai (flute). The Shehnai is a historic instrument of northern Indian (known as Oboe Hindu), used in classical music as in the folk. It is made up of a body of wood to which he inserts a mouthpiece which contains a double tongue, ends with a bell metal. Like the nagaswaram of southern India, the shehnai is a descendent of the Persian surna and is played on auspicious occasions, such as weddings and temple festivities. Bismillah Khan, who introduced the shehnai to the concert stage, is one of the best-known performers on this instrument. The shehnai is a aeróphone which is thought to attract good luck, and as a result, is widely used in northern India for marriages and processions.  Its sound is thought to create and maintain a sense of auspiciousness and sanctity and, as a result, is widely used during marriages, processions, and in temples, although it is also played in concerts. It usually has between six and nine holes.